“You’re going to eat cookies in the bathroom?” Irina asked through the door to him, appalled. Which, in any other circumstance, would be funny.
Clearly she hadn’t spent enough time on the road with them, because that was one of the more uninteresting locations to enjoy pastry.
Tanner took half a bite of one cookie. “Yup.”
“I’m out, too.” Mach slipped off to the bedroom, which left Knox and Irina and—
“Mom, this is Knox. And Knox’s mom,” Irina said, like all of this was absolutely normal. “How great we all get to meet before the big event!”
Knox raised his eyebrows, because surely Irina understood by now that cheerful optimism wasn’t going to help her out with his mother. She was more of a persistent bumblebee with unlimited stingers that distributed just enough toxin to get you to bend to her will, but not enough to stop your breathing.
Mom was likely evaluating who got the stinger first, since usually she didn’t have such a wide variety of options.
“Mom.” He managed to say her name with the appropriate reverence to make her happy, and even added a touch of glad-to-see-you to the tone. “I thought we were meeting at the restaurant?”
At least that’s what she was supposed to think.
“Change of plans.” She adjusted the chain of her purse against her shoulder.
Unless she had the ability to read minds, or she had staff listening in on Irina’s phone, there was no way for her to know that plans had changed. Which meant—
“I’ve got to head back to San Francisco straight away, and then up to Tacoma.” Mom flashed him a peroxide smile. “I was stopping to take a rain check on breakfast, but this is all very interesting.” She gestured to the look-alike Irina and dude in a sheet.
“Big case?” Knox asked, unsure what to say about the rest of the happenings in the hallway.
“You have no idea,” she murmured. “This is Irina’s mother?”
“Janis.” Irina’s mom held her hand out to his mom to shake. “We’re working on an art project.” She winked at Brayden. Then she moved in for a Knox hug. “Knox, it’s so great to have you as part of our family. We are going to have so much fun together.”
“Oh,” Mom said, and for the first time in forever his mom was flustered. “Beatrice,” she said her name a little too late.
Janis already worked to usher the guy back into Irina’s apartment. “We better get back to it.”
“Shall we go inside?” his mom asked, rubbing her hands together as though she didn’t quite know what to do with them.
“You know, Mom, if you’re working a big case, it’s okay if you can’t make the wedding.” He tried, really tried, to sound sad that she might skip.
“We need her,” Irina stage-whispered beside him.
But, did they? Did they really? Because if she didn’t show, his day would be that much easier. While, yes, the photo op would be better with her, there was less chance of a bar brawl style ending if she and his dad didn’t both show.
“I was very much hoping to convince you and Irina to postpone.” Mom started to push into the room, but he held firm.
“Uh.” This is where he said no, like Irina suggested.
“We want to get married.” Irina looped her arm with Knox’s. “We’re going to get married.”
“Why?” Mom asked.
Well, one, because Irina worked hard on the wedding. Two, because he hadn’t gotten his end of the bargain yet. (That morning the tabloids had trashed him with photos that were nearly two years old!) And three, maybe he was finally ready to do what he wanted.
Childish? Maybe.
True? Yes.
“Are you going to invite me in so we can discuss this?” she asked. “Or do I have to wilt out here in the hallway?”
“Inside is good.” Irina had moved behind him, her chest to his back—which, he’d noted, didn’t suck—and she rested her chin against his biceps. “It’s so great to meet you in person, Bernice.”
