“I see you guys already have the grandparent-thing down,” I quipped.
“It must be genetic,” Lainey said as she wrapped her arm around Adam’s waist and looked up at him like he’d hung the moon.
My brother had come to Haven Springs to pay his respects to his fallen brother-in-arms, Shawn O’Brien. Shawn had been killed in the same firefight that had injured Adam. Then Adam ended up falling in love with Shawn’s girl, and the baby Shawn had never known about.
Conor might not be Adam’s biological son, but my brother had loved that little boy from Day One.
I hadn’t fully understood how that was possible until yesterday when I’d met Ruthie. Now it made sense.
~~~~
My mother insisted on sitting next to Conor at dinner so she could continue to dote on him.
To her credit, Lainey took it in stride. I think she was used to it; Shawn’s parents lived in Haven Springs and babysat as often as they were allowed.
“Dinner’s really good, Lain,” I said from the other end of the table.
“Yes, it’s so delicious. I can only imagine how fantastic your baked goods must be,” my mother chimed in. “I can’t wait to visit your bakery tomorrow.”
“Alan will be there, too,” Adam said with a smirk. “Apparently he’s working there, now.”
If my brother thought he was going to embarrass me, he couldn’t be more wrong. I’d been trying to think of a way to bring Jess and Ruthie into the conversation, and he just gave me the perfect opening.
“I’ve got the art of cinnamon roll frosting down pat,” I beamed. “If you come in tomorrow, you’ll get to meet Lainey’s newest employee, Jess, and her five-week-old daughter, Ruthie.”
“And I think Alan is in love,” Lainey said with her own smirk.
“With the woman or the baby?” my father asked with raised eyebrows.
I didn’t hesitate to look him in the eye when I replied, “Both.”
A tiny gasp escaped my mom as her fork clanged on her plate.
“You’re dating someone?” She looked over at my father and exclaimed, “I can’t believe it! We’re going to have two grandbabies!”
I threw my hands up in front of me. “Hold on there, Grandma Callahan. Jess and I aren’t dating yet. I’m just trying to get to know her better.”
“Then he’ll ask her out,” Adam said smugly before shoveling a forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.
He’s not wrong.
So, I shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, then I’ll ask her out.” I caught Lainey frowning at me from across the table, so I added, “If Lainey says it’s okay.”
My mom snapped her attention to Lainey. “Why wouldn’t it be okay? I mean, I know I’m biased, but Alan’s a keeper.”
It was my turn to smugly grin as I mouthed “A keeper,” to Lainey.
There was no way she’d risk the wrath of my mom and discourage me from asking Jess out now.
Not that I’d cared in the first place. But I knew Jess would.
Now I just needed to figure out how to get Jessica’s parents on board.
I couldn’t believe I was even saying those words in my head. I was a freaking grown-ass man, not some seventeen-year-old kid trying to get his high school crush’s parents to say she could go out with him.
But I understood if I wanted to date Jessica, that was exactly what I was going to have to do.
****
