This time when Mama came onto the front porch, she greeted Alan with a smile. It was a far cry from the glare she’d given him yesterday.
“Welcome!” she called as we neared the porch, then looked startled when she noticed Kevin marching toward the house. “Kevin? What are you doing here?”
I could feel the energy emanating from Alan’s body, yet he remained still and mute when Kevin replied, “I came to find out why my future-wife and daughter are riding in a car alone with this man.”
I was instantly pissed off, on so many levels.
One—I’d never agreed to marry him. Heck, he hadn’t even asked me so I could turn him down, and yet he thought he had some claim on me.
Two—Ruthie wasnothis future daughter, nor would she ever be.
And last, I was twenty-two-freaking-years-old. I could ride in a car with whomever I wanted! I didn’t owe him or anyone else an explanation.
Okay, that last one was debatable since my parents did have a say in that. In that moment, I realized it was only because I’d let them.
I must have been feeling brave because I was just about to give the man what for, when my mother replied, “It only made sense since he’s our guest for dinner.”
Kevin’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. “You invited him to dinner?”
“Well, Ed did.”
He walked up the steps and snarled, “Is that so?” as he passed by Mama. Without another word, he yanked the screen door open and barged into the house, uninvited, ahead of all of us.
Mama waited on the porch for Alan, Ruthie, and me. Before walking inside the house, she murmured softly, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Yeah. Not marrying Kevin.
Alan gave me a reassuring smile and a small wink as I walked past him.
I was either about to be disowned—in which case, Alan wouldn’t need to marry me, or engaged to Alan.
I guess I’d find out in a minute which it was.
Chapter Thirty-One
Alan
I mentally prepared for the fireworks I was sure were coming when we walked inside, but the house was quiet when I shut the door behind me.
I glanced around the foyer—the wood floors and wainscoting were scuffed and worn and in need of refinishing, and I was willing to bet the walls hadn’t seen a fresh coat of paint in over a decade, but otherwise, the place was spotless.
“Your home is beautiful, Mrs. Bradbury.”
She offered a polite smile. “Please call me Carol.”
Just then, raised voices came from the other room.
There’s the fireworks.
But Carol kept her smile plastered to her face. “Can I offer you something to drink while we wait for Ed to finish his, uh, conversation with Kevin?”
Before I could answer, a man who I assumed was Jess’s dad appeared from a hallway to the right. “You must be Alan,” he said as he stepped forward and offered his hand. “I’m Ed. It’s nice to meet you.”
I was still holding Ruthie’s carrier, so I gently set it down so not to disturb her then shook the man’s calloused hand.
He was in better shape than I’d been expecting and had a full head of chestnut-brown hair, the same shade as Jess’s. While Jessica looked like her mom, her brown hair and eyes came from her dad.
“Nice to meet you, sir.”
