Sloane:
Wait… Does she have any kids?
Lanie:
I have no idea.
Raven:
Guess we’ll wait and see.
Sloane:
Be sure to put in the family group chat what you’re bringing. Dad just texted. He’s taking requests and is heading to the store this afternoon.
Lizzy:
Sounds good. Gotta run. Embry’s trying to ride a skateboard in the house.
Raven:
You can blame Dad for that one.
Sloane:
Just wait until he’s cruising down the promenade. See if your heart can handle it.
Lizzy:
See you tonight. Wish me luck!
Mark assures me I have nothing to be nervous about, but that’s like telling me not to breathe. Sure, I’ve met his parents before—and for the record, his mother loved me— but I’ve never met a man’s kids.
Hell, Mark doesn’t just have four girls I need to impress. No, he has an entire gaggle of grandkids and sons-in-law, some of whom are world famous, who will all be wondering what the hell I’m doing, intruding on their family gathering.
As I look in the mirror a final time, I force myself to stare into my own eyes.
“Stop worrying. You’ve got this,” I tell myself.
Even as my stomach flips with nerves, I straighten my shoulders, grab my favorite hoodie, and walk out the door to meet Mark at his place.
After coming home from the diner, he and I spent most of the day in his bed. Then, about two hours ago, he forced himself to go to the store and pick up the necessary items for tonight’s adventure. I heard his truck pull in next door a few minutes ago, and now that I no longer look as if I’ve been ravaged by him all day, I force myself to leave the comforts of my home and join him.
By the time I get outside, he’s already walking my way. “You ready?” he asks with a handsome, carefree smile on his face.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I admit with a nervous laugh.
Leaning in, he reaches for my hand and kisses my cheek. “Don’t worry, Faye. They’ll love you.”
“How can you be so sure?” I hedge.
“Because I love you…” He squeezes my hand and leads me toward his garage.
As much as I want to protest, I know this self-doubt is just my nerves talking. I may not win them all over at once, but at least two of his grandkids and I got along well. If the rest are anything like Jason and Josh, I’m sure I’m worrying for nothing.
Twenty minutes later, we’re pulling up to Lanie and Ryan’s house—though to me, it will always be Jane Lancaster’s home. An odd sense of déjà vu comes over me. I feel like he’s bringing me home to meet his mom for the first time, rather than meet his four daughters and their entire family. Suddenly, I miss Jane like crazy. I always cherished the time we spent together and wish we’d been able to visit more often over the years.
As Mark takes his hand in mine, he leads me up the front steps, and my stomach feels like a swarm of hornets taking flight. When we walk through the door, flashbacks of Jane’s warm scent overwhelm me.
