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When I nod, he opens his door, climbs out, and waits on the sidewalk as I jump down. He holds his hand out and I take it as we walk up to the porch and I open the door.
“Auntie?” I call out and she pokes her head out of the kitchen. I swear, that woman lives in there.
“Carly, what are you doing here?” Her gaze zeroes in on Chance before dropping to our clasped hands. She fights back a smile. “And who is your friend?”
Chance steps forward, not releasing my hand as he holds his other out to Aunt Dottie. “I’m Chance, ma’am. It’s really nice to finally meet you. Carly has told me a lot about you.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, too, dear.”
“I thought we could go out and get some dinner together,” I suggest and Dottie shakes her head.
“Nonsense. I just finished cooking up some barbecue pork for sandwiches.”
“That sounds delicious,” Chance says and Dottie beams. Oh, Lord, she’s smitten already. Not that I don’t completely understand how she’s feeling.
“Well, have a seat and I’ll have it ready in a minute or two.”
We sit next to each other at the dinner table and he wraps his arm over the back of my chair, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “I’m going to get you back for the panty thing.”
“You can try,” I whisper with a smirk and he growls softly in my ear as Dottie walks into the dining room with a dish full of pulled pork and a plate of hamburger buns.
“Let me just go grab some chips and we can dig in. Y’all want some tea?”
Chance nods. “That would be great. Thank you, ma’am.”
Aunt Dottie blushes and I watch with wide eyes as she slips back into the kitchen.
“I think Dottie likes you,” I tease, trailing my fingers up his leg and he clamps down on them with his free hand.
“What’s not to like?”
I shrug, pulling my hand free and trying to skate up his leg again but he stops me. “I don’t know… you’re kind of stubborn.”
“Pot and kettle, Princess,” he says and I laugh as Dottie walks back into the room. She stares at me for a moment like she’s just seen a unicorn before setting a tray of tea down and shaking her head.
“So, Chance, tell me how you met my niece?”
“Uh, it was through Ali, actually. Carly brought her home the day her house was broken into and I was there with the club. She knocked me off my damn feet as soon as she walked into the room.”
Dottie grins, her gaze flicking to me. “You obviously had an effect on her as well. She’s never brought a boy over to meet me.”
“Auntie,” I hiss, feeling nervous enough already. Chance laughs and pulls me closer as I fight back a smile.
“Well, it took a little convincing, but I finally won her over. She can be a little stubborn.”
Dottie barks out a surprised laugh. “You could say that.”
“See, Princess,” Chance says, glancing down at me with a wide grin on his face. “Everyone knows you’re the stubborn one in this relationship.”
“Mmhmm, Kettle.”
Chance laughs again and Dottie’s gaze flicks back and forth between the two of us. “You know, Chance, I have a feeling about you.”
“I hope it’s a good one, ma’am,” he drawls. Dottie nods.
“Call me Auntie or Dottie, everyone else does.”
He nods. “Okay, Dottie.”
