Page 57
“Well, if it’s any consolation, you made a fantastic first impression on me.”
“Did I?” I laugh. “Tell me, was it the internal bleeding or panic attack that really won you over?”
“All of the above.”
With a giggle, I shake my head. “I don’t think those are going to work on Iris.”
“That’s true,” he agrees with a nod. “But we’ve been hanging out for like two weeks now and I can confidently say that you are an easy person to love.”
“Am I now?” I ask breathlessly. Does that mean that he…
“Definitely.”
Turning to him, I study his face as he focuses on the road ahead of us, trying to discern what exactly he meant by that statement. Like he just said, we’ve only been hanging out for two weeks so surely he can’t mean that he loves me. Right? Then again, I’m not all that sure how I feel about him. Saying I like him feels so inadequate for the thumping of my heart and the butterflies in my belly any time he comes around but do I love him? I don’t know.
“We’re here,” he says and I turn as the cute little cottage comes into view.
“This is where you grew up?”
He nods as he pulls the car to a stop and puts it in park. “Yep. You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I answer with a nod and he shakes his head as he climbs out of the car. I suck in a breath before slipping out of the car and he’s already at the back door, unbuckling Brooklyn. Once he has her out, he carries her over to me and grabs my hand. She lays her head down on his shoulder as she plops her thumb into her mouth and my heart aches at the sight of them. He’s so damn good with her and she absolutely adores him - something that surprised me since she’s usually so reserved around strangers but from the moment they met, she’s been head over heels for the man.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything cuter,” someone says and I turn toward the cottage, smiling at the dark haired woman in the doorway. Her gaze moves to me and she smiles. “You must be Quinn.”
“I am. It’s so nice to meet you,” I tell her, holding my hand out but she bypasses it and wraps me up in a hug as the warm scent of apples and cinnamon surrounds me.
“Come on in,” she urges as she pulls away and turns to Lucas. Brooklyn pops her head up, with her thumb still in her mouth, and stares at Iris, who smiles at her. “Hello, gorgeous girl.”
Brooklyn smiles around her thumb and Iris lets out a chuckle before glancing back at Lucas.
“You look good with a baby on your hip, kid.”
He peeks over at me with a grin. “You hear that, babe? I look good with a baby on my hip.”
“She’s not wrong,” I answer, fighting back a smile. My stomach growls, drawing the attention of everyone on the porch and Iris backs up toward the door, ushering us to follow her.
“Come on, y’all. Pizza got here just before you did.”
Lucas wraps his free arm around my waist as we step into the cottage. “Iris isn’t much of a cook,” he whispers and she turns to glare at him.
“I heard that.”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
She sneers before turning back toward the kitchen and he laughs, pulling me into his side.
“Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll even get to hear the Christmas ham story.”
“Oh, Christ,” she calls from the kitchen as a cupboard slams. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Riz, we could have demoed a house with the thing after you got your hands on it.” He laughs and she steps out of the kitchen with plates in her hands as she glares at him.
“So you say. Personally, I think it wasn’t that bad.”
“It broke a knife!” he exclaims, pulling me closer and I laugh as Iris rolls her eyes.
“You keep heckling me, boy, and I’m gonna kick you out on the front porch with no pizza.”
