“Hey!”
He laughed and kissed me again. “Come on.”
Puffing out a breath, I got out of the car and walked with him toward the front porch. Voices came from inside, followed by loud laughter. Daniel opened the door and guided me inside. Instantly, I was hit with the smell of cooked spices and meat, as well as something sweet.
A woman I immediately recognized from the picture on Daniel’s desk hopped up from the couch and rushed over. Her black hair hung to the middle of her back, and her big blue eyes were framed with a faint black liner. She hardly wore any other makeup. A natural beauty.
Just like her brother.
“Hey! I’m Regina,” she said, pulling me in for a hug. “Hope you don’t mind. This family hugs a lot.”
“Not at all,” I responded, my voice laced with nerves. Relief too. I hadn’t expected such a warm welcome. “I love hugs.”
“You are way too cute for my loser brother,” Regina said, releasing me. She smelled like sugar cookies and cinnamon.
Daniel scoffed.
A pretty blonde approached us next. “Hi, I’m Meg.” She seemed a little shy, which matched her petite frame and gentle voice.
“I’m Reed. Nice to meet you.”
“Ma?” Regina called out, turning toward the archway in the living room. “Daniel’s here with his cute little boyfriend.”
Cute little boyfriend.
I smiled. Out of all the things I’d been called in my life, it definitely wasn’t the worst.
“I’m sorry about her,” Daniel whispered in my ear, putting an arm around my waist. “She’s a bit eccentric.”
“I like her,” I said. And I did. I had only just met Regina, but I liked her easygoing vibe. It put me at ease right away.
The nerves rose back up into my chest when an older woman came into the room. She wore a casual green dress that touched her ankles, and her short dark hair curled around her heart-shaped face.
Daniel stepped forward and greeted her before turning to me. “Mom, this is Reed.”
“Lovely to meet you,” she said, grabbing both of my hands and gently squeezing them. “You can call me Beth. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Yeah, Mom overdid it with the food,” Regina said, throwing an arm around Meg’s shoulders. “There’s a buttload of cookies too. I’ve already eaten seven.”
“Those were supposed to wait until after dinner,” Beth said.
Regina shrugged. “I was hungry.”
I liked her.
After the awkwardness of the first meeting passed, I began to relax more. We went into the dining room and sat down at the round table to eat chili. It was the best damn chili I’d ever had too. Hearty and packed full of flavor.
“Would you like another bowl?” Beth asked me.
“No, thank you. The button on my jeans is about to pop. That’s my sign to back off.”
Daniel chuckled.
Beth looked at him and smiled. After dinner, she pulled me aside. “Can I talk to you a moment, dear?”
“Sure.”
She led me into the kitchen and pulled a cake from the fridge. My anxiety spiked again as I waited for her to say something. Was she about to tell me I wasn’t good enough for her son? Or maybe I was freaking out for no reason.
“I have to admit, I was a little taken off guard when Danny told me he was dating you.” Beth placed the cake on the counter and pulled the plastic wrap off before looking at me. “The repercussions of it worried me. He’s worked hard for so many years. I don’t know the company policy for this sort of thing, but I can imagine it’s not favorable.”
My heart floated up to my throat, and the backs of my eyes stung.
Here it comes.
“But you know what?” She reached over and grabbed my forearm, her face breaking into a gentle smile. “Seeing him with you today… seeing the way he lights up when he looks at you… I understand now. I haven’t seen him look like that in a really long time.”
I released a shuddering breath as a single tear slipped from my eye. I cleared the lump in my throat, knowing I should say something but coming up short.
“Oh, sweetheart.” She hugged me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I only meant to say I think you’re good for Danny. I just want what’s best for him.”
“I want that too,” I croaked. “I don’t wanna be the reason he loses his job.”
“He’s a grown man,” she said, smoothing her hands up and down my arms in a comforting way. “He knows the risks he’s taking by being with you. And if he can accept it, so should we. Jobs can be replaced. But what you two have… I don’t think that can.”
“What’s going on in here?” Daniel asked, coming up behind me and sliding his arms around my stomach.
“We were getting the cake ready,” I answered, leaning my head back against his chest and smiling at Beth.
She returned my smile before grabbing a cutting knife and plates. “Help me carry this to the table?”
Daniel grabbed the plates from her, along with forks. As they walked away, I heard her whisper in his ear, “I like that boy.”
Gain Mom’s approval? Check.
“Hey, you!” Regina said, coming around the corner. She looped arms with me as we walked into the dining room. “Meg and I are going to Allie’s tonight for half-price margaritas. You and Dan wanna join us? There’s supposed to be Valentine’s Day specials everywhere. It’s sure to be a cheesefest.”
“Count me in,” I answered. “I’ll drag Daniel along too.”
“You’ll drag me where?” he asked, overhearing our conversation.
“To the bar.”
“The bar?” He sighed. “It’s Sunday. We have work in the morning.”
“You’re going,” Regina told him. “Bond with me, dammit.”
I laughed. Yeah, she and I were going to get along perfectly fine.
Around eight thirty, we headed downtown in Daniel’s car. Regina and Meg drove in front of us.
“I like your family,” I said, holding his hand between our seats.
“They like you too. Mom told me she was afraid she upset you. Are you okay?”
“I am, actually.” I looked at the Blue Harbor nightlife as we passed through town. “She made me feel better about this—you and me. And what it might mean for our jobs.”
“You’re more important to me than any job,” Daniel said.
“Even though we haven’t been together long?”
“I’ve known you for a year, Reed.” Daniel pulled into Allie’s parking lot and snagged a spot at the side of the building. He turned to me in the seat. “I’ve crushed on you for a good six months. I know what I want and what I’m willing to give up. And I’m not giving you up for anything.”
A knock on my window made me yelp.
“You coming in?” Regina said, the wind whipping her hair in her face. “It’s cold as balls out here.”
“Best not keep my sister waiting,” Daniel said, sighing as he shut off the car.
Grinning, I opened my door and rushed toward the awning. It had started to rain. Of course. Once inside the bar, the four of us found a tall table in the corner and settled in, taking off our coats. Daniel looked too damn snuggly in his navy blue sweater and jeans, droplets of rain shining in his dark hair. When our eyes met, he smiled.