Jace tried to get Stella’s attention, but Stella had her eyes glued to her plate.
Finally Tandy made it to the seat next to Jace and sat down. She smiled at him, but before she could say anything, his mother started talking.
“Tandy just moved back from New York. Tandy dear, wasn’t Jace in your high school class?” Tammy asked.
“I think he was a year or two ahead of me,” Tandy replied. “Colton, I think you were in my class.”
“I think you’re right.” Colton leaned forward and sent her a sexy grin. Good. Let Colton take her off his hands.
“Landon, Porter, and I were just a year after you,” Parker cut in. “Do you remember us?”
“Of course! I cheered at all your football games. You were great players.”
“That’s so nice of you, Tandy. Have you met Stella? She’s new to town.” Jace was going to kill his mother. Not that he could ever physically harm her, but he’d lie and tell her he’d gotten a vasectomy to pay her back for this stunt. That might be worse revenge than any physical harm.
Jace watched in horror as the perfect Tandy smiled and leaned across the table with her hand outstretched. Stella looked up from her plate, notched her chin up, and plastered the fakest smile he’d ever seen onto her face.
“Bless my stars, I’m so glad to meet another young woman who is new to town. Even if you’re from here, I’ve gathered it’s changed quite a bit since y’all were in high school,” Stella said, letting her Southern accent out to play as she shook Tandy’s hand.
“Even being out of state hasn’t stopped me hearing about the talk of the town,” Tandy laughed with perfect pitch. Every single man at the table sighed. Jace cringed.
“The talk of the town because of me?” Jace asked with a little too much tension in his voice as he heard Stella choke on her drink.
Tandy’s eyes widened slightly but only for a second. Her composure never slipped. “No, because of Stella’s garden center. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews of it. What do you mean, because of you?”
Tammy thumped Stella’s back until Stella dragged in a deep breath. “Thank you.”
“Well, you said you wanted to talk to my son,” Tammy urged Tandy.
“Here?” Tandy said, glancing around.
“Mom,” Jace warned. “I know what you’re up to and it isn’t going to work.”
His mother batted her eyes innocently. “Up to? I’m not up to anything.”
“The hell you aren’t. You know I want Stella to be my girlfriend. I don’t need you trying to set me up to prove it.” Jace moved his eyes to Stella. “I’m sorry for my mother’s behavior. I had thought the fact I was spending every night with you would make my intentions clear. Apparently since I haven’t spelled it out, the betting app hasn’t been updated so everyone thinks we’re still single. In my mind and heart I’m all yours. If you want me, that is.”
Stella looked ready to die of embarrassment, yet she had a goofy little grin on her face that made him think he had a chance. “Of course I want you as my boyfriend,” she said softly and Jace could finally breathe.
The motion of Tandy putting her hand on her heart made Jace turn back to her. “I’m sorry my mom brought you here under false pretenses.”
Tandy shook her head with a smile on her face and a glint to her eyes. “That was so sweet. You two are so cute together. But your mom brought me here to look at a mole I have to make sure it’s not cancerous,” she said, rolling up her sleeve to show a mole on her arm.
In Jace’s peripheral vision he saw his mom and grandmother high-five. He’d been played. Stella burst out laughing as if coming to the same conclusion.
“I thought everything was clear to begin with,” Pierce shrugged.
Tammy groaned and buried her face in her hands and began to rant. Jace couldn’t hear much but the name “Demetri.” His father paused with the fork halfway to his mouth and let it clatter to the plate. He shoved back his chair and wedged his way behind Tandy and Jace. He patted his dad on the shoulder, then kissed his mother.
“Thanks for dinner, Ma. Tammy and I have to go.”
Jace looked across the table at his mom’s wide eyes. His father pulled out the chair with his mom still sitting in it and scooped her up in his arms. “Demetri can still go to hell. You’re mine.”
Jace and everyone else watched as Pierce carried Tammy into the kitchen toward the side door. “Cassidy, watch your little sister tonight.”
Then the door slammed and all they heard was, “Oh, Pierce that was so romantic.”
Piper, Jace, and Cassidy shared a cringe.
“I mean, if Cassidy is babysitting . . .” Ryan shoved the chair back, grabbed his and Sienna’s son, Ash, and shoved him in the high chair toward Cassidy.
“His diaper bag is in the living room!” Sienna called out as the two ran out the front door.
Jace blinked as Sophie and Nash put their daughter, Emersyn, in Cassidy’s arms with the diaper bag beside her chair. Then they were gone, too.
“Hey! How did you do that?” Cassidy called out to the empty space where Sophie and Nash had been just a moment ago.
“I’ve heard after three it’s all the same,” Sydney said casually as she folded her napkin. Her husband, Deacon, stood up and pulled out Sydney’s chair. The two parents leaned over and kissed their son, Donovan, and their daughter, Brynn. “Mommy and Daddy love you. Auntie Cassidy is watching you tonight. Cousin sleepover! They’re the best,” Sydney said serenely.
“We’ll pick them up at ten. Thanks, Cass,” Deacon poured on the old Southern Georgia charm as he calmly escorted his wife out the door, but then everyone heard them running for their SUV.
“What the hell just happened?” Cassidy asked slowly as Emersyn chose that moment to open her mouth and scream.
Stella was laughing so hard all she could do was cling to Jace. The second Emersyn opened her mouth, the table cleared out. Miles and Morgan ran out the side door with Cy and Gemma, Cade and Annie, and Marshall and Katelyn. Matt carried Riley out in is arms. Layne and her husband, Walker, went out a window. Carter and Reagan snuck out as Cassidy was begging Piper to help, but Aiden ended the sisterly guilt trip by picking up Piper and tossing her over his shoulder and making a run for it.
“Porter! Parker! Get back here!” Cassidy yelled from where she stood blocking the front door.
“The babies will hurt my concussion. Sorry, doctor’s orders!” Porter called as his brother helped him hobble from the house as quickly as possible.
Jace helped Stella into the front seat. As she waited for him to run to the driver’s side, she saw Wyatt and Camila crawling on the ground through the shadows to get to their car.
Jace started the SUV, locked the doors, and backed up as Landon picked Cassidy up from behind, set her down inside the door, and then made a break for it as he ran out the door. Tires spun, dirt flew, and a steady line of cars sped from family dinner.
“I am so sorry for tonight,” Jace finally said as they pulled out onto the road.
“I’m not. At first I was horrified, but then I saw the lengths your mom went through to make me your girlfriend. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so wanted before.”