Jace laughs, and slams the door shut before Ryder leads me into the living room.
“Mom’s calm right now so don’t worry,” Jace says coming up behind us. “She’s actually spent the day up Dad’s ass getting the place dusted. I think he’s ready to commit murder.”
I chuckle and try to keep my nerves buried. I mean, the way her two sons go on, you’d think she was a nut job. At least, I hope that’s only my imagination.
“Ryder, Dahlia, you’re both here.” Ryder’s mom says, as we enter the room. She pauses and shouts, “Ian?”
Turning back to Ryder, she pulls him into her arms for a hug before turning her eyes on me.
“Dahlia, it’s a pleasure to meet, again. I hope you’ll forgive me for my lack of tact the other week. Sometimes my mouth runs away with me before I stop to think.”
“Where Jace gets it from,” Ryder mumbles under his breath.
“Hey.” Jace playfully punches Ryder in the arm. At least, I think it was playful.
A first impression of the brothers together is that they try to outdo the other.
Ignoring them, I step closer to Ellen. “The other week’s forgotten, and it wasn’t your fault.” And it wasn’t, I add silently, Ryder should ha
ve told me before then, but we’ve come a long way since.
Ellen pulls me into her arms. “You make my son smile. Thank you,” she whispers.
“Ellen, let the girl breathe.”
She steps back smiling. “Dahlia, meet my husband Ian, Ryder’s dad.”
“And who’s mine?” Jace mutters.
“And Jace’s,” Ellen clarifies.
Ryder snickers behind me.
I shake Ian’s outstretched hand, and realize both of his sons got their looks from him. He’s about the same height as Jace, with dark hair, which is graying around the edges.
I glance at Jace and catch some hidden pain in his eyes before he realizes I’m looking at him. Then, like a light switch, the pain is replaced by amusement. I study him, assessing who he is. He’s definitely a good-looking man, but it’s clear that when he’s not putting on a front, there’s deep pain visible.
He catches me studying him and smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes completely.
Ryder sliding his arm around my waist, brings my attention back to him. “Don’t take it personally,” he whispers. “He likes you. He’d have disappeared if he didn’t.”
“Ryder, take Dahlia out back and sit on the patio. Jace put the stove on not long ago so it should have warmed up by now,” Ellen suggests. “Ian, can you help me in the kitchen?” She disappears through a door, with Ian trailing behind.
“C’mon.” Ryder ushers me through some double doors and I find myself outside.
Trees with fairy lights surround the patio, and the stove is set to one side, letting off a warm glow. It’s so cozy and unexpected.
He kisses me on the nose. “Will you be okay a minute? I just want to ask my mom something.”
I smile. “I’ll be fine, and I love this.”
“It’s great, isn’t it?” He places a quick kiss to my lips. “Be right back, and I’ll bring you a drink as well.”
“All right.”
Ryder disappears as I wander toward the steps, which lead to a garden. During the day, it’s probably a vibrant riot of color judging by the flowers that I can just make out in the early evening light.
“Mom loves to garden.” Jace suddenly appears.