“Are you sure? I haven’t even met your mom yet. Not officially anyway. I mean, we’ve spoken briefly a couple of times, but this time will be different. Wouldn’t it be better if her focus was solely on Sam?”
“I was actually thinking the opposite would be better. Having you there would serve as sort of a distraction so Sam doesn’t become overwhelmed with Mom’s presence and attention.”
She nods slowly. “Okay. I can see how that would be a good thing. But does she even know we’re dating?”
We found out Harley is pregnant a week ago, but we both decided to wait a little while before we told our families about the baby. That doesn’t mean I don’t want Mom to know about us dating though.
“Yes, I’ve told her, and she wants to see you. I’ve already asked her if she minded if you came with us tonight, and she was actually excited about it. And you know your brother and Jersey won’t mind.”
It takes her another minute to decide. “Okay.” She blows out a long breath. “How long do we have before we’re supposed to be there?”
I look at the watch on my wrist. “An hour.”
She immediately pushes against my chest and this time I let her go. “Shit. That doesn’t leave much time,” she says, rushing over to a black gym bag on the floor by the wall. She stuffs a few things inside and pulls out a set of keys. “Come on. I’ve barely got time to get home, shower, and change.”
I follow behind her as she practically jogs to the front door. Before she can pull it open, I take her gym bag from her and toss it over my shoulder.
Once we’re outside and the doors are locked, she turns to me, grabbing the front of my shirt and tugging me down for a quick peck on the lips.
“Next time, give me a better notice.”
A chuckle rumbles from my throat as she grabs my hand and drags me down the street toward the parking lot.
* * *
An hour later,Harley and I walk up the steps to her brother’s house. Mom wanted to drive herself in case Harley and I stay longer than her, and her car’s already out front.
Harley doesn’t bother knocking, which isn’t a surprise, before she opens the door and walks inside. I’ve been gone from Silver Falls for years, but I remember how close the Adair quad was with their older brother, and I can see that carrying on to adulthood.
The house, which is of modest size, is quiet when we enter. The silence could be good or bad. I really fucking hope it’s the former. I believe seeing Sam again will help Mom a lot in her current state of mind. She lost three of her four closest relatives. Having one back could do wonders.
“Things are either going really well or really bad,” Harley says quietly, mirroring my thoughts.
I nod my agreement.
We check the living room and find it empty. The same goes for the dining room and kitchen. When we approach the back door that looks like it leads to a patio, Harley comes to a stop. I step up beside her and peer out the sliding glass door she’s looking through.
My body tenses and my jaw locks. Mom is sitting on a patio couch with Sam sitting beside her. I have a clear view of her face. Although she’s not crying, I can see the strain on her face as she fights back the tears. Sam, who’s been through hell and back, holds himself stiff, but I can see the yearning on his face as he and Mom talk quietly.
Although I’ve never blamed Sam for withdrawing from Mom, I’m still very grateful he feels safe enough to give her a chance.
Harley sniffs beside me, and I look down at her. When she meets my eyes, tears swim in hers, but her lips are split into a beautiful smile.
“This is very good,” she says through her smile. “We haven’t known Sam and Jersey very long, but that boy has captured all of our hearts. I’m glad he’s opening up to your mom again. I’m sure this has been very hard on her.”
I grab her hand and lace our fingers together. “It has. But each day is getting easier. This,” I jut my chin toward the door, “will go a long way toward helping her.”
She rolls to her toes and lays a soft kiss against my lips. I want to pull her closer and take more from her mouth, but I behave myself and don’t stop her when she pulls back.
With my hand still in hers, she pulls me to the door. All eyes move to us as we step outside. Wesley and Jersey are occupying two of the four patio chairs surrounding a table. With me rarely coming home for visits, I’ve only seen Jersey a couple of times.
She smiles at Harley and gets up from her chair.
“Deandra said you were coming,” she says, stopping in front of Harley. “I would have invited you myself, but I wasn’t sure if Deandra and Carter wanted it to be just the five of us.” Her eyes move to me. “And I didn’t realize you two were officially dating.” She holds her hand out to me and I take it. “How do you like living in Silver Falls again?”
“Much better than when I first came back,” I answer.
She smiles, catching my meaning. I dreaded moving back to the small town I grew up in, but since I started seeing Harley, I’m missing the city life less and less. I can actually see myself permanently settling down in Silver Falls, whereas before, I thought of it as a temporary move until the heat over what my father and brother did settled down. Now I can’t imagine moving away, which is good, since moving is no longer an option. I don’t see Harley following me back to the city, and damn if I’ll be anywhere where my child is not.