Kane (Arizona Vengeance 8)

My mom’s smile falters first when she sees the way we’re walking toward her. Not just hand in hand but standing close to each other—a unit.

She appears befuddled, but she always remembers her manners as she studies Kane. I hadn’t told my parents he was coming, knowing they would enjoy the surprise. “Kane,” my mom exclaims. “What a wonderful surprise.”

We make it to the base of the porch steps and up one step before my dad bluntly asks, “Why are you two holding hands?”

When my dad is blunt about something, it’s not in a tactless or aggressive way. He’s a geologist—a scientist—so he looks for the unexplainable and seeks to find out more about it. His tone is nothing but light and curious.

I grin, releasing Kane’s hand and slipping my arm around his waist. When he reciprocates, I say, “Surprise! We’re together now.”

“Oh my,” my mom exclaims, eyes round with wonder as she clutches her hands to her chest. “That’s wonderful. How did that happen? I need all the details.”

My dad merely scratches his head, still not quite understanding. Which is hilarious because he’s one of the smartest men I know, but he’s never really had to deal with me having a love life since I’ve been gone and traveling so much. Plus, I’ve never been so deeply involved with anyone that I’d considered introducing my parents to them.

“What do you mean by ‘you’re together’?” my dad asks, his eyes moving back and forth between Kane and me.

I’d bet good money that Kane wants to blurt out, “We’re having sex, Mitch. We’ve taken the relationship to the next level.”

Instead, it’s my mom who gives Dad a tender pat on his back and explains, “They’re dating now, honey.”

“Oh,” my dad says, the light bulb turning on and burning brightly over his head. Then again, with more understanding, he draws out the, “O-o-o-h-h.”

Kane and I break apart, hurrying up the steps to greet my parents, Mitch and Suzy Callister. I hug my mom while Kane and my dad shake hands and slap backs. We switch, and Dad squeezes the breath out of me with a tight hug. Kane kisses my mom’s cheek before she pulls him into a death grip of a hug herself.

“Come in, come in,” my mom announces, pulling the screen door open and ushering us inside. “I made some appetizers and sangria. We can have nibbles while you tell us all about how this happened. Which I’m glad it did. I mean, I knew it would happen one day.”

Really? Because it never crossed my mind. I might have wistfully wondered, but I never thought Kane and I were a real possibility since our lives were so different.

My mom is a chatterbox as we move into the kitchen. She has shelves built in front of the window above the sink, potted with her garden herbs she cooks with. So simple, yet it’s such a welcome sight.

“Where’s Samson?” my dad asks as he settles in at the wooden kitchen table that seats six. Kane sits next to him while I help Mom carry food and wine from the counter to the table.

“One of my teammates is watching him,” Kane replies. “Jim Steele. He has a thirteen-year-old daughter who has been begging for a dog, so he thought it would be a nice test run.”

“The only problem is that he’s allergic to dogs,” I say with a laugh as I take a seat opposite Kane.

My mom sits next to me, urging us to fill the little plates she set out while my dad pours the sangria.

She beams across the table at Kane, then twists to look at me. Back to Kane. Then to me. “So, dish… how did all this happen?”

“Oh, leave them alone, Suzy,” my dad admonishes.

My mom waves him off, leaning in toward me. “Seriously… what made you two decide to take this step?”

Kane answers for me. He doesn’t hold back any of the truth, at least from his point of view. “She came to visit. Met one of my teammates. He asked her out on a date, and she accepted. The sad byproduct was that it drove me to insane jealousy—”

My mom gasps. “And you beat him up?”

“No, he didn’t beat him up, Mom,” I exclaim.

Kane laughs, shaking his head. “No. I merely kissed your daughter when she came home from the date. And, apparently, she likes my kisses.”

My mom claps her hands, giggling in delight. “I love it. So romantic. Isn’t it romantic, Mitch?”

My dad has his mouth stuffed with a sausage and cheddar ball, and he merely grunts his agreement.

I’d have thought my mom won the lottery with as much as she’s smiling from ear to ear as she bounces her gaze back and forth between Kane and me. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she’s probably already plotting our wedding and how many grandkids we’ll give her.