Autumn Night Whiskey (Tequila Rose 2)

Magnolia’s gaze meets mine over the bouquet as she stands in the kitchen, pausing for a second before opening a cabinet. “Maybe I don’t know what I’m doing, but I swear I’m ready for this.” My heart gallops as I watch her pull out a large vase.

“If it makes you feel any better,” I admit to her as she turns on the water to fill the vase, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to make a lot of mistakes.”

She cracks a smile. “We can make mistakes together then.”

As I make my way into the kitchen, the tension builds between us. I wait for her to set down the flowers, and then I do what I’ve wanted to do since lunch. I run my fingers through Magnolia’s hair. She tips her face up to meet mine with no hesitation. Kissing her is the most familiar and new thing I’ve ever done. Her lips part for me and a soft moan catches in the back of her throat.

“It’s easy with you,” I murmur against her mouth, letting my thumb that had been resting on her chin trail down her throat. “It feels right. Does it feel right with me?”

Magnolia nods, her breath hitching.

I’m hard as a rock instantly, and I want nothing more than to take her right here and fuck all the worry out of both of us. My eyes close and I groan, hating that I can’t do just that.

I wish I didn’t have to tell her what I say next, “My mom’s coming by.”

Her warm laugh is the sound I’ve waited all my life to hear. “Right now?”

“Any minute. You nervous?” I ask her and she shakes her head. “Well, my mom—”

Magnolia cuts me off with a slow, soft kiss. “I love you,” she says after she pulls back. Shock lights her eyes and she’s quick to turn away, tucking a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. “And I’m excited to meet your mama.”

She’s tense and the heat between us intensifies. A smirk slowly grows on my face even though my heart’s racing like it’s trying to run away from me. She said she loves me. Her cheeks get redder with each passing second as I stand there and stare at her.

“I’m excited for you to meet her too,” I say to put her out of her misery and she barely peeks up at me, placing the stems in the vase.

Taking a few steps forward, I close the distance between us, wrapping my arms around her waist and bring her back to my chest. With my lips at the shell of her ear, I whisper, “And I love you too.”

Her lips find mine in an instant as she turns in my embrace to face me. With her moan, our kiss deepens and everything is perfect. Until it isn’t.

A knock at the front door breaks up our kiss, and I find myself cursing and biting down on my lip as Magnolia wriggles out from under me to head for the door. She opens it with a wide, welcoming smile on her face. My mom’s already got a matching one on hers. “Hi,” my mom cries, pulling Magnolia in for a big hug. “Hi. You must be Magnolia. Is it time to meet my grandbaby?”

Nerves prick their way down my neck. “How about you walk in and take your coat off first, Mom?” She’s a bit much, her own nerves shot too. I don’t think there was a way to avoid that, though.

“Sorry, right,” my mother comments and walks in, complimenting Magnolia’s place.

I told her I loved her. I told her I had no idea about Bridget. But I told her I loved her too. I’m sure Magnolia can tell my mother’s been crying. Her eyes are red still.

I want to tell her they’re happy tears, but I imagine it was a mix of emotions. It’s not every day you find out you had a grandbaby and that you missed the first few years of her life.

“Do you want to,” Magnolia says, then gestures to the sofa and we all take a seat. With a tight smile, Magnolia tells my mother, “She’s just napping.”

“Does she know?” my mom asks and looks between the two of us. “That I’m her grandmom and Brody is her father?” I’m caught off guard by the bluntness of her question, but Magnolia doesn’t miss a beat.

“We can tell her when she wakes up,” Magnolia says and then looks over her shoulder to me. “If you want?”

Again my heart races and I nod. “Yeah, let’s tell her.”

“She doesn’t sleep for long,” Magnolia comments. “I’m sure she’ll be out soon.”

I start to think it’s going to be awkward and regret the decision to tell my mother, but then Magnolia tells her, “You don’t know how much I wished I’d gotten your son’s number four years ago.”