Beauty from Surrender (Beauty 2)

I'm reaching for something on the shelf when I feel his arms snake around me from behind. "What's for dinner tonight?"

He's obviously not been paying attention to the things I've been throwing into the cart or he'd have already figured it out. "I seem to recall you having a thing for my lasagna."

"So good, it brought me to my knees."

"It wasn't the lasagna that did that," I laugh. "But I'll cook it for you, if that's what you want."

"Yes, please. And we'll stop for wine on the way home."

I'm about to tell him no one in town carries his wine when I hear "Jolene" ringing from my back pocket. "That's my mom. I haven't spoken to her in a while. I probably should take it. She'll keep calling if I don't."

He kisses the top of my head before releasing me and I reach for my phone. "Hey, Mom."

"I was calling to check on my baby girl. I wanted to see how life on the road was treating you."

I dread this. "I'm not on the road. I'm back in Nashville."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"Yes. Something bad happened. Blake Phillips attacked me last night. I got banged up a little bit, so Randy thought it would be best to cancel our shows for the rest of the week. We only had a few left anyway."

"What did he do to you?" I hear the horror in her voice.

I'm standing in front of Jack Henry in the middle of a grocery store. This is definitely not the time or place I want to have this conversation. "I'm buying groceries right now. Would it be okay if I call you when I get home?"

"No. Your dad and I are coming over so you can tell us exactly what that man did to you."

Dammit. She has a key to my apartment and I don't want her to beat me there and wander into my bedroom. I'm not sure we put the toys back in my nightstand drawer. "No, Mom. Don't do that. Why don't you wait until a little later? I'll need to put away the groceries. Maybe you can come for dinner." I look at Jack Henry and shrug. "But I have someone staying with me. Jack Henry is here."

"Your Aussie guy?"

I look at Jack Henry and smile as I answer, "Yeah, Mom. My Aussie guy." Hearing me say that makes him beam.

"And I suspect you're happy about that?" Something about the way she asks makes me think she's not pleased to learn that he's here.

Happy is a severe understatement. "I am. Very much so."

"Okay. Your dad and I will come for dinner and meet your boyfriend. What time?"

"Does six o'clock work?"

"Sure. See you then."

I end my call and look at Jack Henry. "We won't be dining alone."

He doesn't look thrilled. "I gathered as much. I knew I'd have to meet her at some point. Tonight is as good as any."

He doesn't sound thrilled, either. "What do you mean you'd have to meet her at some point? You sound like you already don't like her."

"She treats you poorly. It's been tolerable from a distance because I didn't have a choice, but now I'm here. I won't put up with anyone mistreating you, and that includes her. I don't care if she is your mum."

Geez. I'm predicting this night isn't going to go well. "It isn't just her. My dad's coming too. We haven't talked about this, but they're sort of back on again." What am I doing? This is Jack Henry. I don't have to pretend this is anything but what it is. "He's still married and they're sleeping together." It sounds so dirty when I say it and I'm not sure which reason makes it that way—if it's the married part or the fact that they're my parents.

"Perfect. Another parent to set straight. I can get them both knocked out at the same time."

This is going to be awful. "You're not setting anyone straight tonight. I want them to like you and I highly doubt they will if you tell them what shitty parents they've been."

He looks at me like he wants to argue but doesn't. "I won't tonight, but only because you ask it of me. It's gonna be hard as hell to keep my mouth shut."

"You can do it," I encourage. "I know you can. And every time they say something that pisses you off and you don't react, I'll reward you with something special after they leave."

"Bribery."

"I prefer to call it a reward system."

"Well, I do enjoy your rewards, so maybe this will work out well for me after all."

I'm about to tell him how I figured he'd see things my way when I hear the voice of a young girl. "Miss McLachlan?"

I turn at the sound of my name—my stage name, that is—and see a young teen girl staring at me. "Oh. My. God. You're the singer from Southern Ophelia, aren't you? I'm a huge fan. Can I get your autograph?"

I'm still not used to this and it's awkward. "Umm…sure."

She digs through her purse and seems to come up empty-handed. "What about my shirt? Would you sign it?"

It's not like I've never signed a shirt before, but it's usually after a concert. And it isn't being worn. It feels a little unnerving to be recognized out like this. "No problem."

When I'm finished signing, she passes her phone to Jack Henry. "Would you mind getting a picture of us?"

He pulls his hands out of his pockets and takes the phone from her. "Anything for one of Miss McLachlan's fans."

"It's the round button in the center. But I guess you already know that. I bet you have to do this all the time," she giggles.

He looks like the cat that swallowed the canary. "I take some mighty fine pictures of Miss McLachlan, if I do say so myself."

I try my best to keep from laughing at his sly remark about taking my almost-nudie pictures. He's such a naughty boy and I'll get him for it later.

"Thank you so much, Miss McLachlan. My friends aren't going to believe I ran into you like this."

When the girl is gone, Jack Henry is grinning from ear to ear. I can't help but wonder what's on his mind. "What's with the shit-eating grin?"

"Oh…nothing," he says as we begin to stroll down the aisle but adds, "Miss McLachlan."

I've never done this before, so I'm nervous as hell about it. My parents, one of whom I barely know, are going to be here any minute to meet Jack Henry. My boyfriend. The man I love. The one throwing around words like always and future when he talks about us.

I want to throw up.

I'm terrified this isn't going to go well. He already doesn't like either of my parents and I don't blame him. What if he can't keep that dislike to himself and make nice? He's opinionated and outspoken. This could be a total disaster. But even if it is, I'll still love him. This I know without a shadow of a doubt.