AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It felt like a home you see in movies. One I’d never been part of.
We went into the kitchen. Beckett was sitting at the kitchen table, peeling carrots, and Eve was perched on his knee. Asher’s mom was at the sink. She turned when I came in, and her dark eyes looked me up and down, measuring my worth. There was no way she’d find me good enough for her son. No way. I just hoped she wouldn’t be actively mean.
She dried her hands and came over to me.
“Mom, this is Winter. Winter, my mom, Melly.”
I stuck out a hand to her, and she surprised me by laughing at it.
“We don’t shake hands in this house, mija, we kiss,” she said and leaned in, pressing a kiss on each cheek and hugging me for a moment.
She was soft, and warm, maternal in a way I had no experience with. I melted against her for that short second of comfort. Wow, that hug was the good stuff.
She pulled back and smiled up at me. She was so small. How she’d ever produced someone huge and imposing like Asher was a mystery.
“¡Que bonita! I bet you break all the boys’ hearts with those eyes,” she exclaimed, patting my cheek.
“Just mine, Mama.” Asher put an arm around my shoulders and brought me into his side. It was a surprisingly possessive move, but then, if his mom thought we were dating, he’d have to act like it.
She laughed. “Don’t be jealous. If such a woman chooses you, calling her beautiful is a compliment to you both. Her because she’s so stunning, and you, because she chose you.”
She chose you. She reminded me of my mom in that moment. What was it with older women and this idea of choice? I had a feeling the universe had been trying to tell me something lately, and I was too dumb to figure it out.
“Can I help with anything? I brought these. Thank you so much for having me.” I smiled politely. Manners and etiquette were my safe place around adults. Walls I could put up that provided structure and safety.
Melly took the flowers, exclaiming over the arrangement, while Asher took the rest.
“Are you trying to show me up at your first family dinner, DeLaurie?” Beckett demanded.
I sat beside him and reached for the bowl of potatoes and the spare peeler. “Sorry, Anderson. I guess some of us were just raised differently.”
“Beckett? Bring me the carrots,” Melly called to him.
He immediately rose. “Yes, Melly.”
I watched him, open-mouthed. “I had no idea Anderson could be so…biddable.”
Eve giggled. “He’s on his best behavior. He wants Mom to adopt him, so he has to be.”
I raised an eyebrow at Beckett when he returned.
“I don’t need to be adopted…I just need to be her favorite son once we get married.” He glanced at Asher. “No offense, but your days are numbered.”
Asher just nodded. “Sure, good luck to you.”
“I can’t believe you guys are all going to be family,” I mused.
I was peeling potatoes about as well as someone who had never done it before could. Without speaking, Asher reached over and took the peeler out of my hand and peeled the rest of the potatoes.
“Well, you never know, maybe someone will be saying that about you, too, one day,” Eve teased me with a grin. She looked between me and Asher. “I feel it’s my duty to tell you that my brother has never had a serious girlfriend before and he’s never, ever brought anyone home to meet my mom.”
“Shut it,” Asher warned his twin.
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Too late.”
Melly wandered toward us, a pan of hot, delicious-smelling pastries on a baking tray. “Someone has to taste to see how they turned out. Not you, Beckett. Winter, would you like to do the honors?”
“They have no cinnamon, in case you wanted to try them,” he tossed at me after a moment, his eyes fixing on the peeler and the potato in his hand. That was surprisingly gentlemanly of him. I was surprised that he remembered my allergy at all.
