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Jared, thankfully, steps in. “She’s Daddy’s friend. She’s going to spend the day with us.”
As he says this, an older lady steps into the hallway. Jared is the image of his mom, right down to the slope of his nose and the set of his eyes. His jaw is more angled, sharper and his build is significantly bigger, but there’s no denying he’s her son.
Her eyes move from him to me then back to him. There’s no judgement there, but there is a heap of curiosity.
“I thought I heard you come in.”
Jared bends and puts his son down on the floor. He scampers off toward what I assume is the living room.
His mom seizes the chance now we’re alone to ask, “Who’s your friend?”
“Mom, this is Nia. Nia, this is my mom, Grace.”
I wave, feeling a little nervous and awkward, but his Mom smiles at me. “It’s nice to meet you, Nia. Are you…?”
Jared scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah, Mom, we’re dating.”
She looks gleeful at this. “Are you both staying for something to eat?”
“No, we’re going to take Coop out, maybe the park or something.”
Grace’s smile gets bigger. “That sounds wonderful. Let me grab Cooper’s things and you can get going.”
She disappears down the hallway and into a room off it. Jared drapes his arm over my shoulder and kisses the side of my head.
“I think she likes you.”
“She barely knows me.”
“She’s a good judge of character.”
I smile at him. “Smooth.”
“It’s also true.”
I let out a breath. “Cooper didn’t seem too fazed about my presence either.”
“He likes you too.”
“Hmm, I’m sensing a theme with the Michaels family.”
He kisses my mouth this time and I melt into his touch. We only break apart when we hear Coop returning.
Jared picks the little boy up and rests him on his hip. I reach for the bag Grace is holding out. This should freak me out, how normal and natural this situation feels, but it doesn’t. I want to be here, with Jared, with Cooper, doing normal everyday things.
I’m falling for Jared, hard, and I don’t know what to do with that.
All I know is now that I’ve seen into his inner circle, I don’t want to let him go.
