Page 29 of Lowering His Guard

For some reason, I don’t want her to correct them. I enjoy the idea of being welcomed into her family. Serenity’s family wasn’t exactly welcoming when I got their nineteen-year-old daughter pregnant. They warmed up after I was drafted in the NFL.

May’s parents didn’t even recognize me. And, judging by the amount of food on our table, they don’t care. It’s refreshing.

Too bad it isn’t real.

Chapter 10

Flow – That perfect rhythm when you stop forcing things and simply enjoy the ride.

May

We exit Wok the Plank and I can finally breathe again. I love my parents, but their behavior was beyond embarrassing. They practically had me engaged to Brock and had adopted Jace by the end of the meal.

“Your parents are awesome.” Jace holds up the bags of food Mom shoved into his hands before we left. “I have enough food for a week.”

“You’re not going to share with your dad?”

He wrinkles his nose. “No. This is mine. Lin gave it to me.”

Brock shrugs. “I need to make weight tomorrow anyway.”

My eyes widen. “Tomorrow? You have a weigh-in tomorrow?”

I probably gained ten pounds at this meal. I love my mom’s cooking. But I don’t have to worry about a weigh-in. Just about whether I’m going to sink to the bottom of the ocean when I fall off my surfboard. Good thing I rarely fall off.

Brock grunts. I’m discovering his main method of communication is grunting. I should be annoyed. For some reason, I’m not. Let’s face it. I talk enough for two people. Except Brock and I aren’t a couple or anything. No matter what my parents think.

Brock beeps open the locks of his SUV. “Anyone happen to have a pole vault pole? I think with a pole I might be able to vault myself into the passenger seat.”

“You don’t need a pole,” Brock grumbles. “I’ve got you.”

My body lights up at his words. How would it feel if Brock seriously had me? Cared for me? Handled things for me?

I’ve always been on my own. I’ve dated and had boyfriends. But nothing serious. I can’t do serious considering my condition. No man deserves to be with a woman who can’t give him a family.

“What’s wrong, pint-sized?”

I startle at Brock’s question. I didn’t realize I’d frozen in the middle of the parking lot. Jace is already in the SUV waiting for us.

I motion to the restaurant. “Mom’s in there calling a wedding venue.”

He chuckles. The sound wraps around me. He’s got a great laugh. He should laugh more often.

“She’s happy. Let it go.”

I roll my eyes. “Easy for you to say. You’ll be gone in a few months, and I’ll be stuck hearing about how I blew it with the sexy football player for the rest of my life.”

“As soon as you find a man.” He growls. What is he growling for? “She’ll stop.”

Me find a man? Not likely considering the whole ‘no family’-thing. Time to change the subject before the wallowing commences. I don’t wallow. It gets me nowhere.

“Open the passenger door. Maybe if I take a running leap, I can make it.”

Brock lifts me up into his arms. “You aren’t leaping at my SUV.”

“Help! I’m a damsel in distress!” I giggle as I flail in his arms.

“Pain in my ass,” he mutters but I notice his lips tip up in an almost there smile.