Page 106 of Then Came You

Kristina laughed and patted his arm. “You’ll get used to it.”

Ellen’s voice rang out across the room. “Time to eat, everyone!”

The crowd moved into the dining room, but Gillian pulled back on Sam’s arm.

“Be nice,” she scolded.

“I am nice. But why Dave?”

“Does he live in his mom’s basement?”

“No.”

“Is he a fellow police officer who has sworn to protect and serve?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then? She could do a lot worse.”

“You’re right. I don’t have a valid reason not to like him—yet.”

Gillian laughed. Then she went up on tiptoes and kissed him. She’d done it on impulse, forgetting that they had an audience until somebody started clapping. Then came a round of oohs and aahs, and she felt her face turning red.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Sam grumbled.

Then he took her hand, led her to the table, and pulled out a chair for her.

The rest of their visit went much more smoothly than it had begun. By the time the pie was served, which Gillian had helped Sam make, everybody was smiling and laughing again.

At one point, Sam and Dave had drifted off to the corner of the living room and were talking in hushed tones. Gillian suspected Sam was either warning him, quizzing him, or both, but the men seemed amicable when it was over.

For her part, Gillian spent time getting to know Sam’s parents better and talking to Kristina about their upcoming girls’ night. She also invited Mia and Lucas to attend the next story time at the bookstore. They lived in nearby Fenton, and their mom, Katelyn, happily agreed to bring them.

A couple of hours and too much food later, Gillian, Sam, and the dogs loaded up into the truck and drove away.

“Well, that was fun,” Gillian said.

Sam didn’t reply, and she looked over and noticed how hard he was gripping the steering wheel.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Your knuckles are white.” It was the same conversation they’d had earlier only in reverse.

He loosened his grip some. “Just concentrating on the road.”

“There’s nobody out here.” They hadn’t passed a single car since leaving his parents’ house. “Wait a minute. You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

“I told you I would be.”

“You have no reason to be. My family is going to love you as much as I do.”

“This feels like déjà vu.”

“That’s because it is.”

“What are your parents’ names again?”