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“You’re leaving?” He nodded.
“Plus, I have to make sure my mother made it home and that I didn’t get lucky that the cab driver was a serial killer.”
I swatted his shoulder and he grinned down at me, then the smile softened.
“Have a good evening with your parents. I’ll come back to pick you up tomorrow if you’d like.”
I shook my head.
“No, it’s alright. I’ll take the bus home.”
His eyes narrowed.
“I’ll be by at noon sharp. Don’t you dare get your ass on a bus,” he said quietly, then whispered, “Or I’ll be forced to spank it.”
I choked on my spit, but I didn’t have time to respond because he pressed a quick kiss to my lips, then a lingering one on my forehead before moving to shake Dad’s hand.
“It’s been a pleasure meeting you all. I’m sorry again about my mother. I hope nobody took her words to heart. She’s a bitter old woman and has forgotten how to love, I think.”
“Don’t apologize to us,” Mom told him. “It’s you I worry about, having to go home to her.”
He crinkled his nose at that.
“Well, I suppose I survived adolescence with the woman. I’m sure I’ll be alright.”
Mom stood to hug him, then he shook my brother’s hand and waved at Marie, then he faced Gran Gran.
“I hope one day you’ll not hate me,” he told her. “As you saw today with my mother, I could really use someone like you.”
Gran cackled, then got up to hug him.
“I’ll forgive ya,” she told him, then moved her arm to…oh God!
Gran gripped the back of Owen’s neck as he hunched down to give her a hug, then gave him a rough pat-pat right on his crotch that made him grunt and twitch.
“Just keep it in your pants, huh?”
I couldn’t believe my eyes, and the rest of us stood gaping at her as Owen stood straight and backed up like Gran would attack him again.
“What?” the old woman called out to the group, flinging her hands around. “I’m allowed to protect my granddaughter!”
“Mother!” Mom screeched, hopping to her feet again.
The room burst out into shocked laughs as Owen’s wide eyes turned to me.
“I’m gonna go now,” he said quickly, opening the door as he grabbed his cute old man jacket from the tree by the door.
He dropped his head to give me a better, longer kiss by the door since everyone else was still occupied.
“Love you,” he said with a smile, dusting kisses over one cheek.
“Love you,” I repeated as he stepped down and toward his car.
Why wasn’t I going with him?
“Wait,” I told him, holding out my hand. “I’ll get my jacket!”
“You stay here with them,” he argued. “Spend some time with your family. You don’t see them much since I came around.”
