“Cool. See you tomorrow,” he says, walking into the back.
By the time I turn around, Bailey is gone.Damn.
My new house is only a fifteen-minute drive fromThe Poppy.I pull into the circular driveway to see that my parents are already here.
“Hey, Son,” my dad yells as they both round the side of my car.
Terri pulls me in for a hug. “Hi, love, this is beautiful. I like that you changed the exterior paint. The off-white looks so much better.”
I nod in agreement, then walk over to greet my dad. “Are you ready to see the progress?”
“I’m so excited for you! Open those doors!” my dad exclaims as the three of us approach the large, black double doors.
It takes me about twenty minutes to give them the full tour and explain the progress on the house. We end in the kitchen where the desert sunset is on full display as the three of us enjoy the landscape from where we’re standing.
“What do you guys think?” I ask, jumping up to sit on the counter.
My stepmom leans against the marble slab covering the extended island with her arms crossed at her chest. “I think it’s perfect, and we’re just so happy to have you here and settled.”
“I see many barbecues and pool parties out there in that amazing backyard,” my dad adds.
Pressing my palms against the cold tile, I stare out into the backyard and over the cactus-covered hills. “Same.”
“Speaking of parties, it was nice meeting Bailey last night,” Terri says. I avoid the stare of both of them even though I can feel it. They met a lot of people last night, but of course, they’d bring up Bailey. The sheer mention of her name makes my pulse race.
“Harry’s sister?” I ask, trying to reference her on an impersonal level.
“Yes.”
“Yeah, she’s great. We’re getting along a lot better now than we did in college.” Looking away, I start fidgeting with the buttons on the sleeve of my collared shirt. Even if I don’t tell them we’re sleeping together, they both know me too well for me to successfully hide my infatuation.
Two sets of eyes pin me as I glance back in their direction.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Terri replies, holding her hand in the air.
My dad is silent, only showing a slight curve of the corner of his mouth.
“Fine, I’m attracted to her. Happy now?”
Terri laughs. “Yes. We are. She’s adorable, Mason. Do you know why her son’s dad isn’t in the picture?” I want to answer my stepmom’s question because it’s innocent, but I feel a little uncomfortable sharing such an intimate detail about Bailey’s life.
“It’s complicated.” My dad and stepmom exchange a quick look before landing back at me. “It’s an unfortunate situation, and I don’t think I should be sharing it yet.”
“You seem protective over her,” my dad mentions.
“Yes, I am. She’s incredible.”
Chapter Eighteen
Bailey
Piper, Lina, and I make our way through the Chicago airport. We’re on the second day of a three-day leg. Tonight, we’re staying in Chicago. Then we have two stops tomorrow before we all get to go home. As we exit through the automatic double doors on the ground floor, we are immediately hit with a gust of cold wind. “Damn, it’s freezing,” I mumble.
“For sure. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait long for the crew bus to take us to our hotel,” Lina replies, wrapping her arms around her body. She only has a light airline coat on.
Piper raises an eyebrow at us. “When are you girls ever going to pack appropriately for the change in weather from city to city? What is this . . . amateur hour?”
