“Thought about maybe broaching the subject this weekend. It would be easier since my house is bigger, and it’s close to everything and not on the other side of town.”
“Well, you got her to sleep with you once,” Caleb jokes, “I’m sure asking her to move in with you is going to be a piece of cake.”
“I think getting her to sleep with him was easy,” Sierra cuts in. “It’s putting up with him that’s going to be the hardest.”
“Hey”—I point to myself—“I’m a fucking delight.” They both laugh at me. “Anyway, thank you for your TED Talk.” I walk to the door. “I would also appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone until we officially tell you, or better yet, I tell my parents.”
“I really wish I could be there for that,” Caleb quips.
“So you can check her out again?” Sierra raises her eyebrows. “By all means, Caleb, you are free to leave.”
“I’m literally in love with you,” he reminds her, leaning to grab her hand. She snatches it out of his. “I moved into your house to be with you. If that doesn’t scream I’m all in, I don’t know what does.”
“Not checking out the woman who is trying to save me while I’m dying on the floor.”
“Now, you were dying.” Caleb shakes his head, then turns his attention to me. “Thanks for coming over and starting a fight.”
“My pleasure. I’ll see you both next week when I’m back in town.”
“And you’ll bring Collins with you so we can meet her?” Sierra asks me.
“We’ll see.”
“What, why?” Caleb asks.
“I’m trying to get her to like me. The last thing I need is to bring her over here to see how unstable both of you are.” I open the door. “Love you both.”
As I get in my truck, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. “At least that part is done. The hard stuff is next.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
COLLINS
“You okay?” I turn from staring out the window to look at Theo. “You’re quiet.” His arm is on the side of the door, holding the steering wheel, while the other arm is perched on the center console, holding on to the base of the wheel. The scruff of his beard is longer than I think it’s ever been. The hair on his head is becoming so long that I might be able to run my fingers through it.
We left the house at exactly seven this morning. I had gotten two and a half hours of sleep, and as soon as we got in the truck and started on our way, I quickly dozed off, sleeping for most of the drive until we stopped to eat at a diner off the highway. Now we have just thirty minutes to go before we get to his house.
I put my head back on the headrest. “Yeah, I’m just nervous. I’ve never been taken home to meet the parents before.” I put my hand on my stomach. I’ve been doing this a lot these days. “Especially with this situation.” I stare at his profile, thinking he really is the perfect specimen of a man. I’m pretty sure they broke the mold after they made him.
“Collins.” Every time he says my name, I get flutters. “I know everyone thinks they have the best family”—not everyone, I want to correct him, but don’t—“but I really do think my family is the best.”
“Really?” I smile at him. “Tell me why.”
“So my parents,” he begins, glancing at me, “they met in the most unconventional way you could ever imagine two people meeting.”
“More unconventional than how we got together?”
“Yeah. See, my mother was married before my father.” I turn to face him. “To a guy called Eric. They had two kids, my older sisters, Lizzie and Daisy. And then he died in a car accident. After he was gone, she found out he was living a double life.”
The gasp that escapes me fills the cab and makes him laugh. “Shut the front door.” I put my hand on his arm, feeling the silkiness of his skin. “Oh my gosh.”
“He had another wife—well, not actually, since he married my mother first, but my aunt Hailey thought they were married.”
“Your aunt?” I hold up my hand in a circle, making him laugh. “This is some soap opera story.” I push him now, not believing him.
“It really was. When my mother wanted to ask questions about everything, she reached out to Hailey’s brother, and they fell in love. They got married and had my brother and me.” My mouth opens in shock.
“So your mother married her dead husband’s fake wife’s brother?”
