Page 29 of Bless My Heart

“You’re the cutest. You know that?”

“So you keep telling me.”

“Well, when are you going to believe me?”

She looks at me. “I guess I just don’t believe someone like you could be attracted to someone like me.”

“Hazel, I wish you would let me show you just how attracted to you I am.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I told you now, I would have to stop on the side of the road and take you in the back seat until you were screaming my name.”

“Oh,” she drawls.

“Yeah. Don’t ever think I’m not attracted to you.” She nods but tries her best to not look at me. I know she doesn’t want me to see her pink cheeks, but I know she’s blushing.

We spend most of the rest of the drive in silence. Ive never been out this way, so it’s all new to me.

We pass a ton of old, dilapidated barns. It’s sad to see them in their state now, but also kind of beautiful. I bet Stella would love to get some shots of these. When we went on road trips as kids, we made up stories about the people who may have lived in the old houses we saw. She always had so much fun doing that.

We finally pull up in front of a modest-looking home in the middle of a subdivision.

“This it?” I put the Jeep in park at the end of the driveway.

“This is it. Home sweet home.” Helping Hazel out of the car, I grab our bags, and follow her up to the front door.

Pretending I’m not nervous about meeting what sounds like her entire family would be silly, but I grew up attending events almost every weekend with my parents and their country club friends in the city. I know my manners and how to charm the socks off people, so I’m not worried.

Hazel hesitates before opening the door. I bend my head to her ear and whisper, “It’s going to be fine, baby. We’ve got this.” She looks at me over her shoulder, and it makes me want to push her against this door and show her just how confident I am in us. But I can hear voices on the other side of the door, so I check myself and adjust my pants.

I kiss Hazel’s head, and she twists the doorknob.

Here goes nothing.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

HAZEL

“There’s my Hazel,” Dad says as he wraps me in a hug. Wes and I walked in the front door and were greeted by a crowd of family members.

“Hey, Dad. Hey…everyone,” I say, addressing all the people standing around in the foyer. A ball rolls in front of us, and Chance, my nephew, sprints to chase it into the living room. It feels like walking into pure chaos.

“Guys, this is my boyfriend, Wes.” I almost choke on the word boyfriend, but I’m proud of myself for getting it out. It almost feels natural to call him that, which is a little scary.

Wes reaches his hand out to shake my dad’s hand. “Mr. Greenwood. Nice to finally meet you.” They shake hands, and I notice a strange look in my father’s face. It’s almost like he likes Wes but doesn’t really want to like him.

Mom swoops in next. “Wes. Glad you could make it. We’ve all been dying to meet you.” She wraps him in a hug. If it throws Wes off, he doesn’t show. In fact, he looks completely at ease around everyone. If anything, I look like the one about to have a nervous breakdown.

“Come with me, honey. Let me introduce you to Nana and Pawpaw.” She takes Wes’s arm like he’s been in the family forever, and it confuses the hell out of me. I don’t remember them ever being like this with Jordan.

Wes gets pulled away from me, and I’m left standing by the front door next to my sister, Anna. “Um, Hazel? That man is freaking gorgeous. How have you been holding out on us?” Her eyes are wide as they follow Wes’s movements to the living room. She looks him up and down, and I feel jealousy build in my body. Wes isn’t mine, but I don’t like people checking him out. Not even my sister.

“It’s just kind of new, I guess,” I answer, shrugging.

“Not new enough that you stopped him from knocking you up.”

“Anna!”