Page 50 of Chasing Amanda

A loud voice joined the cacophony. “…cannot imagine why he invited that girl.” The woman speaking must’ve stopped a few feet behind Amanda, because by the end of her sentence, her words were clear.

“Because he cares for her.” A man answered with a patient tone that implied he’d endured this conversation before. “He wants to see her.”

Amanda glanced at the screen, which showed that Mark’s plane had just landed.

“He barely knows her.” The woman let out an arrogant humph. “He spent two nights with her and fancies himself in love. You’d think a Marine would be a little more worldly.”

Amanda stiffened, her nerves zinging with awareness.

Surely…surely these weren’t Mark’s parents.

When Mark had invited her to meet his plane, he’d warned her that his mother probably wouldn’t welcome her. Come to think of it, there’d been no probably about it. “No pressure,” he’d said. “I want to see you more than anything, but I can come to Providence after I spend a couple of days with them. You don’t need to meet them yet.”

Didn’t she, though?

She was in love with their son, and he was in love with her. Of course they needed to meet.

Second thoughts…and third and fourth…assailed her now.

But she was jumping to conclusions.

“Give him some credit,” the man said. “Mark knows his own mind.”

Mark.

Oh, no.

Was it too late to run?

“Pfft. Please.” The woman scoffed. “He’s been surrounded by sweaty men and burkas for a year and a half. Of course he’s eager to see the girl again. If he’d just wait a few days, he could find a willing bedmate⁠—”

“Patricia!” The man’s voice was low but vehement. “This is our son you’re talking about.”

“Don’t be such a prude. You know that’s all this is. I’m sure she’s not as pretty as she is easy.”

Indignation had Amanda’s heart pounding. She wanted to turn around and give this woman a piece of her mind. But this woman was the mother of the man she loved. Amanda needed to think before she said something she couldn’t take back.

She definitely didn’t need to be overhearing this conversation. She inched away, but the crowd was as thick and unyielding as over-kneaded dough.

“I will not have you talking about my son that way.” Mr. Johnson’s voice hummed with anger. “And you will be kind to Amanda.”

If she’d held onto hope that she’d been wrong about who was talking, it vanished there.

Amanda was close enough to hear Mrs. Johnson put-upon sigh. “I suppose it’s just for one meal. It won’t be long before Mark remembers who he really loves. I don’t care who this woman is, she’s no Annalise.”

Annalise?

“You’re going to have to let it go.” Did the man sound disappointed? “He’s made it clear they’re not getting back together.”

Who was Annalise?

Someone Mark had been with. Someone his parents liked.

Amanda felt sick.

She reached the end of the barrier just as two people hurried through from the gate area. Had they been on Mark’s flight?

Amanda’s jostling put her in front of a couple of women who’d been there before her.