Page 80 of Come A Little Closer

She scoffed. “Grandchildren are my priority, our differences be damned.”

I chuckled. “That sounds more like you, but I feel like I should warn you that I would at least like to be married first before we start working on the grandchildren.”

“Of course, which is why I offered to help with the wedding planning as well,” she said flightily. “Don’t worry, my darling. All will be well. I wasn’t joking about grandchildren being my priority though, so be warned. I’m going to be speaking to you about that often from now on.”

“Yeah, I figured.” I clutched my phone in one hand and reached for a spatula, mixing the eggs for the omelet before I turned on the heat. “Just be gentle with Tallulah, alright? I wasn’t joking either. I really do think you’re going to be the only grandmother involved.”

Mom’s voice gentled then. “You have my word. Thankfully, she and I get along just fine. My hope is that you and I will be the same soon.”

“We will.” I was taken aback by how much I wanted to get along with her all of a sudden.

After hearing all about how awful Tallulah’s parents had been to her, I genuinely had a new appreciation for my mother, and besides, with my having met someone I loved and her approval of that person, most of our issues had worked themselves out.

“I’m really happy for you, Niall,” she said. “I’m glad things have worked out the way they have.”

“Thanks, Mom. So am I.” To my ever-loving surprise, she kept me on the phone for a few minutes longer, just chatting in a way I’d heard her do on the phone to her friends but she’d never done with me.

All the while, I cooked breakfast and slid things into the oven to keep warm as they were done. By the time I finally hung up with my mom, a throat cleared in the doorway and I spun to find Tallulah watching me, a lazy smile on her lips as she leaned against the door.

“Your mom?” she asked.

I nodded, grinning and waving her to me. “She said to tell you she’s sorry about how I turned out, but she tried her best.”

Tallulah chuckled and didn’t stop walking until she was in my arms. Her soft, warm body molded to my own as she pushed herself up on her toes to kiss me. “Good morning, fiancé.”

“Good morning, future Mrs. Morrison.” I nuzzled her cheek, breathing her in before I let go. “Breakfast is ready. Can I make you some coffee first?”

“I’ll get it,” she volunteered, releasing me and sashaying across the room toward the coffeemaker.

I watched her go, my gaze raking all over her as I recalled the first time I’d watched her walk away. “A man could get used to this view.”

In a little nightdress she must’ve put on before she’d come downstairs, I could see the curve of her hips and ass and I ogled her openly, wondering if I’d wanted to eat the food I’d made for breakfast after all.

Tallulah chuckled, shaking her butt at me a little bit before she poured herself some coffee from the pot. When she turned to face me, wrapping her fingers around the steaming mug, she smiled. “How’s your mom doing?”

I groaned, shaking my head sadly as I turned back to the oven. “Way to dump a bucket of ice over my libido. She’s fine. Thank you very much for asking.”

She laughed, and a moment later, I felt her wrapping her arms around me from behind. “I bet I can revive your libido, but I’d like to know what your mom said first.”

I leaned into her. “She’s very happy for us. I’m not sure you’ll want her to, but she offered to help with the wedding and her grandchildren.”

Tallulah stiffened, but then she started laughing again and kept at it for a while. Eventually, she squeezed me and then let go, picking her coffee back up as she went to sit at the counter. “Thank you. I’m pretty sure by the time her grandchildren arrive, we’ll want her help. As for wedding planning, is that what’s next? Do we start planning the wedding?”

I shrugged. “If you want to. That’s going to be my answer to everything actually. Whatever you want, you get. There’s just one thing I really want to do.”

“What’s that?” she asked before waggling her eyebrows at me. “Is it to carry me back upstairs?”

I smirked. “Okay, make that two things.”

“What’s the other one?”

I strode forward until I was pressed against her soft curves once more, but instead of kissing her, I reached around her hips for the set of keys I’d put down on the counter last night. “Move in with me?”

When I pulled back to look at her, sliding the keys into her palm, she blinked hard. “Are these to your house?”

“The Garden District house, yes,” I said. “I’d like us to make that our home, but if you want to look around for a different property, perhaps something more haunted⁠—”

Silencing me by suddenly mashing her lips against mine, she waited until I kissed her back before she nodded, grinning against my mouth. “I don’t want to look for another property. I love that house and I love you, so that’s a yes from me.”