AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s a sign that they’re still there for you,” Sawyer insists. “This isn’t anyone’s choice. We don’t have any other option.”
“You do.”
“No, we don’t,” Ezra insists. But they do. They don’t need to be dragged into this. I might have to throw away my principles, but they don’t. “Can I meet them?” he asks, and I think it over. I’d love to have them meet Ezra. They’d love him, and he’s important to me. But am I setting us all up for disaster?
“You’ll never hear the end of it if you go without him again,” Sawyer jokes, and it must be nice to not take everything so seriously. I wish everything wasn’t so serious.
“That’s true,” I relent. Guess it’s meet-the-parents time, or as close to it as I’m ever going to get.
***
Pearl pulls me into her arms the second she flings the door open and only lets me go so she can squeeze Sawyer into the mix, making me giggle like a child as I’m pressed between them.
“Let them through the door, Pearl, we haven’t got all day,” Callen calls from inside, and she rolls her eyes good-naturedly as she steps back from us.
“Fine, in you go,” she sighs. I step past her, stepping to the side to wait for Ezra to come through.
“Pearl, this is Ezra.” Her eyes sparkle as she looks at him with a smile.
“Hi, Ezra. It’s lovely to meet you, after hearing so much about you!”
“It wasn’tso much,” I mutter, but he grins.
“Nice to meet you too.”
“Am I gonna get to meet him, or are you gonna natter out there all day?” Callen calls, and Pearl grimaces as she shoos us into the room.
“Hey, Dad,” Sawyer greets as he bends down to give him a long hug, both of them saying quiet words to each other. When they eventually break apart, Sawyer nods at Ezra as he straightens. “This is Ezra.”
“Hi, son,” Callen says kindly, and Ezra leans forward to shake his hand.
“Hi, sir. Great to meet you.”
“Oh, sir, is it? Where’d you find this one, Harlow?”
“Ifoundher,” Ezra replies with a grin, and Callen smiles back, his eyes creasing as he holds his arms out to me. I go willingly, squeezing him back just as tight as he envelops me.
“Hi, love,” he murmurs into my ear as he rubs my back. “He treating you right?” I chuckle even as warmth floods my chest. A private word between Callen and me before he meets Ezra properly, and I’m so touched by it.
“Yeah, he’s pretty great,” I admit.
“Take a seat,” I hear Pearl say to the guys as I pull back from Callen, taking the space they’ve left between them. As I sit, they move at the same time, a hand from each coming to land on my thighs. My eyes widen involuntarily as I realize how this must look before my gaze shoots up to Callen. He’s watching us shrewdly, eyes narrowing on Sawyer as I’m sure he’s trying to figure out what’s going on.
“I’ll grab some tea,” Pearl says, and makes her way to the kitchen.
“I’ll give you a hand.” I rush behind her, looking warily at the door connecting the two rooms once we’re safely inside.
She chuckles. “I wouldn’t look so worried. You know Sawyer will make sure he doesn’t quiz you.” I bite my lip, not wanting to have caused any tension between them in there—I just hadn’t thought of explaining this to Pearl and Callen. It’s so natural to me now that I forget it’s not the norm.
“What do you think he’ll say?” I ask.
“He’s probably telling his father how he’s loved you since you were children, which we already know to be true.” She says it so casually I just blink at her for a second.
“I meant Callen,” I say dumbly.
“Oh. He’ll be making sure you’re happy—that’s all he’s ever wanted. He’s probably reading them the riot act on how to treat women.”
“They treat me really well,” I tell her truthfully. “Both of them.”
