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“Hi there, guys,” I say and realize that it’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen Violet. She’s always so busy with her medical practice in town that she usually only comes home for a late dinner and then heads back out again early in the morning. One day, she’ll have more help, but right now she’s been busy getting everything situated and making sure the transition from the old doctor to her has gone smoothly. It’s a lot more work than she planned, but damn, she’s a good woman.
I can tell that she makes my dad happy too.
I hope they get to spend more time together once things settle down.
“Hi, boys, Peter and I just wanted to come over and invite you both for dinner, but I see you’re already eating.”
I set my plate down and shrug. “I mean, you know I could always eat.”
“Well, come on over then. Ryan made a pie for dessert and he’s brought Beck, who has some cheese for everyone.”
My eyebrows rise at that, wondering why Beck didn’t come over and say hi. But then again, when Ryan’s around, usually that’s his sole focus.
“I mean, there’s so much cheese,” my dad says, and Braxton huffs a laugh.
“Alright, that sounds good. Give us a minute to get everything sorted and then we’ll be over.”
They nod and leave, so Braxton and I get to work, putting the leftovers away and scooping Abra-ham up, as well as McMuffin and bringing them next door. The smell as soon as we enter is heavenly and my stomach grumbles in anticipation. I sure did work up a bit of hunger today. Seems Braxton has too. He’s licking his lips and trying not to stare at the pie Ryan made.
Much to Ryan’s amusement.
“Oh, lookie at you. Can’t keep your eyes off my pie, huh?”
Braxton rolls his eyes and leans into me. “It looks alright.”
Ryan gasps. “It looks delicious. Beck, tell them it’s delicious.”
Beck takes a sip of beer and nods. “It was pretty damn good, if you ask me.”
Ryan beams and then waggles a spoon at us. “You’re gonna eat your words, Braxy-poo. Just you wait.”
I can tell Braxton both hates and loves that nickname, so I don’t tell Ryan to let up. I just let the two of them bicker back and forth while I make small talk with Beck, my dad, and Violet.
Dinner is served a little later and we stuff ourselves full of ribs, potatoes, and fruit salad. Then we eat some cheese and pie for dinner. That sure sounded weird to me, but oddly, it worked. According to Ryan, this is what they do in Europe, so I gave it a go.
Seems the Europeans have it right.
“Your family is really great,” Braxton says when we take our leave a few hours later. My eyes are drooping, and I want to just snuggle up in bed with my boyfriend and hold him tight.
“Thank you. They are.”
“I want to be jealous, but I’m just so damn happy that you have that, Jimbob. You’re so fucking lucky.”
“I know,” I say, pulling him into me and placing a kiss on the top of his head. I know he’s worried about what will go down with his mom and her new guy, so I let him be sentimental for a bit. If things fall apart for them, Braxton will always have my family to lean on.
They’ll pick him right back up. I can tell they really like him.
My mom sure does. She has a soft spot for him.
I make sure to tell him this as we crawl into bed, and he nods, tucking his head into my neck and holding on to me.
Don’t worry, Braxton. I’ve got you.
I can tell he’s nervous about meeting his mom’s boyfriend, even if he won’t admit it. If I was in his situation, I guess I would be too. Although, for me, I was glad to see my dad happy with someone again after the divorce. And I was happy to finally meet the woman he was crazy about. I’m still waiting for my mom to meet someone special though. One day. One day she’ll bring someone home, and I’ll be so damn happy for her.
But with the way Braxton is pacing, I doubt that he feels the same way.
He’s wearing a hole in the carpet of his living room as we wait for them to arrive. Sarah was here when we arrived but quickly left to pick up her boyfriend from the hotel he’s stayingat. She thought it would be better this way. Probably didn’t want Braxton to throw a fit at having another man staying at the house. Not that I blame him. He’s been through the wringer, and part of me thinks she’s doing this so she can spend a little more time preparing him for Braxton.
