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“Hopefully they will.” Kissing Lauren on the cheek, Riley reached out and took Harlow’s hand once more. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my dad.”
Harlow followed Riley through the house, nearly running into her when she abruptly stopped at the backdoor. She turned around to face Harlow with her hand on the doorknob.
“I know I said this would be a quiet night with just us and my parents, but I didn’t know she was inviting my cousins and my grandmas, too.”
“I think it’s sweet they all want to see you.” Harper cocked her head to the side. “Wait, grandmas? As in both your dad and mom’s mothers?”
Riley laughed as she shook her head.
“My mom’s mom, my Nana, is gay and married to Amy, my Mimi.”
“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said the whole town was gay.”
“Oh, honey,” Riley chuckled as she opened the back door, “you have no idea.”
Chapter 10
Riley
Pushing the back door open, Riley stepped onto the patio with Harlow following closely behind her. Her father was hunched over the fire pit, stroking the fire with a stick. The hem of his shirt was untucked from his jeans, which was a typical look for Tony post-work as a judge with the Maine District Court. Riley waved at him across the patio as he tossed the stick into the fire.
“Hey, Daddy.”
“There’s my girl.” Tony wrapped her in a bear hug. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
“I’m glad you’re back in town.”
“Only for a few days, then we’re back on the road.” Putting her arm around her waist, Riley turned toward Harlow. “Dad, this is Harlow.”
“Harlow,” he repeated, holding out the last syllable longer than necessary, “it’s great to meet you. You’re the tour manager, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir?” Tony nodded in approval as he looked down at Riley, beaming. The back door opened and closed as Lauren stepped outside, juggling four beers. “Lauren, did you hear that? Harlow called me sir.”
“Oh, did that hurt?”
“Like a stab to the chest,” Tony clutched his chest dramatically.
Riley looked at Harlow, hoping she could convey that she was sorry for her parents. They had a quirky sense of humor that even Riley could be annoyed by at times. Her parents were high school sweethearts, so they had a ton of inside jokes that Riley was still deciphering.
“Maybe she’s southern.” Lauren’s attention was on Harlow. “Riley, did you bring home a southern Belle?”
“Oh, well, I… no.” Riley shook her head. “I mean, I brought Harlow home, but she’s not from the south. She’s from Colorado.”
“And before you ask,” there was a slight smile on Harlow’s lips, “not the southern part.”
Both Lauren and Tony busted out laughing which seemed to be an excellent sign to Riley. She didn’t know why she wanted her parents to approve of Harlow so much, but alas. That was precisely what she wanted to happen as she watched them all laughing together.
“Rye, you got a good one here.”
Taking a beer from Lauren, Tony sat in one of the camping chairs he’d set up around the fire pit. Lauren handed Harlow and Riley each a beer and Riley tried to get Harlow’s attention. She somehow needed to telepathically tell her that she was sorry for whatever her parents were about to say. Maybe it hadn’t been the brightest idea to bring her roommate-not-girlfriend over to her parents’ house without first having a conversation with them about the arrangement.
But Harlow didn’t seem fazed by any of it. If anything, she seemed more relaxed than Riley had seen her in weeks. Probably ever, actually. Maybe she needed to get away from the bus and the tour as badly as Riley did.
Lauren leaned back in her chair, propping her feet on the fireplace. “So, how long have you two been dating?”
