I felt a headache kicking in when I saw my mother walking toward me, shaking her head. Yes, I’d avoided her like gonorrhea for hours.
She reached our table and sat in the empty chair next to me. “What in the hell is going on here?” Her finger darted between Brandon and me.
“Nothing, Mrs. Novotny.” Brandon sounded like he did when she busted us for beer in the basement when we were sixteen.
She looked around before narrowing her glaring eyes at us. “Don’t give me that.” She looked at me. “La verita proprio adesso.”
“Mom, I am telling you the truth.” I crossed my fingers under the table. “We’re just, uh, dating a little.”
She huffed. “That’s a pile of garbage, Fern.”
I put my hand on hers. “Please, Mom, just let it lie. It’ll all be fine.”
Her wheels were turning. “This is about Gabriel, isn’t it?”
“Mother, I need you, for once, to just let it go this weekend. Please. We’ll talk when this is all over.”
Her head tilted, and her look was thoughtful. I’d spent my entire life with this little lady all up in my grill (yes, I’m aware I can’t really pull that off), but I couldn’t deal with it right now. My strength in all areas was sinking fast.
She gave me a nod. “Okay.”
I swear my ears blew right off my damn head. I looked to Brandon to see if maybe I’d misunderstood her one-word response, but he too looked a little flabbergasted.
I cleared my throat and looked back to her. “What did you say?”
She patted my hand. “I said okay.” She shrugged. “I know you’re a smart woman, Fern. And I believe you know what you’re doing.”
Whoa. I did not see that coming…ever. I wished I had an ounce of her sudden belief in my intelligence as my brain seemed to be giving me the silent treatment.
She kissed my cheek and walked away.
Brandon dramatically looked up at the ceiling. “And there’s not one pig flying?”
“Maybe she’s finally lost her marbles.” I shook my head. “She thinks I’m smart when I’ve made one fuck up after another since I’ve been home.”
I looked across the room to see Gabe and Ed enter, laughing, as Gabe brushed snowflakes out of his gorgeous hair. Goosebumps ran up my arms. His handsomeness was unfair to the universe.
His dark denim jeans, charcoal gray dress shirt that barely contained his amazing chest muscles, topped off by a black sports coat left me wanting to pluck each shirt button off with my teeth. He didn’t want you. Ever. He wanted sex.
He crossed the room like a Hollywood heartthrob entering a movie set. He passed my table and shot me a look I was unfamiliar with. His eyes were different. They seemed to be announcing something. Were they saying he knew it was a matter of time before he breaks me down and has his way with me before kicking me to the curb yet again? That I was like a wounded deer, the pathetic one in the herd, and he would circle and wait until I grew weaker and weaker, and then strike?
I wished I could say I was strong enough to stand up to the man. He was just a human after all, but one look made my insides crumble like a stale cookie. Sure, I was with Brandon, but Gabe and I both knew he could make my clothes melt right off. Yes, that was his superpower with women. He was the Clothes Dropper.
Instantly, I scooted my chair a little closer to Brandon, grateful for the one who would keep my panties on at all costs this weekend. He had volunteered to be my plus one because he knew I was as strong as a kitten high on catnip when it came to Gabe.
Tawnee walked over and rested her hand on an empty chair beside me. “Hey, Maid of Honor.”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “This has been a beautiful rehearsal dinner, Tawnee.”
She laughed. “You know my mom and your mom are the ones who put this thing together.” She winked at Brandon. “Would you mind if I steal Fern for a minute?”
“Of course not.”
I stood up when Brandon grabbed my arm and pulled me down to him before kissing my lips. Man, when he played a part, he wasn’t screwing around. Delight ran through my veins as I heard a fist slam against the table next to us. Again.
I followed Tawnee to the corner of the room when she turned back to me. “Can you give me some codeine, morphine, or something?”
“Okay, I’m a nurse, not a drug peddler. What’s going on?”
