“Try to relax,” he said softly. “This is going to be fine.”
His voice held a quiet confidence I sure wished I could trust.
We pulled up in front of my aunt and uncle’s sprawling ranch-style house. Cars lined the driveway and spilled onto the street. My stomach twisted as I spotted my mother’s car near the entrance. This was a terrible fucking idea.
The moment Jack opened my door and I stepped out, I blurted the thought that was uppermost in my mind. “This was a mistake. I can’t do this. I should never?—”
Jack took both my hands in his. “Look at me.”
I forced my gaze up to his.
“I said I’ve got you and I meant it. Just breathe, Mia.”
I dragged in a couple of deep breaths, my eyes locked on his. The hazel depths were calm, reassuring, an anchor in the storm of my anxiety. It was like some sort of magic trick, how he could soothe me by just looking at me and telling me to breathe.
“You ready?” he asked when my breathing had steadied.
I glanced toward the house, catching movement at the picture window that faced the street. “Too bad if I’m not, because that’s Aunt Jackie peeking through the window. There’s no backing out now.”
Jack took my hand in his, entwining our fingers with such ease it felt like we’d been doing this for years.
The front door swung open before we reached it, and Aunt Jackie burst out with a wide smile. “Mia, sweetie!” She wrapped me in a tight hug, then her eyes darted to Jack, widening appreciably. “And this must be Jack! My goodness, Emily said you weren’t much to look at. I think someone needs her eyes checked!”
Jack chuckled, extending his hand. “It’s great to meet you, Mrs...”
“Oh, just Jackie, please.” She shook his hand. “come on in, you two. Everyone’s out back.”
She ushered us through the house to the sliding glass door that revealed a sprawling backyard filled with pretty much my entire family. The smoky scent of barbecue hung in the air.
“Everyone!” Jackie’s voice rang out across the yard. “Look who’s here! Mia and her new man, Jack!”
All eyes turned toward us, and I witnessed the exact moment my mother, aunt Monica, and Megan registered Jack’s appearance. Their expressions morphed from polite interest to slack-jawed disbelief in perfect unison. My mother’s wine glass froze halfway to her lips. Megan’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and Aunt Monica actually put a hand to her chest, as if steadying herself.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Emily, sitting at a table with some of our cousins, caught my eye and winked dramatically.
Whatever angst or weirdness might come out of fake dating Jack Sullivan, this moment, right here, made it one hundred percent worth it.
I didn’t even try to hide my smile as I glanced up at Jack. “Let me introduce you.”
“Sure.”
After quick introductions to Uncle Jeremy at the grill and a few friendly relatives, we approached the table where my mom sat with her cohort.
“Mom, you remember I mentioned I was bringing someone? This is Jack Sullivan. Jack, this is my mother, Helen.”
Jack stepped forward, taking my mother’s limp hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
We made quick rounds through my stepfather Ted, Megan and her fiancé Charles, plus Aunt Monica and Uncle Anthony. Megan couldn’t stop staring, while Aunt Monica kept glancing between Jack and Emily with naked confusion.
I hesitated for a moment, knowing that the right thing to do would be to sit with them, but I just couldn’t do it.
“We’ll, um, we’ll just be over here.”
When we finally escaped to find seats, I felt like I’d run a marathon. We claimed two seats at the end of the long table, next to Emily. Jack pulled out my chair before taking his own, then casually draped his arm along the back of my seat. His fingers casually played with the ends of my hair, the intimate gesture making my skin tingle.
Aunt Jackie settled across from us with undisguised curiosity. “So, tell us how you two lovebirds met.”
