Wealso went on a double date withCharlieand a guy that she’s gone on two previous dates with and wantedJace’sopinion about. (Ithought the guy was great but a little bland.Jacethought he wasn’t good enough forCharlie.Basedon how protectiveI’veseen him be of his sister, this did not surprise me at all.)
We’vecopiously talked and laughed and shared hopes and dreams.Andwe’ve copiously kissed.Imight have been worried that my relationship withJacewasn’t entirely real for just a second onceIfound out that he’d been dating me as an assignment, but those kisses have made it obvious that his attraction is authentic.
Andlet’s just say that the man knows how to gently caress a face!Ididn’t even know thatIliked my face caressed untilJacecame along.There’ssomething about it that just makes me feel seen and adored.
“Whyare you so nervous?”Maggieasks. “You’vealready met most of his family.”
Ifumble with an earring asItry to put it in. “Ihaven’t metLedgerorBlake.Andtoday is different.It’stheir whole family together at a meal, with me as the only one who isn’t aLancaster.It’sa lot of pressure.”Istand, facing her, with my arms out, showing off my high-rise, straight-legged tan pants with my tucked-in short-sleeved silky indigo shirt thatIthink goes pretty fabulous with my skin tone. “HowdoIlook?”Iturn around to show her my backside.
“Likeyou should consider removing that toilet paper that’s tucked into your pants.”
Igasp and frantically run my hands along my waistband at the back.
“I’mkidding!Youlook great.Andlisten, just tell yourself that meeting them is probably going to go better than it did forLiviwhen she metFelipe’sparents.”
“Yes,”Isay, pointing at her. “That’sgood.I’llthink of that.”
Aknock sounds at my door, andIyelp.I’vegot to calm down. “Seriously, though,Ilook okay?”
“Youlook like a million bucks.”
Imove in close toAddi, who is kicking her arms and legs in excitement, and let her wrap her little fists around my pointer fingers like she loves, then kiss her on the forehead and tell them both goodbye.
* * *
JaceandIare halfway from the driveway to his mom’s front porch when he stops and wraps an arm around me, pulling me close.Alock of hair blows into my face and he ever so gently brushes a finger across my cheek, tucking the hair behind my ear. “HaveItold you lately how muchIlove that you’re no longer in danger and thatIstill get you in my life?”
“Ialsolove thatIam no longer in danger.”Ismile. “AndIam also a huge fan of you being in my life.”
Hegives me a sweet but much too quick kiss on the lips, and then we walk up the steps onto the wrap-around porch and open the front door.Ihear voices coming from whatI’mguessing is the direction of the kitchen, but no one is in the front room, so it gives me a chance to look around as we head back toward them.
Iknow this is the house thatJacelived in from age eleven until he left for college.It’sbig and it’s nice, but it isn’t overly fancy.Itfeels surprisingly… normal.It’sa placeIcan totally pictureJacegrowing up in.
Iimagine him, wearing a backpack, walking out this front door to go to school.Runningdown this hall, either chasing a sibling or having a sibling chase him as they play (or try to annoy each other).Wepass a half-flight of stairs leading down to a family room, andIcan picture him dropping a bag of soccer equipment after a long practice, too tired to take it to his room.
Mymind immediately goes back to when my high school boyfriend came over and looked through our family photo albums, andIhope that at some point,Iget that kind of peek intoJace’schildhood.
Weare almost to the kitchen when his little two-year-old niece,Heidi, notices us and comes running.Shehas blonde hair with a bit of a natural curl and strikingly wide blue eyes. “UncleJace,” she shouts, but it sounds more like “UncoJace.”Shecomes to a stop at his feet, holding her arms up, and he immediately picks her up.
“How’smy favorite niece in the whole world?”
“Good,” she says.Thenshe points at me. “Who’sthat?”
“Thisis my girlfriend,Mackenzie.”
Thisis the first timeI’veheard the word “girlfriend” fromJace’slips, and it does something to my stomach.Well, somethingmore.Mystomach was already busy feeling something akin to the glow of a campfire, which melted my heart into a puddle of goo at seeingJaceinteract with a child.
JacekeepsHeidiin his arms as we walk into the kitchen where everyone else is standing around the kitchen island or in the space between the island and the table.Somethingcooking smells great, butIcan’t sacrifice enough brainpower to even notice what it is because all of my attention is on the imposing family in the room.
Wewalk up toEmerson,Miles, andCharlie, who are standing closest to us.Sincewe’ve all met,Isay hello and they say they’re gladIcould come.Thenwe walk to a brother who is broad-shouldered and looks like he’s older thanJaceandIimmediately feel a bit more intimidated.Maybeit’s because he looks like he’s definitelynotglad thatIcould come.
“Andthis is my brother,Blake,”Jacesays.Heidiimmediately stretches her arms out towardBlake, andBlakegathers her into his arms. “He’sHeidi’sdad.”
“It’sso nice to finally meet you,”Isay.Irealize thatJaceandIhaven’t been datingthatlong, but it feels like ages sinceImet his mom,Emerson, andCharliethat dayIsurprisedJaceat his work.
“Niceto meet you, too,” he says, but not at all like he means it.
Fromthe corner of my eye,Ican see thatJaceshoots him a look, and even thoughIturn my head quickly to see it, it’s already gone.Jaceputs a hand on the small of my back and guides me toward another brother, this one younger and with lighter hair who is taller than all of them and rather beefy, especially in the shoulders.Fromthe process of elimination,Iknow it’sLedgerbeforeJaceintroduces us.
