Her eyes flutter closed, and I turn the heated seat on to make her more comfortable. She wiggles in the seat, finding the perfect position.
Forty-five minutes to go.
I’m excited to see my parents. They are really the best anyone could ask for. My mom is my best friend, and she knows it. Being with them is just like being enveloped in a constant warm hug.
Muffin is snoring in the backseat. Princess, my ass. She has her princess moments, but her ego is big enough that she doesn’t need this boost. I chuckle.
As snow begins to fall on the windshield, my focus completely drifts to the road. And that is where it stays as I finish driving us to my parents’ house.
Figuring that Kat will want to wake up for a minute before we park, I gently place my hand on her shoulder and shake it ever so slightly.
She stirs a bit before her eyes open and find mine. “Are we there?”
I nod. “Almost. Just a few minutes away.”
She stretches her arms up, and for some weird fucking reason, I have the urge to see if she’s ticklish. But thankfully, I control myself. She pulls the visor down and runs her fingers through her hair and fixes the stray pieces in the mirror.
“Do you think your family will like me?” she asks, completely catching me off guard. “I know they don’t know who I really am, but still.”
Absolute truth passes through my lips. “I have no doubt in my mind that they will love you. You just be you. They never knew enough about Katy to even have an idea of her. I’ll introduce you, telling them you go by Kat. And then you won’t have to pretend to be anyone but yourself, aside from the fact that we’re dating.”
I can feel her stare at me as she whispers, “Thank you. I can totally do that.”
We round the long driveway to my parents’, and their house finally comes into view.
Kat audibly gasps. “Thisis your parents’ house? I think you are using the wrong word choice. It’s a fucking mansion.”
My family has always been well off. My parents are both lawyers. But we also come from a long line of money—millions. We aren’t as materialistic as many would like to think we are. It’s all we’ve ever known, but we don’t let it affect us. And we do what we can to give back.
“Yeah. Welcome to the Evergreens’ family home,” I say as I park next to my mom’s BMW X5.
She can’t tear her gaze away from the house. It is very beautiful. The three-story home is complete with balconies on all the bedrooms, an indoor movie theater, a hot tub out back on the oversize deck, an in-house chef, a butler, and a cleaning crew.
Warm white lights cause the most beautiful glow in the dark. The white pillars that stand on either side of the door are wrapped in lights. The staff did a great job. I love minimalistic decor. But my mom usually does not, so I’m surprised.
“This is insane,” she mumbles.
“I’m so glad this is the one thing about this whole plan that you find insane,” I say, laughing.
Kat pulls her attention away from the house to look at me. “I mean, Noelle, I’ve seen wealth. Nic’s family is loaded. But their house doesn’t look likethis. This is a whole other level of rich.”
“Does it bother you?” I ask, wanting to know what she’s really thinking.
Her eyebrows furrow. “Not at all. I’m just a bit taken aback. You’re so nice, and I know the houses in our neighborhood are expensive, but … I don’t know … all of the rich people I have met are stuck-up or rude, treating me as less than—unless, of course, I’m on Nic’s arm. But you seem nothing like that.”
Holding her gaze, I agree. “It’s because my family and I aren’t rude or stuck-up.” I pause. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
She looks at me like I’ve lost it. “It’s not really like I could back out now if I wanted to. Which I don’t.”
Taking a deep breath, I shut the car off. “Well, love, let’s do this.”
Muffin is stirring in the backseat, yelping quietly. She knows my parents’ house well, having been here many times before. My parents are her favorite people, aside from me, of course.
Twisting in my seat, I slightly push myself onto the middle console and unclip her from the car seat. “Come here, baby.”
She licks my cheek the second she has a chance.
The front door opens, and I brace myself to see my mother. But it is just Emma, my parents’ head cleaning lady, and Oliver, the butler. I hate thinking of their titles. They are family and have been for longer than I can remember.
