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“Idiots.” Nathan surveys the room, sounding annoyed, and it makes me giggle. He’s such a grumpy bear when he chooses to be.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hart.” I hold out my hand for her to shake but she surprises me when she pulls me into a warm embrace, surrounding me in her exotic fragrance.
“Call me Michelle. Mrs. Hart makes me sound old.” She stands back, giving me a good opportunity to get a full look at her. I’m not sure what age Michelle is but she’s beautiful and I bet she was a knockout when she was younger.
“That’s because you are old,” Nathan says, deadpan, causing his mom to swipe at his shoulder playfully, and he doesn’t even flinch.
“Excuse me, I’ll have you know there’s still life in this old gal yet.” She straightens out her dress, then holds her head high. “Enough life in me to chase some beautiful grandbabies around the ranch. When will that be, Nathaniel? When am I getting some grandchildren?” She claps her hands together in delight. I can tell she’s expecting some soon.
A fleeting mental image of me cupping my stomach full of Nathan’s baby enters my mind and swiftly flies away again as quick as a blink. I shake my head to rid myself of the cocktail of emotions swirling through my conflicted thoughts.
Where did that come from?
Nathan grabs my hand and gives a squeeze as if urging me to move. “And that’s our cue to leave. I hope you get stuck with Cindy Roberts all night,” he says dryly.
Michelle gasps, annoyed at Nathan. “I wouldn’t wish her on my worst enemy. She’s the most boring woman here tonight. She could spend an entire night explaining the life cycle of a plant.” She tries desperately to withhold a yawn of boredom.
“I know, enjoy talking about the speed a rose grows at.” He takes a step away from his mom.
I chuckle, loving how they tease each other. It’s refreshing, and such a special moment to witness between mother and son. I can’t imagine living with five men was easy. Being outnumbered probably made Michelle grow a thick skin and the skill to beat them all at their own game.
Envy weighs me down. I wish I had family to tease me.
“See you at the table, darling.” Michelle gives us a joyful finger wave and heads in the opposite direction from us, laughing as she leaves. “You’re sitting beside me, and we can talk future grandbabies all night.”
I file Michelle’s mention of grandchildren away, but I’m amused that she knows how much it makes Nathan squirm like salt does to a snail.
At dinner the other night he said he wasn’t sure if he wanted children. I wish he wasn’t indifferent about that.
God, why do I care? It’s not important right now; we aren’t dating, we aren’t anything, not really. Maybe we are, but a huge family is something I’ve always dreamed of having.
Since I was fifteen, life has been quiet. What I wouldn’t do to fight over the last cookie in the jar again with Riley, who was the noisiest person I’ve ever met. Messy and clumsy, and boy, did we fight over the silliest things. If I knew then what I know now, I would have let her have the cookie. I’d have let her have every single one.
When I was fifteen and she was seventeen, we looked similar, and sometimes I find myself thinking about what she would look like now, what she would do for a living, where she’d work or if she’d have a family of her own.
I look around the shimmering room with golden chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. I know Riley would have loved this because she was a sucker for watching the Oscars. She loved the glitz and glamour and knew every designer dress the movie stars wore. She’d approve of my dress tonight; I just know it.
With our fingers threaded together, because Nathan hasn’t let go of me yet, I follow behind him as he weaves us through a path of tables and dozens of people who all seem to know him.
He politely nods and shakes hands with everyone as he passes, and I do the same when he introduces me, not missing their looks bouncing between myself and Nathan as if questioning not only him being here but also that he brought a date.
It makes me feel special, because Nathan is a bit of an enigma and never does anything if he doesn’t want to. Specifically, no dating. Yet here I am.
Bringing me here tonight is a big deal. Bigger than I considered at first.
I feel like a princess.
His.
A billion different emotions and thoughts whirl around my brain as we eventually arrive at our designated table on the far side of the room. The only thing I never expected tonight was Nathan introducing me as his secretary.
I saw straight through him back in my apartment.
He toned down his previous confession about settling down.
I guess we’re both struggling with our feelings.
We’re torn.