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“God bless your mother. Everything smells wonderful.”
When the four of them ate their fill, Noah and Violet left. Teagan glanced at Seth. “What do you want to do? We have a few hours before we need to go to your parents’ home.”
“Jewelry store. I want my ring on your finger.”
“Not in Ardmore. I don’t want to deal with cranky cops.”
He chuckled. “Neither do I. We’ll go to Willow Grove. It’s near where my parents live. When we finish at the jewelers, we can go to their home or find something else to do until it’s time for dinner.”
“I think your mother would appreciate seeing you sooner.”
“Do you mind?”
“Of course not. She’s your mom.”
The look on her face said otherwise. “Sweetheart, my parents are nothing like yours. They’ll love you.”
Despite her worries, Seth was right. By the time dinner was over that night, his parents and his brothers and their families adored Teagan. Their simple acceptance of a stranger to their family puzzled his woman.
“Told you,” he said as he held her in his arms after they returned to his home. “I knew my family would love you.”
“I don’t get it, Seth. Do they understand what I do for a living?”
“They know you protect the innocent. We’re a family of protectors. You’re one of us.” He brushed a light kiss over her mouth. “I have a question for you.”
“What’s that?”
“We’re alone for the first time in days. Do you want to watch a movie with me?”
“Is this an actual date?”
He nodded.
“I’d love to watch a movie with you, but only if you have snacks. No snacks, no date.”
Seth chuckled. “I’ve got you covered. I’ll have the popcorn and soft drinks ready in a few minutes.” He handed her the remote. “Find something for us to watch.”
“Anything?” Teagan’s eyes twinkled.
“Within reason. No sappy love story without an actual plot. Other than that, whatever you want to watch is fine.”
In the kitchen, he tossed a bag of popcorn into the microwave and poured a soft drink over ice into two glasses. Once the microwave finished the heating cycle, he poured the contents into a bowl, placed everything on a tray along with napkins and returned to the living room.
When he saw the title of the movie Teagan chose, Seth laughed. “Twister?”
“I love natural disaster movies.”
“So do I.” He set the tray on the coffee table and sat beside her on the couch. “My brothers shake their heads at my obsession with these movies.”
“They don’t know what they’re missing.”
Her movie choice reinforced what he already knew. Teagan Paloni was the perfect woman for him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Seth and his teammates, Artemis, and Phantom joined Brent Maddox, Zane Murphy, and Lt. Burnett in the large conference room at Fortress headquarters.
Maddox glanced at Zane. “Are we ready?”