Page 21 of Finding Home (Willow Valley #1)

TWENTY-ONE

CHLOE

H oly shit, I’m nervous. I pace in the living room as I wait for Everett and Lila to come down so we can head to my parents’ place for dinner. I don’t know why I’m nervous. It’s not like I’m introducing my parents to a new boyfriend, it’s just the new fire chief—who I happen to live with.

The sound of Everett’s footsteps has me turning around in time to catch him coming down the stairs, his T-shirt pulled snuggly across his chest and his jeans pulled perfectly across his thighs.

When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he turns and grabs his keys off the hook by the door, and my eyes can’t help but drift down and snag on his ass and the way his jeans look like they’ve been painted on.

When he turns around, I clear my throat and tuck a piece of hair behind my ear as I try to hide my blush at being caught checking him out. I catch his smirk out of the corner of my eye, and it only has my cheeks heating more.

Being forward with him at the fire station was empowering.

The look on his face as I talked about wanting a man versus needing one, and basically described our night together, was a confidence boost. His pupils dilated, and his breathing accelerated.

The second I got into my car afterwards, I held a little self-chastising session for being so open with him about it.

I don’t need our living situation to be any more awkward.

Between calling him hot and telling him I want a man who will eat and fuck me the way he did, I seem to be doing just that.

“Daddy,” Lila calls, thankfully pulling Everett’s attention.

“Yeah, Peanut.”

“I don’t know what to do with my hair.”

She’s now standing at the top of the stairs, a brush and hair ties in her hands.

“Up or down?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” she pouts.

“Well, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me how you want it.”

“How about some braids?” I interject, and Lila’s face lights up.

“Yes!” she says and jumps on her toes.

“Why don’t you bring those things down, and I’ll braid your hair for you.”

She hurriedly comes down the stairs, and Everett offers me a soft smile, and I smile back. I lead Lila over to the couch and take a seat and have her sit on the floor between my legs and start running the brush through her hair.

“Do you want one or two braids?”

I watch her tap her finger against her lip a couple of times before she says, “Two.”

I quickly divide her hair and do it up in two french braids, softly running my hand over them to tamper down any flyaways. I pat her shoulder. “Okay, you’re all done.”

Lila jumps up and runs to the bathroom, coming back with a grin from ear to ear. “I love them.” She runs over to Everett. “Daddy, look at my braids. They’re so pretty. Can you learn to do them pretty like Miss M?”

“I can try, Peanut. Right now, we need to get ready for dinner.”

She sits on the floor and slides on her sandals and attempts to do the buckles, her tongue between her lips as she concentrates.

“Peanut, why don’t we wear something a little warmer. It’s chilly outside.”

She shakes her head. “But, Daddy, these shoes go with my dress.”

He crouches in front of her and helps her do the buckles while he shakes his head. When he stands, he heads into the kitchen and returns with a bottle of scotch and a bouquet of white lilies and pink carnations.

I bite my lip to hold back my smile at the effort he’s going through to meet my parents.

“You ladies ready?”

I nod, and Lila says, “Yeah.”

I take Lila’s hand and lead her out to the car while Everett follows us and locks the house.

I help her into the car and get her buckled before rounding the car to the passenger side.

As I reach for the door handle, Everett beats me there, opening the door for me and helping me in, before placing the bottle of scotch at my feet and handing me the bouquet.

I give him directions on the short drive to my parents’ place. As he pulls into the driveway, I warn them about Mickey, and Lila cheers, excited to meet the dog. I lead them up to the house. Pushing open the front door, I call, “Hello.”

Mom beams at me as soon as she sees us turn the corner into the kitchen.

“Mom, this is Everett Lawson and his daughter Lila, Everett and Lila, this is my mom, Melanie.”

Everett holds his hand out to Mom. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Maxwell.” He hands her the flowers, and her grin widens.

“These are lovely. Thank you, Everett.”

He nods politely, and his hand finds the top of Lila’s head as she leans against his leg, arms wrapped around it.

“Peanut, are you going to say hi?”

Lila lifts her hand tentatively and waves at my mom. It’s interesting to see her like this. With me, even during our first class, she opened up so quickly, she didn’t hide behind Everett, but here in my parents’ place, she’s completely different.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lila dear,” Mom says before moving on and giving her space.

“Your dad is just finishing up in the shower. It’s like that man knew we were having company tonight and decided to get as messy as possible at work.

” Mom’s words may sound annoyed, but her lips pull into a small smile.

She knows how much Dad enjoys his job and has never once faulted him for it .

“I’ll help set the table,” I say, and Mom pats my arm before moving back to the stove and stirring the pot.

I was so anxious as we came into the house that I didn’t stop to smell what Mom was cooking. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, and the smell immediately has me opening them again.

“Did you really?” I ask her, and she looks over her shoulder at me.

“I did.”

I wrap my arms around her shoulders and kiss her cheek before setting the table for my favourite meal, green bean soup. It’s a comfort meal for me, and Mom used to always make it when she knew I’d had a particularly hard day or when I came home from university homesick.

I set the table, showing Everett and Lila where they can sit. As I’m placing the last setting, Dad walks into the kitchen, stopping to kiss my cheek before holding a hand out to Everett.

“You must be the new fire chief,” Dad says.

“I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Maxwell.”

“Randy, please.”

“I wasn’t sure if you’re a scotch or bourbon man but thought I’d bring this over for you,” Everett says, handing the bottle to Dad.

Dad inspects the bottle and says, “This is a good one. Thank you.”

Everett simply nods at him.

Mom brings the pot over to the table, saying, “We like to do dinner family style. You serve yourself from the pot, eat as much as you want, we don’t want no growling bellies from not enough food.”

I smile and shake my head at my mom. She gives the same speech every time we have new people come over.

I think it started when we were kids, because there were a couple times Grayson brought Ryder home with him and Mom could tell he was hungry.

His mom was a single parent doing everything she could to make ends meet, and if Mom could help out by making sure Ryder got a good home-cooked meal and didn’t leave our house hungry, she’d do it.

As we all settle at the table and I dish myself up some soup, I say, “So, Ryder texted me this morning.” I watch as Everett tenses on the other side of the table. “He said he was sad he missed out on your chicken noodle soup and was asking when you’re making more.”

Mom smiles. “That boy knows he can come over for dinner whenever he wants, he simply has to call and let me know.”

“There was a time I considered branding his name into the back of that chair,” Dad says, pointing at the one Lila’s currently sitting in. “He had his ass in it so often, it felt like it was his.”

I laugh, because branding his name into it is one hundred percent something Dad would do.

“You know he won’t self-invite himself over for dinner. Why don’t I come over and help you make dinner one night and we invite all the guys. I’m sure a few of them are living off of frozen meals and could use a nice home-cooked one.”

Everett is still tense, dishing up soup for Lila and buttering bread for her, his eyes flicking to me occasionally.

“Everett, you wouldn’t mind if we used the kitchen at the firehall to feed your boys, would you?” Mom asks.

“It’s all yours,” he says, and I see questions in his eyes that I know he won’t ask here in front of my parents.

“Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself,” Mom prompts.

“What would you like to know?”

I knew this wouldn’t be easy. Everett isn’t one to give up personal information easily, but if he thinks I’m persistent, he knows nothing, because I got it from my mom.

“Do you want to start at your childhood and work to the present or go from the present back?” Mom asks, and he looks at her with a look of incredulity, but Mom just smiles at him as she takes another bite of soup.

I swear I hear him mutter, “Two peas in a pod,” but he takes a bite of soup and looks at Mom.

“Moved around as a kid, joined the fire department when I turned eighteen, and had Lila shortly after. Spent the last few years in Calgary before deciding to move to Willow Valley. Nothing super interesting,” he says.

Mom nods, but I know the questions are about to start coming. “Did just the two of you move to Willow Valley?”

The question has my spoon pausing part way to my mouth. I’ve never asked Everett about Lila’s mom. It’s not my business, no matter how much I want to know more about him.

“Yeah, just the two of us.”

Lila is quietly eating her soup and picking at her bread, dipping it into the broth and eating it. I notice how she doesn’t look at my mom or dad as we all talk.

I lean in closer and ask, “Lila, do you like horses?”

She looks up at me, excitement in her eyes, and nods.

“Do you maybe want to go see the horses with me after dinner? We have some here on the property.”

“Really?” she whispers.

I nod enthusiastically. “Yup. I can take you to meet them.”

“Yay!”

As I sit back, Everett offers me a soft smile, and I notice how Lila eats her food a little bit faster.

“How have you enjoyed your move to Willow Valley?” Mom asks Everett.

His eyes dart to me before he responds. “It’s been much better than anticipated.”

My cheeks heat, and I allow my hair to fall and cover my face. If I’m not careful, I think I could find myself developing feelings I shouldn’t have for Everett Lawson.