Page 18 of Muffin Top
My phone buzzed with an incoming call and I made the rookie error of answering without checking the caller ID.
"Hello, this is Honey."
"Honey, this is your mother, I'm calling about Thanksgiving."
The blood in my veins ran cold. My spine immediately snapped upright, my shoulders tightening in response.
"I thought you had decided we weren’t doing Thanksgiving this year."
She made a dismissive sound, "plans change. Your brother and sister are coming home. We'll do dinner at the house from six. Ensure you're suitably attired. I've invited the Sheriff."
I blinked. Tristan and I hadn't exactly been keeping our relationship quiet. We'd gone out on dates, seen friends and family around town. Hell, he'd taken me to his mother's a few times and I'd even had lunch with his brother.
"I didn't realize you knew about me and-"
"Your sister has broken up with the banker. I want her to come back home. Sheriff Rodriguez, while not my first choice, is attractive. And I'm sure with the right guidance, could progress to politics in due course. Also, Emily is on a juice only cleanse. Don't offer her any solid food, it would be offensive. See you on Thursday."
She hung up before I could respond. I contemplated calling Tristan, but also knew he was on duty. I settled for a text.
Me: Hey, Mom just called. Said she'd invited you to Thanksgiving?
Hot Sheriff: Hey sexy. Yeah, looking forward to doing the meet the parent's thing.
I bit my lip, wondering if I should clue him in.
Me: I don't think they realize we're a thing.
Hot Sheriff: Babe, we're more than a 'thing'.
That warmed me inside and brought a goofy smile to my face.
Hot Sheriff: But seriously, if they don't know by now then we'll just clue them in on Thursday.
Uncertainty and anxious fear churned my stomach. I didn't know how to explain how crazy my parents could be. I felt the need to warn him, but I also didn't want him to think less of me.
Me: My parents are a little intense. They might not take kindly to us dating.
I hovered over the screen, waiting for this reply. I nearly dropped the phone when he called instead.
"Honey," his voice sounded strong and loving. "You're overthinking this, Baby."
"I'm really not," I told him earnestly. "They can be pretty horrible without even trying. Our best option is to decline the invitation and go back to our original plan, dinner at my place."
"I'm not turning down the first invitation to meet your parents. I'm in this for the long haul, Honey. We can't avoid them forever. So, let's make the best of this opportunity. We'll have dinner, announce our relationship and then eat some turkey."
God he’s sweet, but delusional.
"My sister-in-law is on a juice cleanse. I doubt we'll be serving turkey this year."
There was a beat of silence. "Will there be pie?"
I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth at his hopeful tone. "Doubtful. Last year they did a fruit bowl for dessert."
"Those motherfucking monsters!" He sounded outraged. "That's like a crime against humanity, surely."
I found myself chuckling, my anxiety diminishing a little. "I'll have pie waiting for you at home."
"And whipped cream. I have grand plans that involve you and the cream."
