Page 64 of Family Bonds- Jarrett & Andi

She brought back the big container of the remaining cookies. She pulled the top off and he snatched two out.

“I didn’t realize you had such a sweet tooth.”

“I don’t normally have one, but I do love cookies. Everyone is going to enjoy them. You didn’t need to do that.”

“Sure, I did,” she said. “It’s the right thing. It’s been a while since I’ve met someone’s parents.”

“How long?” he asked.

“I don’t even really know, but at least five years. I’ve dated on and off but no one serious in a while that got to that point.”

“Don’t be nervous. It’s going to be fine.”

He’d told her that his mother did call him on Sunday night and asked more questions, but he only shared a small part. Nothing more than he’d do with anyone else.

“I believe you,” she said. She snagged a cookie herself and put the tin away. “Do you want more coffee?”

“No,” he said. “I try not to drink too much, but it never works that way.”

“I only drink it at home and then it’s normally water or tea after.” She looked out the window before she came back to the couch.

“What are you looking for?” he asked, his radar up.

“Snow,” she said, grinning. “Do you think we’ll get some today?”

“Maybe,” he said. “If so, it won’t be much.”

“I think it will feel more like Christmas with snow.”

“I guess,” he said. “I don’t think much of it.” He waited a minute. “Are you going to tell Jack about me?”

She sighed. “Not yet.”

“Because he’ll be nervous that I’m digging?”

“I’ll assure him that isn’t the case,” she said. “It’s just...it’s complicated.”

“He’s not your cousin, is he?” he asked.

She turned and looked in his eyes. “You know the answer to that.” Not saying no, but not denying it either. It was the best he could hope for.

“He was your father’s partner,” he said, making an educated guess. “He’d never be your dad’s partner if he was family, Andi. You know that, right?”

She just looked into his eyes. Again not agreeing but not denying. “No one but you knows that my father was a marshal,” she said.

That made a lot more sense.

So she’d been telling him more all along and letting him figure it out without her having toactuallysay the words.

He pulled her close. “Why don’t we go meet my parents before my siblings get there with their families.”

She kissed him and they gathered the plates of cookies and left. He had the gifts for his family in his SUV already that he’d loaded earlier. Not that he had much. A few toys for Jace and the rest were gift cards.

It’s what he always did. He wasn’t good when it came to thinking of gifts.

He’d even been unsure about the bra and panty set he’d bought for Andi, but she’d laughed and said she loved it. Since she had it on under her clothes and had teased him with itearlier, he had to believe her. It wasn’t what he had planned with the little floral set, but maybe she didn’t find it as sexy as he had.

The rest of her gift was just lotions and bubble baths.

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