Page 31 of Bourbon & Bonfires

I’m not sure what I expected in response to my speech. Hell, I didn’t have a plan for what I’d say when we got here, unsure I’d make it all the way here. I half figured I’d back out and either cancel dinner or turn my phone off and deal with my mom tomorrow. But, here we are, and Addison is laughing.

“You’re laughing. Are you so angry you can’t even process it and are laughing?” I question.

“No. I’m not mad at all. I mean, I guess if I thought going out to dinner was awkward I spoke too soon, right? I’m laughing because your mom invited me to dinner, and I declined.”

“She what?”

“Yep. I can’t say much more, HIPPA laws and what not,” she says, waving a hand around. It should be noted it is not the hand resting on mine. “But, she did. I kind of blew her off, and Doc told me I should watch out because she’s shifty or something.”

“I can’t believe this. We should leave.”

“Nope, we’re going in there and eating dinner, and then you, mister,” she says, poking me in the chest, “you get to take me for dessert under the stars. Deal?”

“Wow. You’re pretty perfect, you know that?”

“Hardly. I’m just really hungry, and there are two little kids staring at us from the window. I’m pretty sure a few adults just ducked down behind them.”

“Great. I’m guessing those are the twins. Demons, I tell ya.” Addison laughs, and it’s music to my ears. “Okay, Ms. Sinclair. Let’s do this, shall we?”

Addison smiles with a nod, and I step back before extending my hand to help her out. When she hits the ground, I let her close the door before I take her hand and walk toward the house. Her hesitation of me holding her hand passes quickly, and I’m grateful when instead of letting go of my hand, she lets me squeeze her smaller hand with mine.

The entire time we were driving here I thought about telling Landon to take me home. I have no business being out with him. This dinner screamsdate, and I cannot date Landon. I mean, I’d love to date Landon. He’s not only ridiculously hot in a Scott Eastwood panty-melting-smile kind of way, he’s also funny and kind. The fact that he asked about Mason tugged at my heart a little, and I couldn’t ask him to take me home. No, I didn’t want him to take me home.

When I stepped out onto my front porch to see who he was talking to, I almost lost my footing. His jeans fit snuggly along his muscular thighs and perfect ass. The dark Henley he’s wearing is tight across his broad shoulders and for a minute I wanted to run my hands underneath it to feel every muscle. Then he turned to look at me, and I was lost. Lost in the look on his face as he took me in.

I’ll never admit that I spent an hour rummaging through my closet to find something to wear. I needed to look casual but didn’t want to look like I didn’t care. Being a woman is more complicated than men will ever realize. Everything looked too dressy or too casual. My ass looked flat in three pairs of jeans and by the time I heard him pull up I gave up, putting on my favorite jeans and a comfortable sweater, hoping for the best. By the way he looked at me I guess going with the favorites was a good move.

And now, we’re walking up to his parents’ home.Holding hands.I should take my hand back. I should put it in my pocket or something. I don’t. Nope. Is this a mixed signal? Probably. The minute his free hand pulls open the screen door, he squeezes our joined hands, winks, and walks through the door.

“Mother!”

Oh boy.

“Oh Landon, is that you?”

“Who else would it be? You have two sons and the other one is here,” he says sarcastically but with humor in his voice.

“Oh hush. Well, who do we have here?” Willa Montgomery is just as Dr. Burning warned. A slow smile takes over her face, and her eyes dance with excitement as she notes our joined hands. I instantly drop my hand and step forward to greet her.

“Mrs. Montgomery, very nice to see you again.”

“Willa, please dear. I’m so glad you changed your mind about dinner. I wasn’t necessarily expecting you to come with my son.”

“Mom, drop the act. We’re here for one hour. Dinner and then we’re leaving. I’ve already had to change some of our plans; you are not monopolizing our entire night.”

Willa rolls her eyes and turns to loop her hand through my arm and begins walking me toward what I assume is the kitchen or dining room. “Don’t pay him any attention. It’s been a while since he’s had a lady in his life. He’s a little grumpy.”

That sets me off into a fit of giggles, and at the same time Landon groans behind us. As we enter the large great room, I take in the people filling the room. There’s an older gentleman pulling something from the oven, a man near my age standing with a beer in his hand, talking to a beautiful blonde woman, while another woman is trying to wrangle two small children, who are running in a circle around her.

“Everyone, Landon’s here. And this beauty is his date, Addy.”

The room stills for an uncomfortable beat before everyone covers with a chorus of hellos, and I feel Landon walk up behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder as his mother untangles her arm from mine and walks to help his father. When he leans down to whisper in my ear, his breath tickles my neck and a chill runs down my spine.

“Ignore anything and everything they say about me. We’ll eat and run, I promise.”

When I turn to face him, Landon doesn’t remove his hand from my shoulder, and the movement only shifts so I’m more nestled into him than standing beside him. Damn, he smells good too. Like leather and citrus combined.

“Addison, are you okay? You’re flushed.”

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