Page 68 of Devoted Enough

Sophia took my arm and held me back as we all started to walk toward our vehicles.

“Nate, I just wanted to say that I’m so happy the two of you finally found your way to each other. Thank you for believing in her dreams.”

I smiled at my future sister-in-law. “I can’t explain it, Sophia, but I want to see her happy. Ineedto see her happy.”

A wide grin appeared on her face, and she patted me lightly on the chest. “That, Nate, is your heart falling in love.”

Sophia started to walk off, and I couldn’t help but smile. Six months ago, if someone had told me that, I would have laughed my ass off.

“Looks like Josh is smarter than I thought.”

“You invited a girl for Thanksgiving?” my sister Lily asked as she held her daughter Maggie while we stood in our parents’ kitchen for a family dinner night.

Glancing around the kitchen, I shot my sister a warning look. “Do we have to talk about this now?”

She laughed. “Um, yes. Nate, you’ve never seriously dated anyone. Who is it?”

I turned to face my sister. “How do you even know?”

Her eyes lit up. “So it’s true! Who is it?”

“How did you know?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Avery.”

My mouth fell open. “How did Avery know?”

With a half-shrug, Lily set Maggie down, who then ran over to our mother when she walked into the kitchen.

“How did Avery know what?” Mom asked, looking between me and Lily.

“That Nate is dating someone and asked them to come over for Thanksgiving.”

I elbowed Lily in the side.

“Hey, that hurt, you butt munch!”

“Butt munch?” I asked with a laugh. “Seriously, Lily, is that all you’ve got?”

“The both of you stop it. You sound like toddlers.”

At that moment, Maggie cried out, “Butt munch!”

Our mom looked at her granddaughter and then back to us. “See? Are you happy now? You taught your daughter something new, Lily.”

Lily giggled, then quickly stopped when our mother shot her the look. The one that all moms have to warn you to stop while you’re ahead.

With a sigh, Lily leaned against the kitchen counter. “She’ll forget it in an hour.”

“We’ll see,” Mom stated, giving Maggie a piece of banana nut bread and telling her to go find her granddad.

Once Maggie was out of the kitchen, my mother focused all her attention on me. “Who did you invite for Thanksgiving?”

I shot Lily another dirty look to which she simply smiled and folded her arms over her chest as she waited for me to answer.

“She hasn’t told me if she is coming yet. It would be her and her mother.”

That intrigued both women in the room. I inwardly cursed myself. Less is better with my sister and mother.

---