Page 84 of Confusing Hearts

“Hi Jenna, I’m Lily, Chase’s sister,” she said a little louder. “Oh, was that your stomach? Have you guys not eaten?”

My cheeks heated. I didn’t realize my stomach grumbled, but I was starving.

“Oh, let me heat something up real quick for you both,” Mary said, smacking Chase on the arm. “You should have called and let me know. I would have had something ready when you arrived.”

Chase gave her a grin I had never seen before. Something told me it was the one that he used to wrap his mother around his little finger and get away with anything.

“It was a last minute decision, Mom. I figured we’d surprise you.”

I snorted. “Last minute? He had his bag packed and in the Jeep, and was stalking me before I could even take a shower after class.”

“I let you take your shower,” Chase argued.

I laughed. “You scared the life out of me!”

“I really did,” Chase defended. “Then I grabbed her stuff and hit the road before she could recover.”

His family was taking in the light bantering we had going on between us.

“So basically, you kidnapped her,” her mother pointed out.

Chase shrugged and gave her that grin again. “But I got her here and we have a whole extra day home.”

Lily shook her head. “You have serious issues, baby brother.”

As Mary turned to scold Lily, Chase made a face at her behind his mother’s back. I couldn’t believe it and my face must have shown my shock because Mary whipped around and Chase had that damn grin of pure innocence on his face before she saw him. Meanwhile, Lily stuck her tongue out at him. I couldn’t even believe it. I would never in a million years act that way to my sister, but especially not in front of our prim and proper mother.

“Do I need to send both of you to your rooms?” she asked them.

“If I can take Jenna with me, I’m okay with that,” Chase confessed, and I smacked him hard in the gut and then wanted to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment for my behavior.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Westin,” I immediately apologized.

“It’s Mary,” she told me firmly, “and no apology needed. I’ve always had a soft spot for my baby. He needs a strong woman to stand up to his shit.”

She said it with such a straight face that I fought back the need to laugh, until the entire room erupted. Chase wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close to him. He was laughing, too.

“Mom, you’ve had a long day. Just relax. I’ll take the lovebirds down to The Crate. Maddie, you want to call and have Liam meet us there?”

“Yeah, sure, that sounds great,” Maddie agreed.

“That’s not necessary. It’ll only take a moment to warm up leftovers for them and they just got here, I’m sure they are exhausted,” Mary said.

“I slept most of the way, but I’m fine with whatever,” I told them.

“Relax, Mom, you weren’t expecting us till tomorrow anyway. We’ll go hang out tonight. I promise we won’t be out too late,” Chase said, and his mother conceded.

Lily was on the phone and heading for the door. She started talking and then stopped and turned around. “Mom, Kels is about to call a sitter,” she said in a tattle-tale voice I imagined she reserved for her siblings.

“No, she isn’t,” Mary Westin said. “Tell her to bring that baby over here on her way. Oscar’s staying the night, so he and Zander can have a sleep over.”

“Yay!” Oscar cheered.

“Thanks, Mom. She’ll be by in a few,” Lily said, hanging up the phone.

Instead of turning towards the front door, Lily kept walking down the hall and started banging on a door.

“Jesus, what’s going on?” Kyle said when he opened the door. “What’s the matter?”

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