Page 78 of Everlasting Love

“This is my parents’ house. They moved here after I left for the army.”

“It has a pretty garden.”

“My mom likes to keep busy.” He glances across at me. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “Yeah,” I squeak like I haven’t used my voice in a while. I clear my throat and try again, this time adding a smile. “Yeah.”

He narrows his eyes at me but climbs out of his SUV, as do I. Shane opens Jas’s door, unbuckles her, and lifts her out of her seat. The man dotes on her and she’s happy to let him but she’s more than capable of climbing out of the car herself.

The front door opens and a woman steps out with dark chin-length hair streaked in silver. Her eyes grow wide and she brings her hand up to her chest when she notices Shane isn’t alone. A smile spreads as she comes toward us. “Well, who do we have here?” She looks between the three of us and her gaze pauses on me. “I’m Fiona, Shane’s mom.” She holds out her hand to me, and when I take it, she presses her other hand over mine. “You seem familiar.”

I take a moment to look at her carefully. There’s something familiar but I can’t place her. I chuckle. “You’re familiar, too, but I can’t work it out.”

Shane steps closer to his mom, holding Jas’s hand. He wraps his free arm around his mom’s shoulders and kisses the top of her head, which barely comes up to the middle of his chest. “Hi, Mom. This is my girlfriend, Violet, and her daughter, Jasmine. I hope you don’t mind that I brought them over.”

I snap my eyes up to Shane as he winks at me. He called me his girlfriend …girlfriend! I almost feel like a giddy schoolgirl who’s been asked to go steady by the popular boy in school. By inviting us here today, and by the way he’s been opening up to me, he’s made it plain that he wants to build something meaningful, so I’m not sure why his label has me in such a spin.

She tsks and pats his firm stomach, her eyes sparkling with clear affection for her son. “Of course not. It’s not evenmybirthday and you’ve brought me the best surprise.” She grins down at Jasmine and then crouches down to her level. “Hello, Jasmine. Such a pretty name for a pretty little girl.”

Jasmine’s lips tip up at the compliment. “Hello.” She drops her chin to her chest and twists her body side to side. She looks up at Shane, and he squeezes her little hand. “You’re Shane’s mommy?”

Her eyes go soft, flicking back up to her son. “I am,” Fiona says proudly.

“But he’s so big, and you’re so little.”

Shane’s Mom guffaws and I flame with embarrassment. “Jas!”

“Well, he wasn’t always this big. He was small like you once,” she explains.

Jas’s head snaps up to Shane and her eyes widen. “Really?” He nods. “Do you think I’ll grow up to be as big as you?”

He chuckles and bends down to scoop her into his arms. “I don’t think so, Angel.”

Her bottom lip falls. “But I want to be big and strong like you.”

His eyes soften, and my heart does this squishy thing it always seems to do when he’s being so sweet to my little girl, which means it happens a lot. “You don’t need to be big to be strong. Just look at your mommy.”

Ah, geez. This man. He gives me all the big feelings and he doesn’t even have to try.

Jas grins at him and looks at me. “My mommy’s the best. I want to be just like her.”

He bounces her in his hold. “How about you just be the best Jasmine?”

“Yeah. I’ll do that.” She throws her little fist up into the air.

Shane’s mom tears her eyes away from her son and my daughter and grins at me. “Violet. That’s not a very common name. I think I know why you’re so familiar. You helped me the day I was struck by cyclists in the par?—”

Recognition hits me like a bolt of lightning before she can finish. “Oh my goodness. I’m so glad to see you’re okay. You’ve often crossed my mind. Was your hip okay?”

Shane’s eyes flick between me and his mom like he’s trying desperately to keep up with our conversation.

She waves her hand in the air as if to dismiss my concern. “Yes, just badly bruised and a pinched nerve in my spine from the heavy landing.”

“When was this?” Shane interrupts.

“Uhm … let’s see.” Her eyes widen. “Just over two years ago, now. You remember. I was still sore when you came over for your birthday.”

Shane nods. “I remember now.” He turns to me. “You were the park ranger who helped her?”

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