Page 81 of An Engagement for Erica

And Tucker didn’t seem to be the type to do that for money.

“That was my thought. My mother won’t stay long, maybe a few weeks, so she’ll have things but not a ton. I’ll let her do what she wants with the space too, but I need it set up at the very least.”

“Do you have furniture coming besides the bed?” she asked. “Like living room furniture?”

“Yes,” he said. “A sectional that will take up the wall and corner, and a TV. I’ll mount that on the wall tomorrow.” He pulled up a kitchen supply store on his computer and turned it toward her. “Go at it. What would you need if you were staying here for a few weeks?”

“Does your mother like to cook?” she asked. “Is she a quiet person or outgoing? Does she like color or neutrals?”

“My mother is strong like you but likes to have fun. She’s talkative. Does that help? She does like colorful things but not so bold that it’s not calming.”

“I was thinking of plates more than anything,” she said.

“Oh,” he said. “She’d like something fun there for sure.”

Erica started to scroll through and found what she thought were nice, fun, and colorful plates and glasses that were good for everyday use.

While she was shopping for silverware and cooking supplies, they heard the delivery truck coming so Tucker left to meet them and let them know where they had to go.

She had her phone in her back pocket and pulled it out. There was a text she hadn’t noticed from Harmony asking when she could come to meet Tucker.

She replied what was going on and that maybe her sister could walk down in thirty minutes. That would give her time to warn Tucker he was going to meet another person in her family.

“What happened to your hair?” Harmony asked her thirty minutes later.

“What?” she asked, lifting her hand up. “What’s wrong with it?”

Harmony was laughing. “You look like you got sucked up into a tornado, whipped around, and then deposited on Tucker’s bed.”

She didn’t even bother to introduce her sister to Tucker, but ran through the house to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and screeched.

Her hair was standing up in places like never before. It was as if she rubbed a balloon on it.

She ran her hands through the water and pushed it down, then marched into the living room where Tucker and Harmony were laughing.

Her hands were on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell me I looked like this?” she asked Tucker. “My God. The delivery men must have thought I was some bum.”

“You were in the bathroom,” he said. “I thought you looked at yourself in the mirror. Maybe you were trying to give me the sleepy take me back to bed vibe. I didn’t want to discourage you.”

Her lips were twisting in frustration. “No,” she said. “I look like I’m hungover and fell into bed and slept hard for twenty hours. I don’t even know if I can get the knots out of my hair with a brush. The back is a mess.”

She’d tried to run her fingers through it and it hadn’t worked without yanking some out.

“Good for you two,” Harmony said. “Erica, I’m so proud of you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You two suck.”

Her sister turned to Tucker, “I don’t know what magic sauce you’ve got, but my sister is so much more fun to be around.” Harmony hugged her boyfriend. “Thank you for that.”

Tucker looked stunned but smiled and winked at her.

“It’s been my pleasure.”

27

A MOTHER KNOWS

“This place is beautiful,” his mother said on Thursday night. “And it’s set up so nice. I can’t believe you did this.”

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