Page 135 of An Engagement for Erica

“I’d love to do it,” Harmony said all but bopping around in the back. “Thanks.”

The three of them talked about small things the rest of the way. Some about work, others about childhood stories.

They pulled into her mother’s house quicker than she wanted, but Erica knew she had to get this over with.

She’d lived with enough dread in her life, what was one more day?

It would be nice for her mother to meet Tucker now and then she could move on from it.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked, giving his hand a little squeeze when they walked to the front door.

“I think it’s so sweet that you are giving Tucker support,” Harmony said. “But I’m pretty sure he can handle Mom.”

She turned and Tucker winked at her, then leaned down and gave her a kiss.

He didn’t often show any affection around people.

“Maybe I’m the one that needs the support,” she said. “And I just got it again.”

Harmony laughed and opened the door. They saw Theo and Daisy pull in so waited there with the door opened for her brother and sister-in-law to join them.

“Do you live in a barn?” her mother asked, walking toward them. “Harmony, shut the door. I don’t want any bugs in the house.”

“There aren’t any bugs out,” Harmony said. “And Theo is right here. I’m not going to shut the door in his face before he could get to the door.”

“You should have said something,” her mother said, moving right past them to get to Theo.

Overkill in her eyes, but her mother was still trying to suck up for the relationship damage that was done to her firstborn and favorite child.

Her brother snorted and stepped to the side to let Daisy in as their mother was even blocking the door now to get to Theo and hug him.

“Hi, Mom,” Theo said. “You could have greeted everyone since we arrived at the same time.”

“I’ll get to them in order,” her mother said, turning to hug Erica, then Harmony, and lastly Daisy.

Daisy just held a smile on her face.

“Mom, this is Tucker Nelay. My boyfriend. Tucker, my mother, Marion, and her husband, Jerry.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” her mother said. “I’ve heard very little about you and had to find out more on my own.”

She couldn’t believe her mother went there. All but admitted she looked into Tucker.

“Since I was able to step foot in the house without the police arriving, I’m going to assume I’ve passed your tests?”

Daisy started to laugh. Harmony coughed in her hand and turned her back.

Jerry said, “Good for you. Sometimes my wife needs to be reminded that it’s not all about her.”

Her jaw dropped. She’d never heard Jerry say anything like that to her mother before.

He rarely spoke up at all and she wondered if there were problems in her mother’s marriage.

But then her mother smiled at Jerry and patted him on the cheek. “You make it about me enough that I can give a little when it comes to others.”

Jerry turned and smirked at her. “Just need to find your mother’s weak spots.”

“Mom has a lot of weak spots,” Harmony whispered to her when her mother started to walk to the back of the house. “I bet Jerry gets tired having to work that hard.”

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