Page 21 of The Pursuit of Her Happiness

“It wasn’t that big of a deal, Dad.”

“I was still wearing them at the time!” Shit, I snort and the orange juice I am drinking tries to infiltrate my lungs. Polk glares at his dad, patting my back while I try not to choke.

“If anyone has a right to be traumatized by the underwear incident, it’s Willamena. You smacked her nose.”

“She tried to eat my appendage!” Oh, God! I use my napkin to cover my mouth as I lose my shit.

“She probably thought it was a mushroom or an egg in a bird’s nest!”

PJ splutters, his face growing red, “A mighty anaconda!”

Polk slaps his hands on the table and leans forward, “A Barbados Threadsnake!”

Kylie calmly stands, gathering some of the empty platters. At the entrance into the kitchen, she glances over her shoulder, “Son, I used to change your diapers and wipe your ass, you take after your father more than you know.”

Polk stands up dramatically, “A mighty anaconda! No wonder Willamena was so scared!”

I can’t. It’s too much. I grab my plate and Polk’s and follow Kylie into the kitchen. She smiles at me, and we work side by side for a few moments in comfortable silence.

“Bently is very fond of you,” she says, then chuckles, the lines around her eyes more pronounced. “That’s an understatement. If I’m not as blind as my eye doctor would have me believe, I can see you are fond of him as well.”

Nervously, I lick my lips and inhale slowly. “I am. But it’s new.”

“I can’t imagine being a mom of three young kids, attempting to navigate life after divorce, dating, careful of who you let into their lives and hearts. You already know, the men and women of the Congressionals MC are some of the best you’ll ever meet.” I nod, emitting a noise of agreement. “And I might be biased but I happen to think my Bently is cream of the crop.”

“He’s incredible.”

“That he is.” She leans her hip against the counter, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Don’t be afraid to fall…he’ll catch you.”

“This is only our second date,” I remind her. She chuckles drily.

“Just be open to the possibilities.”

“Ok.” I’m not sure what to say. We’ve known each other for over a year, and while I might have been stupidly focused on Ford for most of it, Polk is hard to ignore.

“Hit me up,” she raises her hand up for a high-five. “Good on you for punching Ford. Fucker deserved it!”

“Oh my God!” Embarrassment floods my face, my eyes closing. “I’m never gonna live that down!”

“Nope. I’ll tell ya, though, if he wasn’t already infatuated with you, that sealed it for Polk. Never apologize, never be embarrassed for standing up for yourself. I was proud of you, and I hadn’t even met you yet. Now, after spending time with you, I know my son is a smart man.”

I blink a few times, the threat of tears blurring my vision. “Thank you.” Kylie opens her arms in time to catch me when I hurl myself at her. She doesn’t hesitate to wrap me up, swaying us back and forth. “Thank you.” I repeat, overwhelmed in the best way.

We break apart a few moments later, both of us wiping under our eyes and giggling. Polk knocks on the doorjamb. He gives me a questioning look, but I smile happily at him.

“You ready to go, darlin’? I thought we could go for a ride.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” I turn back to his mom. “Brunch was delicious and plentiful. Thank you for feeding me.”

She cups my cheek, then pats it softly, “Anytime. Would you want to meet for lunch this week?” I blink owlishly at her in shock. I wasn’t expecting the invitation.

“Y-yes. That would be great.”

“I’ll text you her number, Mom. Thanks. Love you.”

“Love you, Bent.” Polk hugs his mom and kisses the top of her head.

“Let me go say goodbye to your dad, then we can leave.” Polk nods, his eyes following me as I walk back into the dining room. PJ looks up at me, eyes wide, mouth stuffed with food. We hold eye contact for several awkward seconds, he swallows, then smiles.

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