Page 32 of Finally Home

As one last goodbye and sticking to my word that I told Hollie with this option, I fling my middle finger up in the air toward her family, and we head toward the exit as gasps circle around us.

We’re about an hour away from home when my mom’s name lights up my dashboard, interrupting our Backstreet Boys jam session.

“I’ll call her back as soon as I’m home.” I reach out to press the Decline button.

“Oliver Mosby, you will do no such thing. Do not ignore your mother. Just answer it.”

Before I can argue with her, she leans over and presses the green button and mouths, “Oops,” to me with a shit-eating grin.

“Hey, Mom,” I say, shaking my head at Holl.

“Hi, honey. I was just calling to check in on you and see how your weekend away was.”

“It was great.” I reach over and place my hand on top of Hollie’s on her thigh and give a gentle squeeze.“Great” is definitely one word I would use to describe the weekend with this woman. All bullshit with her family aside, of course. “Hollie and I are still driving home.”

“Oh, is she right there with you?” I snort at my mom’s question.

“No, she’s riding in the trunk.”

Hollie smacks me in the chest with the back of her hand, catching me off guard with a laugh. The more distance we’ve put between us and the hotel, the more she has come back out of her shell.

I nod at Hollie to speak up. “Hi, Mrs. Mosby.”

“Hello, sweetheart. But please call me Connie. I’m so excited to get to talk to you. When Ollie mentioned he was going away for the weekend with you, I was upset that it was the first time he had even mentioned his girlfriend. You must come for dinner. I insist, please. Ollie’s sister, Payton, is coming home for the fall break, and we’re going to do a barbeque. You must be there to meet everyone.”

“How can I say no?” Hollie replies, shocking me.

“That’s wonderful news. I’m so happy to have all my children under one roof again.” Excitement laces my mom’s tone. While I love hearing my mother happy, worry consumes me. Maybe I should have just ignored the call. Now, she will be so disappointed when I tell her that Hollie not only isn’t coming fordinner, but that we broke up. “Well, you two be careful driving home, and Hollie, I can’t wait to meet you next weekend.”

“We will.” The usual sarcasm drips from my tone because moments like this make me feel like a child going out to drive solo for the first time again.

“Lose the attitude, Oliver Jason Mosby. You’re my baby boy, and I’m always going to worry.”

Hollie tries to smother her giggle but fails at being in my mid-twenties and still being scolded by my mother.

“Goodbye, Mother.” I end the call, and as soon as it officially disconnects, Hollie bursts out laughing.

“Oh my God, you’re such a mama’s boy.”

There’s no point in denying it. It’s absolutely true, so I just smile. “Good thing I’m driving, Missy, or you’d be paying for that,” I tease, but I lower my tone an octave and watch the flush wash over Holls’s cheeks.

Is she recalling last night when I used that tone with her?

After a moment of silence, I speak up. “You didn’t have to tell my mom that you’ll be there at dinner. I can make something up.”

“Do you not want me there?” I can hear panic lining her voice. Shit, does she think I’m hiding her like her douche bag ex? Or that I don’t want to include her, like the rest of her family?

“No, no, no, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” I wish we weren’t on the highway and I could safely pull over for this talk with her. “I just don’t want to force you into this, and we had a plan for a breakup and all right? Just the weekend?”

Of course, when I agreed to that, I hadn’t realized that just one weekend wouldn’t be enough with her.

“Yeah, but what’s one more event? I mean, Ollie, you literally went on a trip out of town with me within a week of meeting me and pretended to be my boyfriend and stood up for me in ways no one else ever has. I can handle dinner with your family. It’sthe least I could do for you. So we just put off the breakup a week longer.”

Is it possible that she feels the same way I do?

I try to play it cool with my response by just nodding. But I’m totally fine with this plan. I’m just not ready to let this woman go.

“Oh crap, though. I need to see if the B and B has an opening this week. I was lucky to have snagged a room last week because of a cancellation.”

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