Page 53 of Power Play Pursuit

She tilts her head to the side. “So that’s why you were so eager to come tonight? To see my teenage bedroom?”

“And for the food.” I flash her a grin before walking up the steps to the front door.

She mumbles something that sounds a lot like “unbelievable,” then brushes past me, ringing the doorbell. Seconds later, the door swings open.

“Hello, you two!” Pam says, hugging each of us in turn. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Good evening, Pam. Thank you for the invitation. This is for you,” I say, handing her a gift basket from my favorite home fragrance store.

“Wow,” Pam says, peering at the contents of the basket in awe. “This looks amazing. Thank you.”

“James is big on home fragrance,” Beth says matter-of-factly as she steps into the house to hug her dad.

Once they break their embrace, Richard and I shake hands. “Good to see you, son.”

My heart spikes at the nickname again. Not to mention, it’s been a while since I’ve been invited to a family gathering. Even if it’s small and casual, I love feeling like I’m part of the family.

“By the way,” Richard says in a low voice when the women retreat into the living room. “I never thanked you for smashing that jerk, Rogers. I know it cost you a few games, but I’m glad you did it. Never liked that prick.”

I press my lips together, struggling to hold back the huge smile building on my face. “You’re welcome.”

“Well, Beth,” Pam says from the other room. “Do you want to show James around?”

“It’s a small house,” Richard adds, shaking his head as we’re joining them. “I don’t think he’ll get lost, honey.”

She gives him a pointed look. “I know, but maybe he wants to know where the facilities are.”

“Oh, that’s a fair point,” he says firmly. “Chili.”

I nearly laugh, but I contain it the best I can.

Elizabeth catches it, and I can see she’s fighting a chuckle too. “All right.” She loops her arm around mine. “I’ll give you the grand tour. So, this is the main living area with the living and dining room, and the kitchen is back there,” she says, pointing to the left.

“You have a lovely home,” I tell Pam and Richard, and they both beam. I mean it. The atmosphere is cozy and warm with the hardwood floors and furniture, patchwork throw pillows, and picture frames dotting the walls. Everything a family home should be.

“Sorry.” Elizabeth wrings her hands when we reach the entrance hallway. “My parents are a bit goofy. They’re—”

“Are you kidding? I love them. I have since the game.”

She smiles,then continues her tour, showing me the bathrooms and bedrooms. “And this is mine,” she says, opening the last door.

Curiosity piqued, I step inside. It’s very much an adult room—a bit generic, if I’m being honest. There’s a double bed, nothing on the walls, a bookcase, and a desk. “Uh. Not what I was expecting.”

“Oh,” she says, hands on her hips. “You were expecting My Little Pony and Barbie stuff everywhere?”

I turn and grin. “Or posters of your favorite boy bands.”

She chuckles, her cheeks tinting pink. “Sorry to disappoint, but I lived here for a few years after college, so we got rid of all that stuff.

“Darn it.” But I’m only half joking. It would have been interesting to see what kind of men she fantasized about when she was young. I skim the bookshelf, looking for romance titles she might have enjoyed. Hey, why not put all this free time to good use, right? Unfortunately, they’re mostly textbooks and horror, which won’t help my case.

We make our way back to the dining room, grabbing our seats as Richard brings out the pot of chili. The food is amazing. I already had high expectations, since they’re in the food business, but this surpasses every one of them. “It’s delicious,” I say, wiping my mouth. “Not too spicy. Just perfect.”

“Thank you, dear,” Pam says with a beaming smile.

“You should come back on Thursday,” Richard says, taking a sip of water. “It’s Roast Day. We have a special recipe that’s to die for.”

“Dad,” Elizabeth starts, just as I knew she would. I don’t know why she insists on keeping me away from them.

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