Page 44 of Promised Summer
I’d always been a simple man and didn’t need muchin my life to be happy. I had my cabin, amazing friends and family, and a community that had my back, even if they were nosy andstillspreading the rumor that I was a masochist.
Getting back to the point…I thought that was enough. Having a man by my side would only be the cherry on top, but if that didn’t happen, I’d be okay.
Now I knew I needed more. I got a taste of being with Ryan and Karla, and I knew they were an essential part of my happiness now, too.
Chapter Seventeen
RYAN
Jones’ words about family had me panicking just a little. Not because it was something I didn’t want, but I wanted it a little too much, and I was afraid the sweet promises of this future would be ruthlessly snatched away.
I had to grab the future by its balls…or something like that. Either way, I was going to do everything I could not to let Jones slip through my fingers again. I was an idiot for letting our relationship fade the first time, and I would be absolutely crazy to not grab this second chance by the balls.
Later that evening, after we’d cleaned up and Jones was once again fully clothed, we went to pick up Karla. Jada wanted to keep us over for dinner, but I figured she’d want some rest after watching the kids all day, so we scheduled to have a meal together another time.
Karla giggled the entire ride home, occasionallyshouting out a sentence or two about her fun time with Imani. Jones and I couldn’t help but laugh along with her infectious mood.
Jones insisted we stay the night at his place, so we swung by my grandma’s to grab some stuff first.
Karla was quick to run inside the house to grab her things. She was excited to spend the night at the cabin. I didn’t know if I should be happy she loved being with Jones as much as I did, or worried that she was getting too attached to his place. How was she going to react when we found a place of our own, and our sleepover nights naturally decreased?
Mom shot me another one of her annoying all-knowing looks when she saw Jones climb out of my car. I’d been purposefully avoiding a conversation about all the time Karla and I had been spending at his cabin recently.
Thankfully, she didn’t ask any embarrassing questions, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t feel her hawk eyes locked on me and Jones. She was probably trying to see what gossip she could pull from our interactions.
And that’s my mother, folks. Kither Springs’ very own professional yapper, ruler of the gossip mill.
“You’re lucky I love you,” I muttered to her when Jones went to greet my grandma. She laughed and softly slapped my cheek.
“Life’s no fun without a little gossip. Speaking of, my good friend Annabelle Jackson’s been coming roundan awful lot recently. Of course, you’d know that if you were actually around?—”
“Mooom—”
“—Anyhoo, my guess is she’s got a little crush on our dear neighbor. She’s suddenlyveryinterested in aloe vera and has been running to Russell Monroe to ask all these questions. You know Russell, he lives next door?—”
“Yes, Mom. I know him. He’s Sam’s?—”
“—His granddaughter had her baby last year”—I nodded, but it wasn’t like she actually cared about me answering—“Have you met Junior yet? Oh, you need to. He’s the most adorable thing. Heard he just started walking, too. Such a bright boy, that one.”
Jones came back to our side, and I mouthed for him to help me. Once Mom got into one of her moods, she could go on gossiping forever.
“Mrs. Edgson,” Jones interrupted whatever new tangent my mom was about to head into. “We should head back and start dinner before Karla gets hungry.”
“My savior!” I cried, which earned me a glare from dear ol’ ma. Of course, her glare quickly turned into a smile when she faced Jones again.
“Dear, Mrs. Edgson sounds so distant. I think at this rate, you can just call me ‘Mom’.”
“Oh, god,” I cried. Just when I thought she wasn’t going to bring up my relationship with Jones…she was just waiting for me to let my guard down.
Mom just smiled, trying to look innocent, but I wasn’t fooled. Jones laughed.
“And we’re leaving now. Karla! Come say goodnight to your nana and gigi,” I called into our room. She came running out carrying her backpack and Puppy in her arms.
She went to hug her gigi while I hugged my mom. “You love tormenting me, don’t you?”
She laughed. “Itisone of the perks of being a mom.”
I groaned my dissatisfaction, but Mom just smacked my arm and laughed some more, then gave Jones a hug, too.
