Page 82 of Connected By Stars
“Yes,” she says, laughing through her tears. “You have your first girlfriend.”
“And my last,” I whisper.
“Definitely your last. You’re stuck with me, Maverick Alexander Lane.”
“God, what have I gotten myself into?” I laugh as she tries to swat me. I grab her wrist and pull her closer, silencing her laugh with a very thorough kiss.
I will never makefun of Noah again for walking around grinning all the time. I couldn’t stop doing it if I tried. I wake up to Bell and fall asleep with her beside me every night, and I’ve never been happier. Once I told her how I felt, it’s like the last bit of wall between us came down, and there is nothing separating us. We both laid our hearts out and trust the other to take care of it.
Today is Monday and our first official date. I keep picturing her in one of her sexy dresses that have always driven me crazy, but tonight will be different because she’s mine.
I open another box of clothes that came in today and start sorting through it when my phone rings. Glancing down, I see my mom’s smiling face.
I hit answer and put it on speaker. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie. Are you too busy at work to talk?”
“No, I’m in the back unloading a shipment. Luna’s upfront and will let me know if she needs me. What’s up?”
“I was just calling to see if we were still on for Saturday.Sage said Bella is coming, and Sophia is too. I know you said you were, but I wanted to make sure.”
“I’ll be there. Sounds like fun.” Hopefully, I can keep it together with Bell next to me all day long in a bikini. It’s not going to be easy. “Is Mimi and Papaw coming too?”
“Yep. We’re taking Jax’s bigger boat so we can all fit. It’s been a while since we’ve all been out, so I’m pretty excited to spend the day on the water with everyone. Sophia and Bella will probably want to bring the jet skis, so maybe Luna could ride with Sophia and you with Bella to get them out there. I know how much fun Luna has on them.”
Luna’s always ridden with me while Sophia and Bella have their fun. Something is starting to feel off. “Yeah, that would work.” Whatever is going on in her head to have Bell ride with me, I’m not going to complain about. “What time were you thinking?”
“Ten on Saturday work? Dad and I are meeting at Sage and Jax’s, so if you could grab the jet skis and then meet us over there to grab Luna, that would be great.”
“Ten works for me. I’ll let Sophia and Bell know.”
“Perfect. Thanks, honey. So, how’s work going?”
“Everything is going great. I’m hoping to open a second by next Spring.”
“That’s amazing! I knew that was your plan, but I’m so happy it’s coming together for you sooner than planned. Dad and I are so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom. That means a lot. I owe a lot to Bell for the growth, though. Her advertising has put me over the top. New customers come in daily because of her work.” I can’t keep the pride out of my voice.
“She’s pretty special, isn’t she?” She asks me softly.
I hold my breath, not sure how to answer. I don’t want to lie. My mom would see right through it anyway. “Yeah, she is.”
“You two seemed like you were having a good time at the wedding.” I hold back a sigh and rub a hand over my face. She definitely knows something is up. I couldn’t hide my feelings that night as well as I wanted to. I blame it on the dress she was wearing and all the wedding talk that put images in my head of what I wanted in my future. Her.
“We did have a good time. I think everyone did. It was a beautiful wedding.”
“Yes, it was. Well, I’ll let you get back to work. I just wanted to touch base with you. Sage and I are packing lunches for everyone, and I think Dad and Jax want to grill later that evening at their house, so it’ll be a full day.”
I breathe a sigh of relief that she isn’t going to push anymore. “Sounds like fun. I’ll load my cooler up with extra drinks then.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you on Saturday then. Love you, baby.”
“Love you too, Mom.” I end the call and blow out a breath. I need to warn Bell because if my mom is suspicious, I know for a fact that Sage and Mimi are right there with her. I wouldn’t put it past them to corner us on Saturday and force it out of us. Sophia may be right— tequila is the only answer to get through Saturday.
I walkinto Bell’s apartment, and Sophia looks up from the sofa. She’s curled up with a book and grins at me when she sees the flowers.
“I feel like a proud parent right now, seeing their son go on his first date and even remembering to get flowers.” She puts a hand to her chest and sighs.
