Page 30 of Perfectly Imperfect Us
All I knew was I had heaven in my arms, dancing to some sweet country song under a blanket of stars. Life was strung together by perfect moments that got you through the tough times. This, without a doubt, was one of those perfect moments.
12
Ava
“Please don’t wear that shirt, Dad,” I moaned.
Dad spread his hands out wide. “What? I look great.”
I shook my head and so did Mom, standing there in a pretty summer dress I’d helped her pick out last year. Dad had on that hideous striped shirt Ryder had gotten him. The thing really was atrocious. Mom had already tried getting rid of it, but it was like Dad had a tracking device on it, knowing where it was at all times.
I resisted the urge to rub my forehead where a rapidly growing headache was forming. The three of us were headed to the Burnses’ house for dinner and I couldn’t afford to smear my makeup. We’d grown up in the same town, next door to each other no less, so I already knew Jimmy and Nicoletta, but now that I’d been dating their son for a few weeks, this was my first formal dinner at my boyfriend’s parents’ place.
And my parents would be there too.
Talk about stressful.
I needed to give a good first impression. It had only taken one date for me to fall under Ryder’s spell. Only another week to make me realize I was sliding right into love with the man. I already had a sneaking suspicion that Nicoletta wasn’t too pleased with Ryder and me being an item. When she rescued us from the locked she-shed, she’d lifted her nose in the air when she spoke to me. It was a subtle snub, but it was there.
“Seriously, Dad, I want to make a good impression on the Burnses.” I sighed, knowing I was talking to a brick wall.
“And what better way to wow them than with this amazing shirt Ryder got specifically for me?” Dad smoothed his comb-over and gave me that grin. The one you couldn’t be grumpy at. For all he lacked in looks, my dad made up for in likability. He was gregarious, boisterous, impossible not to like.
I admitted defeat and grabbed my faux Tory Burch clutch, just big enough for emergency powder and my cell phone. It matched my sundress, the one I’d traded five times for other dresses before settling on it as being good enough for Nicoletta’s scrutiny. Didn’t matter how old a Poppy Queen got, she remained a stickler for fashion and good manners.
As a pack, we made it to the doorstep of the Burnses’ house. Already, the differences were readily apparent. The paint wasn’t flaking off the side of their house and they had real live flowers in pots lining their porch. My parents both worked. They didn’t have time for gardening and home improvement. My stomach dropped and I broke out into a sweat.
The door opened and Nicoletta stood there like queen of the manor, her practiced smile in place and dressed within an inch of her life.
“Welcome to our home, neighbors!” She stepped back and swept her arm for us to enter, Jimmy hanging back with a much warmer smile.
My father went to give her a hug, but Nicoletta leaned back and gave an air kiss a good foot away from Dad’s face. He frowned and moved away to shake Jimmy’s hand. Mom and Nicoletta did the air-kiss thing though I knew that nonsense irritated Mom to no end. I silently thanked her for playing along and keeping the peace. When it was my turn to say hello, Nicoletta placed her hands on my shoulders and gave me a thorough inspection. I held my breath.
“You look lovely, dear. Always so put together.” She leaned in for the air kiss, and I inhaled in relief, which was the wrong thing to do since she clearly had sprayed an entire bottle of perfume on this evening. I ended up nearly choking and having to blink rapidly to soothe my burning eyes.
“Thank you,” I choked out.
Ryder came around the corner and came straight to my side, sliding his hand into mine. Instantly, I felt better. Nothing could go wrong as long as he was here with me.
The group moved to the front room and Jimmy poured drinks for everyone while we chatted. Everything was going fine, if a bit stilted, until Nicoletta brought up the fence between our properties.
“You know that fence needs to be replaced. You’ve been putting it off, but it’s nearly in shambles.”
My dad’s face went muddy red and I sat up straighter knowing this conversation equated to a powder keg. The fence was fine. Sure, it was a bit weathered, but not even close to being in “shambles.” Two years ago, the Burnses had suggested a new fence, the kind that was complete overkill and cost thousands of dollars, fully expecting my parents to pay half. Naturally, they’d declined and it had been a point of contention ever since.
“We feel that the fence, while not ideal, is adequate as it is.” Mom, ever the peacemaker, made sure to jump in before Dad could say what he really thought about the fence.
Nicoletta sniffed and opened her mouth to argue when a buzzer sounded in the kitchen. She snapped her jaw shut and Ryder jumped up.
“I’ll help you in the kitchen, Mom. Let’s not burn dinner.” He put a hand on her arm and forcefully helped her up and out of the room.
She huffed as they turned the corner into the kitchen. “I would never burn dinner, young man.”
The rest of us sat there in silence, smiling to ourselves. Jimmy finally cleared his throat. “So, Lorenzo, did you catch the Niners game yesterday? They haven’t been the same since Max Duke left.”
Dad and Jimmy kept talking baseball while Mom and I exchanged glances.
“That was a close one,” she whispered to me.
