Page 34 of Falling for You
Before Mallory and he could break into full-blown sibling bickering, Emily joined them. She looked like a tick about to pop, her protruding stomach the size of a beach ball. She rested her hands on her belly and hummed contentedly at them. “You must be the famous CeCe,” she said in greeting.
CeCe stepped up and shook his sister’s hand, looking down at her baby bump with fondness. “And you must be Emily. Congratulations! When are you due?”
Emily rolled her eyes and patted her bump. “Next month. We thought if we came out for dinner, maybe it would jump-start the whole process.”
Sophie came up behind Emily, jaw set, her eyes focused on CeCe. Evan gulped, knowing his eldest sister was the hardest sell. “CeCe, this is my other sister, Sophie.”
CeCe reached out to shake Sophie’s hand. “It’s so nice to finally meet all of you. Mallory and Evan have told me so much about you. I feel like we’ve already met.”
Sophie shared a quick greeting, but didn’t let go of CeCe’s hand right away. Evan glared until she played nice, and CeCe’s hand fell to her side. Snatching her hand before anyone else could, Evan led everyone into the house. He was secretly disappointed that his father hadn’t made his way out of the den to greet them, but that was nothing new. His dad worked on his own schedule, and there was no point getting upset about it.
“How can I help with dinner?” CeCe offered as she washed her hands at the sink.
The house smelled like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled together, and Evan’s mouth watered. Seeing CeCe in his family home, laughing with his sisters, made his mouth water for different reasons. He’d thought about moments like this countless times. Having CeCe involved in all the facets of his life made sense to him, and he was relieved to see her bantering like it was no big deal. Like she really belonged.
But it was a big deal to Evan. CeCe was the first girlfriend he’d brought home since high school, and she meant so much to him. It was crucial that she liked his family and that they liked her. He couldn’t imagine anyone not liking CeCe. But when he felt his father’s firm hand on his shoulder, Evan knew that if anyone could disappoint, it was him.
CHAPTER 9
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“And who do we havehere?” a booming male voice asked from the hallway. CeCe spun around, a bottle of mustard clutched in her hands, to see Evan’s doppelgänger. Well, doppelgänger wasn’t entirely accurate. This man looked like Evan thirty years into the future, and CeCe had to admit she liked what she saw. He and Evan shared the same frame, but his father had a bit more bulk and a dash of pepper in his fair hair. His expression wasn’t nearly as warm as his son’s, and she assumed the laugh lines bracketing his lips were from scowling other than smiling.
Hoping she didn’t look disheveled, she put the mustard down and stepped past Mallory. “Good evening, Mr. Lawson. I’m CeCe. It’s nice to meet you.” Despite being older than Evan, she suddenly felt sixteen and awkward. It was like when she’d met her high school boyfriend’s parents and had spinach stuck in her braces.Totally mortifying!
Evan’s father took her hand and squeezed, hard. “Please, call me Dale. It’s a pleasure to meet you, CeCe.”
Evan appeared at his father’s side, his jaw tense and his eyes downcast. If she listened closely, she heard Evan grinding his molars to dust. CeCe had never seen Evan so on edge.
Mallory took a towel and swatted at her father’s arm. “Dad, either grab a spoon or get out. Dinner’s almost ready, and we need all hands on deck.”
Dale raised his hands in defeat and took a step back. “You don’t need to tell me twice. This is clearly women’s work.” He winked at CeCe and backed out of the kitchen.
She turned to see Evan, a look of utter defeat in his eyes. Women’s work? This guy was surely kidding. No one could be that tone-deaf in this day and age. While her own father wasn’t much in the kitchen, he was a hard worker who knew when to roll up his sleeves and dive in. CeCe had to learn how to cook when she spent weekends at her father’s apartment, as his usual meal options came in rectangular plastic boxes.
Hoping she misunderstood, CeCe glanced around and saw that Mallory and Emily weren’t deterred. Both were focused on their tasks and didn’t seem bothered by their father’s outdated—and sexist—commentary. Perhaps this was why Evan was horrified to bring CeCe home?
