Page 125 of Never With You
“Did you grow up here?” I take in the luxurious but contemporary two-story house. The cream-and-tan exterior bounces beautifully off the desert walls with minimalistic landscaping that perfectly captures the vibe of Arizona.
“No, they bought this when I was in college.” He parks the car and turns off the ignition.
“Pity.”
“Are you ready to do this?”
“It shouldn’t be that different than faking things in Thailand, should it?”
We step out of the car, and Nate takes my hand. “I hope it’s a lot better. I barely liked you in Thailand.”
I loop my other hand through his arm. “That’s not what your Apple Watch said.”
“You’ll be happy to know I finally figured that thing out.”
“It’s about time.”
We step through the back gate, and I gasp again. White tents are situated around the yard, providing shade for the guests. Bouquets of white flowers hang from everything and are in the center of every table.
“There’s my dad.” I feel Nate’s hand tense in mine.
I lean in, reassuring him. “You ended Thailand on a high, remember?”
He nods once just before his dad walks up.
“Glad you guys could make it.” Mack Farnsworth turns to me, and maybe it’s the fact that we’re at his house or that I’ve seen him in a swimsuit, but he doesn’t seem as intimidating anymore. “Carly, it’s good to see you again.”
“Thanks for having me.”
Connie steps toward us with open arms. “You made it!” She wraps one arm around each of us, hugging us close, but as soon as the hug is done, she grabs my hand. “Come on. There are so many people I need to introduce you to. Everyone is dying to meet the woman that finally tamed my wild son.” She smiles back at Nate. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Nate’s brows lift. “That you called me wild or that you’re stealing my date?”
She laughs like her son is the funniest person she’s ever heard, even though he actually kind of is.
As I walk off with Connie, I look back to see Mack put a hand on Nate’s shoulder, ushering him over to a conversation with a group of men. My heart melts a little.
With time, I think Nate and his dad will find some common ground.
Just like we did.
* * *
On a suggestion from Nate,I invited my family to a park near my house for a Sunday barbeque. My townhome is too small to host, and my parents’ house makes me itch and twitch and want to throw up, so a neutral park seemed like a good option.
I was nervous.
I’ve never really introduced anyone to my family before. It’s always felt like such a personal thing. They’d see ourCatterson crazyand judge me for it, but after thirty seconds, Nate is on the ground with my little brothers, wrestling. He doesn’t even seem to mind that Caroline is throwing grass on his head while he’s wrestling.
“He’s cute, Carly,” my mom says as she watches them.
“I know.”
“Does this mean grandbabies are in the near future?” My dad smiles from his spot in front of the grill, cooking hamburgers.
“You still have six kids at home. What do you possibly need a grandchild for?”
“The more, the merrier!”
