Page 16 of Last Chance Seduction
Tears once again threatened, but I swallowed hard through the tightening of my throat.“Okay.But only because I feel like if I don’t, you’ll drag me anyway.”
“You always were very brilliant, my dear.”
“Were you always this threatening when we were younger?”I asked, laughing.
“Yes, but I was a lot more subtle about it.Now I don’t have to be subtle because you’re all adults.”She leaned forward and kissed my cheek.“Welcome home.Don’t worry, the Montgomerys will take care of you.You really don’t have another choice.”
And as she said the words, I had a feeling I only knew half of exactly what that meant.
ChapterFour
Lexington
Me:
You must have typed incorrectly.What do you mean I’m driving Mercy to the family party?
Mom:
That’s exactly what it sounds like.I invited your neighbor to the Montgomery Christmas party because all are welcome, and I’ve missed seeing her.Now drive her so that way she doesn’t have to deal with parking.It’s only nice.
Icrossed my eyes and had to wonder exactly what my mother was getting at.BecauseIshould have been the one to invite Mercy to the party.Frankly, the only reason I hadn’t was that every time she saw me these days, she got grumpy over the noise.And I didn’t blame her one bit for that.However, inviting her to the family party felt odd for some reason.She had been to a few back in the day of course.This wouldn’t be the first time she had hung out with the family, but it would be the first time since everything had changed.
And I wasn’t quite sure what I felt about that.
Mom:
I am not trying to set you up with her.I do realize that some mothers constantly want their children to fall in love, make a family, and be happy, but I just want you to be happy.I promise never to set you up on a date.In fact, I think I’ve made this promise before.
Me:
I don’t know if I believe you.
My phone rang in that instance, and I laughed, seeing my mom’s face on the screen.
“Hello dear Mom.”
A familiar deep growl of a voice came on the line.“It’s your father.Don’t call your mother a liar.Because I’m going to have to beat you, and I never beat you as a kid, so maybe it’s time that I did.”
“Oh, thanks.Threatening your favorite child.”
“I can hear you, you know,” my younger brother, Silas called out from the other side of the line.
I laughed full out.I loved this damn family.“Silas, what are you doing there?”
Silas chuckled.“Because I am the good son, and I’m prepping the house.You just have to bring a girl with you.I wonder if you actually know what to do when it comes to girls.”
Dad snorted over the speaker phone.“Boys, don’t make me reach through the phone and strangle this one, and don’t forget, you’re closer to me.”
“You know, that’s the holiday spirit, my boys.Threatening each other and doing it out of love.”Mom laughed, but I knew she was most likely glaring at my father and brother.
Considering my mom had six brothers of her own, as well as four male cousins that all had grown up together, she could handle any one of us with her pinky.And pretty much had when we were growing up.
“Okay, I’ll bring her.And I do trust you not to try to set me up on a date, Mom.I’m okay not dating,” I lied.
Because I was the perpetual last man standing.Not exactly with my family and friends, but close to.My best friend in the world was engaged to my cousin, and my other closest friends, who happened to be my cousins, were each married to the loves of their lives.Many of my cousins who were at my age within the generation were married and having children and moving on.Yes, some weren’t, but many were in serious relationships.
And I had been in two serious relationships in my life.And both of them I had ended up being the perfect man to date before you found your forever.
