Page 96 of Freshmeet
“She’smygirlfriend. Back off,” Connor said, not letting me go.
Girlfriend.
Internally, I was throwing a goddamn parade. We hadn’t discussed labels, so hearing him call me his girlfriend was exciting.
I smiled into his shirt, absently listening to his friends give him shit.
“And who’s this?” a sweet voice asked from behind me.
Connor quietly groaned, squeezing one more time, then letting me go. “Mom, this is my girlfriend, Sarah Tilney.” He gently turned me to face a short, full-figured, blond woman. “Sarah, this is my mom, Colleen McCormick. She’s a nurse here.”
Him casually calling me his girlfriend twice in the span of five minutes made me ridiculously happy.
Schooling my expression into a more appropriate smile for the ER, I gave her a little wave and said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, honey,” she chuckled, pulling me into a tight hug. “We’re huggers in this family.”
Leaning back, she held me at arm’s length and smiled. “Aren’t you gorgeous?” She glanced at Connor. “Good job, Con.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he said flatly.
Colleen cackled, her gaze running over each of the guys. “Care to tell me what happened? I just got out of surgery and heard my boys were in the ER.” She went over to Connor’s friends and gave them a once-over.
“Some asshole ran us off the road,” Jamie complained as his mom brushed the hair off his forehead, checking the bandage there.
Colleen frowned and took out her phone. “I’m calling your uncle.”
Connor deflated but stayed silent as his mom walked away, talking on her phone.
“We should leave before Uncle Rick gets here,” Jamie whispered as his hands fidgeted at his side.
As if summoned by the mention of his name, Mayor Rick McCormick walked through the automatic doors.
The man whistled as he took off his ball cap, exposing a full head of dirty blond hair. “Y’all look rough. What happened?”
“We got run off the road over by the McClusky farm,” Jamie said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Is it always this awkward between them?
Rick frowned as he looked each guy over. “You get a license plate?”
“Nah,” Connor said, stepping protectively in front of Jamie.
Rick dipped his chin. “I’m going to talk to Sheriff Danbury.” Without acknowledging his sister, he crossed the waiting room to the gaggle of cops chatting and sipping coffee.
“Why don’t you boys get going?” Connor’s mom said, eyeing her brother carefully.
Connor wrapped an arm around her shoulder and winced. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded, pulling her attention from the most powerful men in Kirksville chatting. “I can handle your uncle.”
“If you say so . . .” Connor dropped a kiss on top of her head, and the rest of the guys followed suit.
“Love you, Mom,” Jamie said with a sweet smile.
“Love you too.”
“Bye, Mama McCormick,” the skinny, pale guy covered in tattoos said, wrapping her up in his long arms.
