Page 36 of Finding Forever

I had a feeling that after the way things ended with Gina and Chris that Malina might be wary of anyone trying to get close to her daughter. And she had every right to be. Gina and Mycah were incredible, and I knew she had played a big role in that. I wanted to show my respect without coming off heavy-handed.

“Relax,” Gina urged, smoothing invisible wrinkles out of my jacket. We were standing on her front step with Penny.

Knowing I’d be nervous, she met me on the front steps and gave me her version of a pep talk. A lot of it went in one ear and out the other because I was so distracted by what she was wearing. She looked incredible. The dark green mini dress she wore left her cleavage and long legs exposed and accentuated every curve she had.

“She’s going to love you, I promise.”

She sounded confident, so I relaxed a pent-up breath and tried to put on a smile that didn’t look like the grimace of a maniac.

“Besides, my dad is the one you have to worry about,” she muttered under her breath.

My jaw went slack at her confession and mirth lit up her eyes.

“I’m kidding! He’s not even in town and he’s a big ol’ teddy bear.” We’d see how much of a teddy bear he was when it came to his firstborn daughter.

Again, she reached up and the soft touch of her hands against my face was reassuring. “Who knew this of all things would make you freak out? You’re Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected.”

“Yeah, well, the stakes are high. I have a lot to lose,” I said in a moment of vulnerability.

“Daddy, why are you holding my hand so tight?” Penny squeaked beside me.

Ignoring the way Gina’s mouth twitched with unbidden laughter, I shifted my gaze to Penny, who was staring up at me with confusion. Her wrinkled brow said,What’s the big deal, Dad? You’re just meeting another adult.

Loosening my grip on Penny’s hand, I wiped away the extra moisture from my palm on my pant leg.

“You look so pretty, Penny,” Gina complimented, bending down to admire the new dress Penny had decided to wear. Although she wouldn’t be leaving Gina’s living room tonight, she’d insisted on wearing an extravagant gown with an extravagant amount of tulle that probably cost me a pretty penny. But she did look adorable. That much, I could admit.

I was grateful when Gina finally turned around and opened the door. The anticipation was making all of this worse. I wanted to get it over with and have my verdict already. Because I knew her mother would find a way to pull her aside before she left and tell her what she really thought.

“Mom, I want you to meet someone,” Gina called out as soon as she closed the door behind us.

Penny stood beside me with an expectant smile on her face, ready to see Mycah. And I stood there, willing my expression to remain neutral. I was meeting the woman who meant the most to Gina. That meantsomething.

An almost spitting image of Gina emerged from the kitchen with a dancing Mycah at her side. The only difference was that her hair was straight and fell around her shoulders and she looked about ten years older than Gina. Definitely not old enough to be her mother. They could easily pass for sisters.

First, Gina introduced Penny to her mom before the kids ran off to the living room. Then she grabbed my hand and gave a comforting squeeze.

“Mom, this is Maverick Hughes. Maverick, this is my mom, Malina Carter.”

“Ms. Carter,” I said, extending my hand.

She turned a breathtaking smile on me and shooed my hand away. “I’m not a politician. You don’t have to shake my hand, sweetheart.”

In the next instant, she enveloped me in a hug that betrayed her slight frame. She squeezed tight and exuded warmth that wrapped around me snuggly before she pulled away with her smile intact. Her welcoming embrace helped me relax, and I smiled back at her as she continued to study me from head to toe. Her assessing brown eyes were filled with approval. At least on the surface.

“You are something handsome, you know that?”

“Mom, can you not?”

“What? I’m sure the man knows he’s good-looking.”

Gina met my eyes and gave a small shake of her head. I bit back a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Carter.” I knew she was divorced from what Gina had shared.

“Please call me Malina.”

“Alright, Ms. Malina.”

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