Hooking Him - Aurora Rose Reynolds Page 0,63
beeps the doors unlocked.
“How did you become friends with the Golden Girls?” he asks when I turn to follow them.
“I don’t know how it happened; it just kind of did.” I shrug.
His eyes lock on mine. “You do know the three of them are trouble, right?”
“Yep.” I step outside with him and lock Edie’s front door. “I still love them.”
“That’s because you’re just as crazy as they are.”
“Maybe,” I agree as he walks me to the passenger door, opens it, and then helps me in.
Once he’s behind the wheel, he takes my hand and places it on his lap, and I start to bounce my knee, feeling anxious for the first time today.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says, and I turn to look at him as he covers my hand and laces his fingers through mine.
“I know,” I say quietly. “I just hope it isn’t a huge mistake meeting with them, and it’s not helping that I don’t know what they want.”
“You promised them dinner, and when dinner is over and they go back to their hotel or back to Chicago, you don’t owe them anything else.”
“You’re right,” I agree, and he lifts his chin ever so slightly. Then we drive the rest of the way to the restaurant in silence, my mind playing all the ways in which tonight could go wrong.
“Unbelievable.” My father sits, flashing his napkin in the air before resting it over his lap. “We haven’t seen you in months, and you bring strangers with you to dinner.”
“Like I told you, they aren’t strangers. Calvin and I are dating, and Edie is my friend.” I bite out each word clearly, when what I really want to do is scream and storm off. Since the moment I introduced Calvin and Edie to my parents outside the restaurant, my father has been uglier than he normally is, which is saying something, and my mom has acted like she has no clue what’s going on.
“You must admit, darling, that it was very rude not to let us know you’d be bringing guests,” Mom says with a frown as she picks up her fork and examines it.
“You know what I think is rude?” Edie asks, picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip. “I think you two are rude.”
“Who are you, besides my daughter’s ‘friend’?” Dad uses air quotes on the word friend. “You’re rather old.”
“She’s not old, and I live in her house,” I say in her defense, and Edie pats my leg.
“So you give her money.” Dad rolls his eyes. “Figures.”
“You did not just say that,” I hiss, and Calvin covers my hand as I start to get up from the table. “Apologize to Edie.”
“Do not tell your father what to do, young lady,” Mom says, finally looking at me.
“I’m not a child, Mother. I can do what I damn well please.”
My father stands suddenly and leans over the table toward me, placing his finger close to my face.
My eyes widen, and then suddenly I’m moved back and Calvin is standing in front of me, blocking my view, and his voice is rumbling through the room. “Do not ever get in her space again.”
“Do not tell me what to do, and get your hand off me,” Dad grunts.
I try to peek around Calvin, but I can’t see anything from my position.
“Sit down now or I’ll take you down to the station and book you for the fuck of it.”
“I forgot you’re a police officer. It would be interesting to see what might happen if I make a couple phone calls while I’m here in town.”
“You don’t scare me.” Calvin moves slightly, and my dad makes a sound while my mom whimpers. “But you should be scared.”
“Do you know how many people are witnessing you accost me?” Dad asks, sounding like he’s slightly in pain.
“You’re not in Chicago. These aren’t your people. They’re mine,” Calvin informs him. “Your name might hold some weight there, but you don’t have any control here.”
“I can’t believe you’re spending time with a man like him, Anna,” my mom whispers, sounding horrified, and I’m sure if I could see her face, it would look twisted.
“And I can’t believe you two are her parents,” Edie says, then looks at me. “Maybe you were switched at birth. I think you should have a DNA test done.”
“You gave up your life to spend time with people like these?” Dad asks, sounding disgusted.
I stand and bump into someone, but I don’t look to see who