Tackling Love - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,29
his shoulder and yells, “You were right, Ma. They’re here.”
Gray opens the door a little more so we can enter.
Minerva comes into view, and she’s walking quickly toward us. “Grayson! Do not yell all through the house,” berates Minerva. “Let me look at you, Colton. It’s been too long, honey.” Minerva kisses both my cheeks and beams at me. “Now, introduce me to this beautiful woman on your arm, the one I’ve heard so much about.”
I chuckle. “Minerva Moore, I’d like you to meet Skye Hadley.”
Minerva’s eyes go to Skye, then she pushes me out of the way and hugs her. “It’s so good to meet you, Skye.”
“Thank you. It’s so nice of you to have me in your home.”
Minerva links her arm with Skye’s. “Nonsense! Any woman who can tame my boy here deserves an open invitation to dinner whenever she wants. Now, come on, honey, let’s get you to the kitchen, and you can help me dish out the food. These boys eat like animals, so hopefully, with you here, they’ll remember their manners.” Minerva looks over her shoulder at a stunned Gray and I, then she winks as she whisks my woman away.
I look at Gray, and we both begin to laugh. “Animals?” I ask him.
“Have you seen the way you eat?” states Gray seriously.
“I think you are confusing me with you.”
“Nah… I don’t think so. Drink?”
“Yeah, man, that would be good. You got any wine? ‘Cause if you don’t, Skye brought a bottle which she’s left in the car. I’ll be right back,” I say, immediately heading back outside.
When I enter the house again, wine in hand, I find the three of them laughing in the kitchen and talking like old friends. I knew they’d get along.
“You met my boy in a bar? And you still went out with him?” Minerva looks at me with fake disgust. “Honestly, Colton… you’re lucky she gave you the time of day.”
Gray doubles over with laughter and slaps his leg. He thinks it’s that funny.
“Okay, this is not… make Colton feel awkward. This is… check out the new girlfriend and give her the once over. You are my people, you should be looking out for me,” I tease.
Gray straightens and looks at his mom. “Did he just say my people?”
Minerva nods, then grins, and her laughter fills the room. “My people!”
“You know what I mean, I think of you two as family. As if I’d mean it any other way,” I say defensively.
As we spar back and forth, all the while, Skye is laughing. “Colt, they know. They wouldn’t tease you so much if you weren’t family.”
Minerva stops laughing and hugs Skye. “We’re keeping this one, Colt.” Then she looks at me seriously. “I mean it. You mess this up, we’ll miss you, but we’re keeping Skye.”
Skye goes a lovely shade of red. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be sure to be on my best behavior.”
“You better,” agrees Gray.
Minerva smiles. “Dinner is about ten minutes away. Why don’t you take our guests into the living room and get them drinks? Colton, is that bottle for me?”
I’d forgotten I had the bottle in my hand. Holding it up, I say, “It’s from Skye. She left it in the car.”
“I hope you like red?” asks Skye, hopeful.
“My favorite,” replies Minerva.
Skye smiles widely, and I grab her hand and lead her toward the living room.
“This is a lovely home,” says Skye as I guide her through the house. “Very homey. It has a woman’s touch.”
I take in my surroundings as though I’ve never been here before and compare it to my home—Skye’s right. Minerva has added feminine touches everywhere you look, but instead of looking girly or overdone, it’s given the house a warm, inviting feel like only a good woman can do.
Even in the living room, which has burgundy Chesterfield couches, Minerva has added cream cushions to soften them. I’m thinking about this and wondering what Skye could do to my home as her house is very welcoming. Skye’s coffee table would go perfectly in my media room.
“You look a thousand miles away, bro,” states Gray.
“Just thinking your mom has good taste, and how she’s turned this house into a home.”
“Yeah, Ma knows her decorating and shit.”
That’s about as deep as Gray gets about his momma.
“The curtains in this room are gorgeous,” says Skye as she goes over to touch them. “What kind of material is this?”
“It’s a damask fabric. It was kind of a pain to line up the pattern, but they turned