for both of us once we’re back behind closed doors.
“Are you two gonna come up for air long enough to have a drink or should we just leave you to your show?” Noah quips, and both Abi and I turn our heads towards him, neither of us moving away or letting go.
“I’ll move when his pants aren’t going to cause more of a scandal than the fact he turned up with a date,” Abi jokes.
Noah and Thomas’s eyes go wide before they snigger and Noah looks at me, nodding in silent approval. “Finally, a woman that keeps you on your toes, Carsen. About time you were kept in line.”
Before I can offer a smartass retort, Zoe butts in, one hand on her hip and eyes narrowed on her husband. “Are you saying I do that?” she asks tersely.
Noah—being the smooth operator he is—immediately switches to ass-saving mode. “Sweetheart, you tie me in knots and turn me upside-down all while keeping me in line, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I watch Zoe go from haughty to soft in the blink of an eye, her eyes now gentle and gazing at her husband. “Sweet talker,” she murmurs. His hand moves around her back and into her hair as he slants her head and kisses her long and deep, right there in front of everyone.
I swear to God there is a collective swoon from every woman within a ten-mile radius—single or otherwise. He’s just that damn good.
“Damn he’s good,” Abi murmurs.
“Never thought I’d see Noah settled down and happy, but meeting Zoe was the best thing that ever happened to him, even if it did involve him getting drunk, making out with her, and forgetting he’d done it.,” I say.
It isn’t until after the dinner and speeches—including my father’s unsurprising mayoral announcement—that my mother decides to pounce, this time using my sister, Callie, as a shield.
“Callie, have you met Cade’s date, Abi . . . ?”
Abi and I both look up to see my still perfectly poised mother and my grinning sister—small baby bump and all—standing beside our table, instigating a sneak attack.
“Cook,” Abi replies before I can stop her, and I stifle a groan.
There’s a reason why I keep my private life secret and that reason is my mother’s need to find out everything about anybody involved in her children’s lives.
Cameron is of the same mindset as me—don’t tell the parents anything they could, and would, use to further their own agendas.
And from the look on my mother’s face right now, this is definitely an information-gathering exercise. By the end of the night it wouldn’t surprise me if she had already found out Abi’s full history, college GPA, and credit score.
“I apologize for not being able to talk to you more when you arrived but now that things are quietening down, I just had to come over and get to know you better,” my mother says. My eyes dart to Callie’s, catching the word ‘sorry’ crossing her lips.
“Can I at least sit down first, Mom, before you grill her?” Callie asks. “I know I’m only four months, but my feet are killing me.”
My mother’s head jerks to my sister, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
I stand up and hold my chair out for my sister and move to stand at Abi’s back. “Take a load off then, Cal.”
“Thank you,” she says, collapsing in the seat and breathing out a huge sigh of relief. She turns her body towards Abi and holds out her hand. “Hi, I’m Callie, the older sister. My husband, Jonathan, is probably at the bar, drinking his fair share of the bar tab—and mine—but if he comes over, I’ll be sure to introduce you.”
Abi laughs and grins up at me before turning her attention to my sister. “Hi. I’m Abi.”
“Oh, I know. My mother rang me straight after she got off the phone with Cade last week. She was beside herself.”
“Callie,” my mother warns, and a quick glance over at her face shows her obvious discomfort.
My sister ignores my mother’s warning. “That dress is amazing. Please tell me it’s not off the rack and you had it fitted to look that good on you.”
“I borrowed it, actually. Off Zoe, Noah’s wife.”
“Wow,” Callie breathes. “And the shoes . . . I’d kill to be able to wear those right now. My feet get sore at just the thought of heels.”
“I bet. Do you know what you’re having?”
“Thankfully not twins, that’s for sure,” Callie says, shooting a quick glance up at