No fancy clothes for Sondra Goodknight, as ever. Also no makeup.
Nice jeans. A turtleneck sweater that became her figure and it was a soft beige color that became her complexion. A chunky, low-hanging, necklace made of silver, turquoise and coral that looked vintage and was definitely Native American. Stocking feet.
Family dinner. Family time. Family. No high heels. Just wool socks and because her daughter’s boyfriend was there for the first time, she threw on a necklace.
Yeah, he liked Sondra Goodknight.
“Good to be here, Sondra,” he muttered.
She gave him a bright smile much like Liza’s, he let her hand go and Faye moved in for a kiss on the cheek and to hand her the flowers.
“These are from Chace, Mom” she told her mother, Sondra took the bouquet and her eyes went to the flowers then to him and they were even warmer.
“Pink. Perfect,” she said softly then finished, the gratitude gentle in her voice, conveying the feeling behind the words without overdoing it, “Thank you, Chace.”
He lifted his chin.
She grinned at him and announced, “I’ll put these in water and there are a few things to finish up in the kitchen. Go in and sit a spell.” She turned to her daughter, lifted a hand to touch Faye’s cheek lightly and then whispered softly, “Pretty as a picture.” She dropped her hand but tipped her head toward the family room and went on, “Take your man in to get comfortable, honey. Your Dad will bring in his beer.”
Faye grabbed his hand and led him to the right, directly toward a couch in the family room.
Chace followed, his mind consumed with Sondra’s soft voice saying, Pretty as a picture.
Light touch. Loving comment to her daughter delivered in a quiet way that was practiced but that made the compliment no less heartfelt. Instead, it amplified it. Stocking feet. Comfortable in her home. Wanting you to be too. She appreciated the flowers, made that known but didn’t go overboard in a way that would make Chace ill-at-ease.
As these thoughts swiftly moved through his head, Chace couldn’t help but think what it would be like when Faye eventually met his mother.
Valerie Keaton wouldn’t be wearing wool socks and a beautiful, Native American necklace. She’d be in a brand new outfit that would cost more than Faye earned in a month. She would praise Chace, no doubt, and act loving and sweet. She’d also be nervous, likely clumsy because of it, embarrassed because of that and, finally, overly apologetic. She’d also try too hard and therefore manage to smother Chace and Faye in her efforts to make Faye like her at the same time convince Faye that Chace could move mountains.
Except Misty for reasons he couldn’t avoid, Chace had never taken a woman to meet his mother not only because there wasn’t a woman he’d had that was important enough to meet her but also because his Ma would work herself up about it. Chace took great pains to avoid working his mother up even before his life went to shit for the ultimate pain he took to avoid just that. An unnecessary meeting with a woman not important enough for it wasn’t worth it.
Faye Goodknight would most definitely be meeting Valerie Keaton. Chace already knew this. But, until that moment, he hadn’t been dreading it.
Now he was.
He barely got his ass in the couch and his woman arranged in the curve of his arm before Robbie was standing in front of him.
This time, he smacked his hand on Chace’s knee and demanded, “Badge!”
Chace uncurled his arm from around Faye, leaned forward and pulled his badge out of back pocket. As he was doing this, Liza handed Faye a glass of wine and his beer.
But she also leaned in and whispered low but loud enough Chace could hear, “My baby sister finally got laid.”
He felt Faye stiffen at his side even as he felt his own gut get tight, sensing her embarrassment.
Robbie, missing this or more likely focused, snapped, “Badge!” again with another smack on Chace’s knee.
Liza went on, “Written all over you, babe. Awesome.”
Liza moved away, grinning to herself and making big eyes at Faye.
When he noted Faye was glaring at her sister with narrowed eyes, deciding to be annoyed, not embarrassed, Chace decided for her sake to ignore it and concentrate on her nephew.
So he flipped open his badge for Robbie who instantly tore it out of his hand.
Faye handed him his beer and muttered, “Too bad you didn’t bring your gun.”
Yep, annoyed.