“Am I dressed okay?” Cali sounded insecure. “This looks more like a cocktail-type place.”
“You’re fine.” His gaze moved over her body. “No, you’re hot.” He kissed her cheek. He knew kissing her was wrong, but he was past caring. He paused, letting himself appreciate what he’d just complimented, hoping to chase away the ill feeling being near his mom brought on.
At Cali’s soft smile, the thoughts of his mom melted like ice cream on a hot sidewalk. If it wasn’t for his sister, he’d be hightailing it back to the hotel, Cali in tow. But tonight he’d better sleep in his car.
A hostess pointed them to a backroom. Brit heard his mother’s voice and hesitated. Cali squeezed his hand, her palm molding smoothly to his. The perfect fit brought a sense of comfort.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, stopping at the door. People, at least two dozen or more, were crowded in the room. Some sat around the table, others stood nearby visiting. Brit recognized some—friends of his mom from way back, a few neighbors, a cousin or two. Most of them he didn’t know. Probably some of the friends and family of her latest husband. Was he number five or six? Brit lost count.
Susan’s glare chastised him for being late. But then, her focus shifted to Cali, and forgiveness softened her eyes.
“Better late than never.” Susan approached them. “Hi.” She focused on Cali. “We sort of met the other day at your school. Of course, my rude brother didn’t introduce us.”
Cali smiled and leaned against his shoulder. Her weight felt good there, too.
“In your brother’s defense,” Cali said, “he did tell me who you were later.”
Brit wasn’t used to people coming to his defense, but with some work he thought he could get used to it. He could get used to Cali. With that thought came the slightest bit of warning.
“Well, I’ll give him a break then.” Susan, a twinkle in her eye, looked back at him. “You want to explain the vicious lioness guarding your laundry room?”
“Sorry. I should have told you about Mama Cat. You didn’t let her out, did you?”
“No, but I put my life at risk rescuing my undies from the dryer. And the black kitten took a liking to my bra. So mama kitty decided what little kitty wanted, she got. In short, if they destroyed it, you owe me a Victoria’s Secret bra. And it wasn’t the cheap kind.”
“Sorry for that, too.” Brit glanced at Cali, who was grinning and looking surprised.
“You have a cat and kittens?” she asked.
“No. It’s a temporary thing. I don’t even like cats. She’s a stray and—”
“Brit?” A familiar female voice called out in the crowd.
He emotionally flinched when he saw his mother stepping forward.
She held onto the back of the chair as if it hurt to move. His gut squeezed, and he scowled at the man standing beside her. Had she let her latest man use her as a punching bag? Things never changed.
“Excuse me for hobbling,” his mother said. “Susan and I worked in my yard this morning, and I’m afraid my gardening muscles are raising cane.”
Brit looked to Susan to see if she flinched at his mother’s version of the truth. She didn’t, and he tried to relax.
“Mom, this is Cali. Cali, my mom Linda.” Crap. Brit didn’t know her last name. He hadn’t made the wedding four months ago and had only met the groom once at the engagement party his sister put together and insisted he attend a few months before that.
“Linda Swain.” His mom gave Cali’s hand a squeeze. “It’s a delight to meet a friend of my son’s.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Cali said.
While Cali, his mom and sister chatted, Brit looked around the room at the other attendants. A familiar face in the crowd had him refocusing. What was he doing here? He walked over. “So this is why you didn’t return my calls?”
“Calls?” Quarles pulled out his phone and snapped it open. “Whatcha’ know? Out of juice. Hope it wasn’t important.”
Brit knew a lie when he heard one, but he bit back the resentment. Quarles didn’t owe him anything. They weren’t friends and were barely partners.
Quarles’ eyes moved to the front of the room. “Wow. Is that the McKay chick?”
“Yeah.”
“She looks hot.” Quarles grinned.
Brit frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to be here with my sister?”
“I am.” Quarles smiled, and his gaze shifted to Susan. “I was just about to say that she’s almost as hot as your sister.”
~
It took Cali only a few minutes to relax after she decided she liked Brit’s family. She got the feeling, however, he wasn’t anywhere nearly at ease as she was. When dinner was served, steaks with red potatoes and salad, Cali ate, but Brit, who usually ate with gusto, spent more time scattering his food on the plate than eating it.
Eventually, most of the party attendees meandered out to listen to the band in the main room. The soft cadence of music shimmered through the door and attempted to set a cozy mood, but Brit’s rigid posture chased it away.