“Mom, Dad, this is my fiancée, Cassie,” Thatch introduced us.
Wow. Introducing me as his fiancée right from the get-go. Definitely not joking, my brain taunted.
I held my breath for his mother’s reaction to turn from welcoming to murderous—because, yeah, I generally made a great first impression, but my tits weren’t usually mom-friendly, if you know what I mean. But she did the complete opposite of what I had expected. She ignored Thatch completely and made a beeline for me, pulling me straight into her arms.
“Cassie, it is so great to finally meet you!” she exclaimed and hugged me tightly. She leaned back and took me in with soft eyes and an easy smile. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally meet the woman who can keep my Thatcher in line.”
“Finally?” I blurted without thinking. We hadn’t been together long enough to use words like finally.
“He’s been talking about you since Kline got married.”
I whipped my head to the side.
Thatch’s deep chuckles filled my ears, and a barely-there blush rosied the cheeks under his scruff.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelly,” I answered as I pulled myself together. My smile was confused but genuine. The idea of being on his mind that long made my chest ache.
“Please, call me Sally.”
Thatch pouted. “No hug for me, Mom?”
She waved him off and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “Isn’t she gorgeous, Ken?” she asked her husband.
“Too pretty for Thatch, that’s for damn sure,” Ken remarked with a smirk. “Seriously, Cassie? Is he blackmailing you? Do we need to alert the authorities? Blink twice if he kidnapped you. Three times if you fear for your life.”
The teasing personality was a family trait. I loved his parents already.
I blinked three times, and his dad cracked up.
“Turncoats,” Thatch responded. “You’ve known her for all of two minutes, and immediately, you’re on her side.”
Both of his parents grinned, and his mom finally wrapped him up in a loving hug. “I’m glad you’re home, sweetie. But I have a feeling she’s less trouble than you are.”
“Thanks, Mom,” he replied with a grimace before smiling down at her with affectionate eyes. Right off the bat, it was apparent he was very close with his folks. The idea warmed my heart. “But she’s definitely not less trouble.”
My warm heart felt ragey all of a sudden.
“Well, let’s go inside,” Sally insisted, unfazed. “Dinner is almost ready.”
“Dinner was delicious.” I dried off the last dish and set it in the cabinet carefully. Sally had served us dinner on the good china, and a constant film reel played in my mind of somehow shattering all of them. But I wanted to make a good first impression, and if I knew anything from Rom Coms and my first encounter with Claire, helping a woman clean up when no one else did usually racked up serious points.
Sally grinned and wiped her hands off with a dish towel. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“I did. Thank you so much for having me.”
“You’re welcome here anytime, sweetheart.” She lovingly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. It seemed intimate in a way I wasn’t expecting, like she really did intend to consider me a daughter. My thought-crazed brain wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it right then, but I knew I’d figure it out eventually. “I hope you’ll force Thatcher to stop by and see us more often.”
The longing in her voice made me nod without hesitation. “Consider it a done deal.”
“I have a feeling you know all the right things to say and do to keep my son on a tight leash. And I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. He’s a good boy, but someone needs to keep his ass in line.”
I laughed. Little did she know, I never had walked very straight myself. I’d do my best not to burst her bubble, though. “Speaking of him being a good boy, I’d love to see some baby photos.” I thought it over. “Or blackmail-worthy stories and photos of teenage Thatch.”
“Oh, sweetheart. All you have to do is say the word.”
“Yeah, I think it’s time I steal Cassie before you bust out the scrapbooks, Mom.” Thatch walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I know your game, and this is me effectively blocking it before you get started.”
Sally held up her middle finger in response, and I died laughing.
Thatch feigned offense. “I swear, the two most important women in my life are the ones who flip me the bird more than anyone else. I’m feeling seriously short on the love right now.”
His mom grinned at me and retorted, “Your head is already big enough, Thatcher. If we showered you in love all the time, you wouldn’t be able to walk upright.”
“Sally! Come sit on the couch and give me some sugar, honey!” Ken called from his cozy spot on the sofa in the living room.
“I’m too busy cleaning up after you to toss out affection!” she shouted back, but she still managed to meander his way.