It’s a white clapboard home with deep porches and green shutters. Gran has always been known for her green thumb, and her yard could have been featured on the cover of Southern Living .
“Wow,” Tuck breathes out. “This is beautiful. I feel like I just came home.”
My heart swells at his words. Gran is going to love him.
I park my Bronco and we climb out. I glance at the house and notice that Gramps and Gran are standing on the bottom step with a dumbfounded expression on both of their faces. Tuck looks at me and grins.
“I think you were right about them being surprised to see a guy.” I nod my head and swallow down the nervousness that has unexpectedly erupted.
“Kori, my baby!” Gran shrieks in her typical greeting. I cringe at all the ammunition Tuck is being inadvertently given to ridicule me with at a later date. I shoot him a warning look and see a grin tugging at his lips. Gran wraps me into a hug and kisses my cheek. “Who’s your friend? Your grandpa led me to believe that you were bringing Avery or Chelsea, but this is a pleasant surprise.”
“Gran, this is my friend Tuck.” I place an extra emphasis on the word friend so that they will take the hint and not embarrass me. “Tuck, these are my grandparents, Ed and Julie O’Malley.”
Tuck is the perfect Southern gentleman. He wraps his arms around my gran and kisses her cheek. He’s such a charmer. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. O’Malley.” He then sticks out his hand to shake my gramps’ hand. “Good to meet you too, sir. Kori has told me a lot about you both.”
My grandma shoots me a death glare that has been known to reduce lesser mortals to quaking fools. “Really? She hasn’t told us anything about you. Now why is that, Kori? And please, call us Gran and Gramps. All of Kori’s friends do.”
“Gran, Tuck is a new friend. I haven’t had a chance to tell you about him. We met last night, and he just happened to be driving by this morning when I was having problems with the Bronco. He gave me a ride and stayed to help me. Then he came here with me. Now you’re all caught up on my relationship with Tuck.”
“What kind of trouble were you having, Monkey?” Gramps interjects. I sigh contentedly. I knew that would effectively sidetrack Gran away from the Tuck interrogation.
***
“Your grandparents are great,” Tuck informs me as we are driving back to my house after dinner. “I can’t believe all the old vehicles Gramps has. It’s sexy as hell that you helped him restore most of them.”
I roll my eyes at him. Dinner at my grandparents’ was a success. Gran and Gramps immediately fell in love with Tuck, which I had known they would do. It helped that Tuck took a big interest in all the restored cars and trucks that my grandpa had in his barn. They spent a good hour out there looking under hoods and talking specifications. Gramps floored Tuck when he took him to the back of the barn to show him my old Indian motorcycle. Tuck’s eyes twinkled when he looked at the motorcycle then at me. He mouthed the word sexy and I flipped him off.
Gran appreciated having another mouth to feed. Tuck showed the proper amount of appreciation for Gran’s cooking, and that was all that it took for her to completely cross over to his side. I knew it was just a matter of time before she would be trying to marry us off. I nipped that in the bud before she ran with the idea. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, but her eyes had a naughty look to them. I shuddered to think what scheme she was
“Wow,” Tuck breathes out. “This is beautiful. I feel like I just came home.”
My heart swells at his words. Gran is going to love him.
I park my Bronco and we climb out. I glance at the house and notice that Gramps and Gran are standing on the bottom step with a dumbfounded expression on both of their faces. Tuck looks at me and grins.
“I think you were right about them being surprised to see a guy.” I nod my head and swallow down the nervousness that has unexpectedly erupted.
“Kori, my baby!” Gran shrieks in her typical greeting. I cringe at all the ammunition Tuck is being inadvertently given to ridicule me with at a later date. I shoot him a warning look and see a grin tugging at his lips. Gran wraps me into a hug and kisses my cheek. “Who’s your friend? Your grandpa led me to believe that you were bringing Avery or Chelsea, but this is a pleasant surprise.”
“Gran, this is my friend Tuck.” I place an extra emphasis on the word friend so that they will take the hint and not embarrass me. “Tuck, these are my grandparents, Ed and Julie O’Malley.”
Tuck is the perfect Southern gentleman. He wraps his arms around my gran and kisses her cheek. He’s such a charmer. “Pleased to meet you, Mrs. O’Malley.” He then sticks out his hand to shake my gramps’ hand. “Good to meet you too, sir. Kori has told me a lot about you both.”
My grandma shoots me a death glare that has been known to reduce lesser mortals to quaking fools. “Really? She hasn’t told us anything about you. Now why is that, Kori? And please, call us Gran and Gramps. All of Kori’s friends do.”
“Gran, Tuck is a new friend. I haven’t had a chance to tell you about him. We met last night, and he just happened to be driving by this morning when I was having problems with the Bronco. He gave me a ride and stayed to help me. Then he came here with me. Now you’re all caught up on my relationship with Tuck.”
“What kind of trouble were you having, Monkey?” Gramps interjects. I sigh contentedly. I knew that would effectively sidetrack Gran away from the Tuck interrogation.
***
“Your grandparents are great,” Tuck informs me as we are driving back to my house after dinner. “I can’t believe all the old vehicles Gramps has. It’s sexy as hell that you helped him restore most of them.”
I roll my eyes at him. Dinner at my grandparents’ was a success. Gran and Gramps immediately fell in love with Tuck, which I had known they would do. It helped that Tuck took a big interest in all the restored cars and trucks that my grandpa had in his barn. They spent a good hour out there looking under hoods and talking specifications. Gramps floored Tuck when he took him to the back of the barn to show him my old Indian motorcycle. Tuck’s eyes twinkled when he looked at the motorcycle then at me. He mouthed the word sexy and I flipped him off.
Gran appreciated having another mouth to feed. Tuck showed the proper amount of appreciation for Gran’s cooking, and that was all that it took for her to completely cross over to his side. I knew it was just a matter of time before she would be trying to marry us off. I nipped that in the bud before she ran with the idea. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, but her eyes had a naughty look to them. I shuddered to think what scheme she was
Similar Books
