gets the message. “Okay, I’ll leave you alone.” Smiling, she gives a hard pat to my cheek. “I’m glad you came by. You must have a sixth sense. I’m baking for you and your friends at the station,” she says, turning back to her pans on the stove.
She’s crazy if she thinks I’m sharing any of that with the guys. I’m keeping it all for myself. They have their own moms to bake for them.
“Have a seat, honey. You want something to drink?” she asks, coming to place a warm chocolate chip muffin down in front of me.
“I’m good, thanks though.”
“Let me call for your father. He’s tinkering away in the garage again.” She walks over to the kitchen window above the sink and slides it open. “Ben! Come inside, Jasiah is here.”
I wince at how loud she is, wishing for just once she would relent and call me Jase.
My dad comes in the back door a minute later, wiping his hands with a grease-stained towel. He takes my mother in his arms, dips her, and lays a long, drawn-out kiss on her before making his way over to me.
“Hey, my boy, how’re you doing?” he asks, pulling me to stand and wrapping me in a quick, firm hug.
“Hey, Dad. I’m good.”
“What brings you by? Did you smell your mom’s baking all the way across town?” he asks with a chuckle, taking a seat at the table.
“Nope, but clearly it was a good day to pop in.”
“Every day is a good day for you to visit,” my mom adds, giving me a pointed look.
“Come on, Mom, it hasn’t been that long.”
“It’s been almost a month.” She holds up a hand to ward off my protest. “I know. It’s not that long in the grand scheme of things but it is when you live so close. You know I’d give anything to see your handsome face every day if I could.”
If she had her way, I’d still be living at home.
“Well, look on the bright side, at least you get to see this handsome one every day,” I say, gesturing over to my dad.
“Damn straight, and you don’t get much better than mine.”
We both chuckle at the way my mom rolls her eyes but she can’t hide her smile. “Well, I guess I can’t argue that,” she agrees, giving my dad a few gentle pats on the cheek. “Anyway, how did that fundraiser go this weekend?”
“It was…interesting.” Actually, it was fucking awkward as hell. Until the end of the night when I got to taste Sam again. “It sounds like a lot of money was raised,” I add.
“That’s wonderful. Does that mean you have a date?” she asks hopefully, an almost gleeful smile taking over her face.
It’s because I don’t date…at least not conventionally, but Sam is a different story. She’s worth a date.
She’s worth much more.
“Yep. Actually, that’s why I’m here.” I look at my dad. “Do you still have the route mapped out when we went camping in the mountains a few years back?”
He nods. “You bet. It’s in my desk drawer.”
“You’re taking her camping in the mountains?” my mom asks, sounding unsure.
“No,” I answer, but offer nothing more.
“All right, fine, be cryptic but will you at least tell me her name? Do I know her?”
“Yeah, you know of her…” I trail off, unsure of how to tell them who it is.
“Oh, Jase, don’t tell me it’s Stephanie,” she says, disdain sharpening her words.
I grunt. “Thankfully no, but it was close. It came down to her and one other bidder by the end.”
“Oh, thank goodness for that. That girl is no good. She never has been.”
She’s a bitch and a mistake I will always regret.
“So, who is it?” my dad asks.
“Samantha Evans.”
“Really?” my mom asks, her eyes widening in shock.
I nod.
“Wait, Samantha Evans as in John Evans’s daughter?” he asks, not seeming all that thrilled about it, which I expected.
“Yep, the same one.”
“Boy,” he starts in on me. “You be careful. I hold no grudge against that girl. I don’t even know her, but that father of hers is an asshole.”
“Listen, Dad. I get it.
She’s crazy if she thinks I’m sharing any of that with the guys. I’m keeping it all for myself. They have their own moms to bake for them.
“Have a seat, honey. You want something to drink?” she asks, coming to place a warm chocolate chip muffin down in front of me.
“I’m good, thanks though.”
“Let me call for your father. He’s tinkering away in the garage again.” She walks over to the kitchen window above the sink and slides it open. “Ben! Come inside, Jasiah is here.”
I wince at how loud she is, wishing for just once she would relent and call me Jase.
My dad comes in the back door a minute later, wiping his hands with a grease-stained towel. He takes my mother in his arms, dips her, and lays a long, drawn-out kiss on her before making his way over to me.
“Hey, my boy, how’re you doing?” he asks, pulling me to stand and wrapping me in a quick, firm hug.
“Hey, Dad. I’m good.”
“What brings you by? Did you smell your mom’s baking all the way across town?” he asks with a chuckle, taking a seat at the table.
“Nope, but clearly it was a good day to pop in.”
“Every day is a good day for you to visit,” my mom adds, giving me a pointed look.
“Come on, Mom, it hasn’t been that long.”
“It’s been almost a month.” She holds up a hand to ward off my protest. “I know. It’s not that long in the grand scheme of things but it is when you live so close. You know I’d give anything to see your handsome face every day if I could.”
If she had her way, I’d still be living at home.
“Well, look on the bright side, at least you get to see this handsome one every day,” I say, gesturing over to my dad.
“Damn straight, and you don’t get much better than mine.”
We both chuckle at the way my mom rolls her eyes but she can’t hide her smile. “Well, I guess I can’t argue that,” she agrees, giving my dad a few gentle pats on the cheek. “Anyway, how did that fundraiser go this weekend?”
“It was…interesting.” Actually, it was fucking awkward as hell. Until the end of the night when I got to taste Sam again. “It sounds like a lot of money was raised,” I add.
“That’s wonderful. Does that mean you have a date?” she asks hopefully, an almost gleeful smile taking over her face.
It’s because I don’t date…at least not conventionally, but Sam is a different story. She’s worth a date.
She’s worth much more.
“Yep. Actually, that’s why I’m here.” I look at my dad. “Do you still have the route mapped out when we went camping in the mountains a few years back?”
He nods. “You bet. It’s in my desk drawer.”
“You’re taking her camping in the mountains?” my mom asks, sounding unsure.
“No,” I answer, but offer nothing more.
“All right, fine, be cryptic but will you at least tell me her name? Do I know her?”
“Yeah, you know of her…” I trail off, unsure of how to tell them who it is.
“Oh, Jase, don’t tell me it’s Stephanie,” she says, disdain sharpening her words.
I grunt. “Thankfully no, but it was close. It came down to her and one other bidder by the end.”
“Oh, thank goodness for that. That girl is no good. She never has been.”
She’s a bitch and a mistake I will always regret.
“So, who is it?” my dad asks.
“Samantha Evans.”
“Really?” my mom asks, her eyes widening in shock.
I nod.
“Wait, Samantha Evans as in John Evans’s daughter?” he asks, not seeming all that thrilled about it, which I expected.
“Yep, the same one.”
“Boy,” he starts in on me. “You be careful. I hold no grudge against that girl. I don’t even know her, but that father of hers is an asshole.”
“Listen, Dad. I get it.
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