Page 56 of Leave

“Or what?” he asked with a smirk. “You can’t ground me or take away my car keys, so…” He spread his hands.

She tsked and looked at me. “Keep your man in line, Riley.”

I showed my palms. “Nope. No. Not getting between a man and his mom. In fact…” I gestured at my seat and Nolan’s. “Why don’t we switch so—”

“No, no.” She clapped my forearm. “He’s your problem now.”

“Gee, thanks, Mom,” Nolan said with mock petulance. She stuck her tongue out at him. He just huffed and crossed his arms, but he was chuckling.

A little pang of sadness knocked against my ribs. I would have given literally anything to be having an exchange like this with my own mom. Bantering with her and my boyfriend? Her playfully telling him“he’s your problem now!”? That was all a pipe dream for me, and it had been long before I’d severed contact with them.

That hurt in some places that were extra raw right now.

Nolan elbowed me gently and dropped his voice so only I could hear him. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I forced a smile. “I’m good.”

His arched eyebrow called bullshit.

I leaned closer. “Just… wish this was something I could do with my family.”

His lips parted and his eyes widened. “Oh. Shit. I didn’t even think about—”

“It’s okay. I’m glad your parents are cool with us.”

“Still.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I might’ve liked that a little too much. He wasn’t my boyfriend. We weren’t really what we were presenting to his parents. But that gesture…

Yeah. I liked it.

I leaned into him, and he didn’t seem to mind at all.

A moment later, his dad arrived. He’d been up in the concourse getting drinks and snacks for everyone.

“All right, lovebirds.” He nudged Nolan’s knee. “Let me through.”

Without breaking eye contact with his dad, Nolan put his feet up on the back of the empty seat in front of him.

John eyed him. “These nachos were twenty-five bucks, but don’t think I won’t dump them in your lap for being a smartass.”

Nolan grinned and tugged at his jersey, which he’d also borrowed from his dad. “You sure you want to do that?”

John scowled. Then, in a whiny voice, he said, “Carol, your son is being a brat!”

“Don’t I know it,” she muttered.

Nolan laughed, lowered his feet, and let his dad pass by. John distributed drinks—a lemonade for Carol, beers for the rest of us. He and Carol were splitting a tray of nachos, Nolan had a box of Reese’s Pieces, and I had a box of M&Ms.

“We really could’ve helped you carry all this,” I said as I opened mine.

“Nah.” John waved a hand, then plucked a chip off the tray and dragged it through the cheese. “I didn’t want to risk one of you dumbasses spilling a beer.”

Nolan and I talked over each other, protesting our innocence and assuring him that we, as a Marine and a Sailor, wouldneverspill abeer. Thenerveof this man.

I seriously loved this family already. Too bad I wasn’t really their son’s boyfriend, but I could still enjoy this, right?

I was also glad to see Nolan settling into the groove. He’d been so wound up about coming to Seattle, and he’d been a little distant last night at his parents’ house. Here, though, he was chill and relaxed. Maybe hockey games were his happy place.

That wasn’t something we could do on Okinawa—not that I knew of, anyway—but maybe a baseball game?

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