Page 18 of Serendipity

“Because you haven’t seen your mom pursued before?” Stone asks, draping an arm over my shoulder and kissing the top of my head. Guess he’s a little more comfortable with it than I am. And the boys didn’t even flinch so I’m taking that as a good sign. “Damn shame,” he murmurs, looking down at me before returning his attention to the boys. “But lucky for me, I get to show her what it’s like to be wooed,” he says, squeezing my shoulder once before letting his hand slide down my arm to grab my hand.

I think I swoon right here in the entryway of my house in front of my teenage sons. I didn’t know I wanted to be wooed until this very moment but the desire settled in and I can’t think of anything I want more.

“I guess we should let you get on with it, then,” Boone says, removing his ball cap and running a hand through his hair before flipping it backward and sliding it back on. “Like the outfit, Mom.” He turns to Stone. “She went through like a million choices.”

Stone looks down at me and I know my cheeks are flaming red.

“You’re the worst,” I groan. “It wasn’t a million,” I try to assure Stone. He doesn’t seem bothered, though. If anything, he’s amused. Why wouldn’t he be? My boys have lost their filter.

“Have her home by midnight,” Brock adds in cheekily.

Just then the door slams open and Stone has to move out of the way. Naomi, Corbin Rae, and Cash come quite literally crashing through the open door. Naomi tumbles to the floor, standing up quickly.

“Did we miss it?”

“What the heck?” I demand loudly, checking to make sure that Stone’s all right. He is. Of course he is, and he doesn’t seem as annoyed about the intrusion as I am.

“Uh, considering that you just slammed the door into Stone’s back, no. You got here just in time. Go ahead, guys, have at it,” Brock says, once again smiling wide like he can’t wait for what’s to come, even going as far as to rub his hands together and plant his feet wide.

“Just what do you have planned tonight, Stone?” Cash asks, looking exactly like his younger brothers earlier. Arms crossed over his chest, voice lower.

“He’s making her dinner. At his house,” Boone replies for Stone.

“He can speak for himself, you know,” I tell him. “By the way, hello.” I raise my eyebrows at Cash and Corbin Rae who I haven’t seen in over a month. Apologetically, Cash comes over and gives me a hug.

“Hi, Mom. Good to see you.”

“You, too, baby boy.”

“Hardly a baby anymore.”

“That you aren’t.”

Corbin steps in next, hugging me tightly.

“Hey, Mom. You look beautiful,” she says in my ear. Though, her whisper-voice is awful and when I step back, Stone resumes his stance with his arm around me. He gives me a gentle squeeze before agreeing with Corbin Rae.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Stone interjects.

“Awww,” Naomi coos. “They aresocute together, right?” she asks Corbin Rae.

“They really are.”

“Anyway,” Cash says loudly. “What’s happening tonight?”

“What Boone said. I’m making dinner for us at my place. I could take her to a restaurant but we’ve done that and I want to make tonight special. About us. I told your mom this already, but I’ve wanted to take her on a date for a while now. I was just waiting for her to be ready.”

“See? Itoldyou!” Naomi cheers, jumping up and down and clapping.

“Right? We weren’t surprised. I mean, it took you long enough, but it definitely wasn’t a surprise,” Corbin Rae replies, high-fiving Naomi.

“What are you doing here?” Brock asks Naomi, glowering at her for some strange reason.

“We wanted to come say hi and see what she chose for an outfit,” Naomi says, not bothered by Brock’s attitude. He never talks to her like that, or asks why she’s here since this is her second home, and it makes me uneasy.

Cash is still trying to assert himself as the oldest brother. The man of the house. I know this because he growls, “Y’all. Enough of this. I want to know what your intentions are with our mom.”

Brock shoots him a finger gun and makes a noise out of the corner of his mouth. “Already got them, big brother.”

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