Page 152 of Wildest Dreams

Mace.

They call him Mace.

My heart clenches, feeling so unbearably lucky to have this inside look into Tanner’s private life.

Tanner glances down at me, his eyes bright, trying to gauge my reaction before smiling back at his mom.

“Yeah, Mom, they’re for you and Dad,” he says, before adding teasingly, “if you grab them from me I’ll have an arm to hug you with.”

Tanner and his mom both laugh as she takes the flowers, and he presses a sweet kiss to my cheek when she turns momentarily away. Then he steps back so that I can head through the front door first.

I send him a slightly nervous look over my shoulder and he dips down to nuzzle into my neck.

“Don’t worry, baby,” he murmurs. “They’re gonna love you, I swear.”

His mom comes back into the hallway, brushing her palms over her hips before reaching up to give her youngest son a big happy hug.

When she pulls away she turns her attention to me, offering me a dimple-popping smile as she says, “And you must be Aisling.”

My heart stutters in my chest.

She knows my name.

I feel Tanner’s shoulders swell, brushing firmly against my own, and I nod my head at her, almost too nervous to speak.

I’ve done the ‘meet the parents’ thing before but it has honest to God never felt like this – like this isn’t the last time that I’ll ever see them.

“Yeah, I’m Aisling,” I squeak, feeling a little dazed.

She offers me a comforting squeeze of my shoulder, trying to help me relieve my nerves.

“We’re making food in the kitchen, if you want to say hello before Mace gives you the tour? Oh, andalso,” she adds, giving apointed look to Tanner, “I would love to know why my lovely dog is urinating all over the hardwood flooring?”

Tanner breathes out a nervous laugh, gripping the back of his neck with his hand as his mom turns around and heads down to their kitchen.

When she’s out of sight he grabs my waist and hauls me against him, swallowing my happy squeak as he crushes his mouth down on mine.

“Feelin’ okay so far?” he asks, pulling back to search my eyes.

I nod. “Yeah,” I breathe, “but I didn’t know that they knew I was coming.”

Tanner looks me straight in the eyes before saying, “They didn’t.”

He drops his gaze as he kicks off his boots and then instantly kneels down so that he can un-lace mine.

“But…” I swallow hard. “Your mom knows my name.”

Tanner eases off both of my shoes, neck heating up as he gets to his feet.

“Yeah,” he says, entwining our fingers and avoiding my eyes. He tugs me gently after him as we begin making our way down the hall.

He doesn’t say anything else.

My lips fall open as understanding truly dawns.

His mom knew exactly who Tanner would be bringing home without him having to even mention it.

Tanner has talked to his mom about me.

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