Page 73 of Objection to Love

Garrett highly doubted that. With Em’s skill, there was no way they could lose.

Which was why he was so surprised when she bowled a gutter ball on her first turn.

She turned around and grimaced apologetically at him. “Guess my luck is running out.”

Over the course of the game, she did slightly better than that first gutter ball, but nothing near how she’d been playing before her sister and brother-in-law showed up. In the end, they lost by eleven points.

Jackson and April entertained them with a very poorly executed victory dance, then started gathering their things and changing their shoes.

“Guess you guys will have to start brainstorming ways to get Jackson and me out of dinner now,” April teased. But in contrast to the lighthearted words, she fingered the strap on her purse. “But if you don’t want us to ditch out, we won’t.”

Em hugged her sister. “Nope. You won fair and square. Plus, I can’t have my little niece or nephew not getting their perfect crib just because their grandma is opinionated.”

April laughed. “You’re the best. We’ll see you tomorrow. I assume you don’t want us to pick you up this time?”

“You couldn’t leave early if you were our ride.”

“True. Okay, see you tomorrow. Should I call Mom or do you want to?”

Em sighed dramatically. “About uninviting my would-be date? I’ll call her. But thanks. Drive safe.”

“We will.”

They left, and Garrett and Em weren’t far behind. Garrett opened her car door before going around to his own.

“So, how hard was it for you to throw that game?” he asked as he buckled his seat belt.

Em bit her lip before giving in to the truth. “Harder than I thought it would be.”

“Hah—I knew your luck didn’t just run out. Why’d you do it?”

“Because April mentioning she might possibly want tonottalk with our mom about her registry was the closest thing to complaining about our parents that she will ever do. She’s so non-confrontational, and our mom is so opinionated.” She shrugged. “I just thought she needed the win more than we did.” Then she winced. “But it does mean you’ll be stuck at my parents’ longer than we would have had to be. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Thank you,” she said. Quietly. Garrett wondered again why Em seemed so stressed about this dinner. But they’d already exhausted their tense conversation quota for the day, and he was missing her smile that had started to come easily—up until the last hour.

“Alright,” he said, and she stopped her action of sticking the keys in the ignition to meet his serious look, “what do I need to do between now and tomorrow night to be an acceptable boyfriend to your parents?”

As he’d hoped, Em’s expression lightened. “The list is too long to even worry about.”

“You are just full of compliments tonight,” he grumbled.

She’d been about to pull the car out of its spot but turned to him instead. “I’m only kidding. I wouldn’t change a thing about you,” she said, pulling his face toward hers with a hand on his jaw. He met her in the middle with a kiss that left him wanting more.

Chapter 25

Em

“So,thisisGarrett?”Mom dried her hands on a towel and walked over to where Em and Garrett had just appeared in the kitchen.

“Yes. Mom this is Garrett Clarke. Garrett, this is my mom.”

“Diane,” Mom said, reaching a hand out to shake Garrett’s. She was surprisingly gracious for someone who had bemoaned the fact that Allen had to be uninvited. He was, apparently, a new attorney in their office and destined for incredible career success.

Em had never been happier that she had her own date to bring to a family dinner.

“Nice to meet you, Diane. You have a beautiful home.” He gave her the bouquet of flowers he’d brought.Withouteven being prompted to bring anything. Em was more than a little impressed.

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