Page 63 of Puck Love

“Go on,Stella.”

“Mom!” Van says again, and Nora sighs and turns to facehim.

“I’m just asking a question, Son. You don’t have to get your undies in awad.”

“Leave Stella alone,eh?”

Nora pouts. “You boys spoil all my fun. I’m just looking out foreveryone.”

“I’m a big boy—we both are. We don’t need you looking out for us, Mom. We got thisshit.”

“Well, maybe when you have children of your own someday, you’ll understand.” Van’s mother turns to me, the huge knife in her hand pointed at my stomach as if it didn’t have the ability to give me a hysterectomy on the spot. “Do you want children,Stella?”

Oh,boy.

“Mom!”

Thankfully, lunch isn’t as dramatic as Nora’s interrogation, and in the end, I find I enjoy her company. She’s sweet. It becomes apparent both Van and Emmett got their sense of humor from her, and I don’t mind one bit that she’s curious about my relationship with her son and is ultimately just looking out for him. I’m glad he has someone like that in hislife.

We have coffee in front of the fire in the den, and when the sky outside begins to darken, Nora and Emmett get up to leave. She hugs me tight at the door. “We’ll see you nextSunday?”

“Oh, I’m notsu—”

“She’ll be there,” Van says as he wraps his arm around mywaist.

“Oh gross, Van. Why do you have to ruin it? Mom, Van’s touchingStella.”

Nora chuckles. “I have a feeling they’re about to do a lot more than touching,Em.”

Emmett screws up his nose and makes a gagging sound. “Gross.”

“Come on. Let’s leave thembe.”

“Mom, it’s fine. Em canstay.”

“And interfere with what might be your only chance to give me grandchildren before I die? No, no. I’m going to take him shopping tomorrow. You kids have some fun,okay?”

My eyes grow round as saucers, and I won’t lie, I feel a teensy bit faint. Van is completely unfazed with his mother’s words, and he claps Emmett on the shoulder. “See you later,bud.”

Em shirks off his brother’s hand. “Whatever. You owe me,man.”

“I know. Hey, how about I get you an autograph fromStella?”

“Bite me,” he says and trudges across the porch through thesnow.

“Put your jacket on first. You’ll freeze your little bum off,” Nora calls, shaking her head. “That boy. You get some rest. No strenuous activities,eh?”

“Bye, Mom.” Van leans in to kiss her cheek. When the door closes behind her and the car engine starts, Van looks at me, and I know I’m introuble.

“No.” I take several steps back toward the den, but he follows too closely for me to get away and catches me in his arms. “Didn’t you hear your mother? She said nostrenuous—”

My words are stolen by his mouth covering mine, and I moan into the kiss. We don’t even make it to the couch, but instead wind up sprawled on the slate tiles of the entryway, and Nora was right. We do a lot more thantouching.

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