Page 70 of Fierce-Jax

He pulled into the driveway of a two-story house. “This is where I grew up,” he said. “Roni and Eli lived upstairs, but it was our bedrooms as kids. It has two rooms, a full bath, and a sitting area like your loft, but not as big.”

“It looks like a great neighborhood,” she said. “I bet you had fond memories here.”

“I did,” he said.

“And those are the important things to me,” she said.

Because her mother was right, it was always odd to her that Alec had no relationship with any member of his family. And sad to think of a child growing up with parents who did not have his back.

“They are,” he said. “Ready for this? Everyone is here.”

“I’m ready,” she said. “It’s not the first set of parents I’ve met of someone I’ve dated.”

Just been years since it’d happened.

He grabbed the cake that she’d made this afternoon and carried it in for her.

She opened the front door and held it for him, then followed behind.

They walked right into a foyer with the living room to the side.

“Hey,” he said. “We’ve got dessert.”

“Hi,” Dillion said to the room in general.

Jax’s mother came forward and took the cake out of his hands. “Introduce everyone,” his mother said.

He laughed. “I’ve got manners, Mom. We are just trying to get in the door.” He took Dillion’s jacket that she pulled off and hung it up with his. “Everyone, this is Dillion Patrick. My mother Ellen, my father, Troy, you know Roni, and her husband, Trent.”

She went around shaking everyone’s hand.

“You’ve got the same name as the car dealership,” Ellen said, laughing.

Guess Jax didn’t tell his parents that bit of information. “Just spelled differently,” she said. “My mother put her foot down on that.”

“So it’s your father or just your parents didn’t want you to be associated with someone that wasn’t your family?” Roni asked.

“Dylan Patrick is my father,” she said. “All bigger than life salesman that he is. I get asked those things a lot. Or more like comments I’ve got the same name. If someone doesn’t ask, I don’t volunteer.”

“Sorry,” Jax said. “I hadn’t thought to say anything. I didn’t even find out right away.”

“Doesn’t seem to matter one way or another since Carolyn has her fingers in your business,” Trent said. “There is no hiding, trust me. I was the last of my siblings to fall for it.”

“Jax filled me in on that,” she said. “Or most of the setups. It’s hard to keep track. They’ve been busy.”

“Their side hustle,” Troy said. “Being nosy if you ask me, but I’m not complaining about how happy my daughter is.”

She liked Troy was smiling over that comment.

It reminded her of her father.

Even the way everyone looked at each other in this room.

It made a difference for her to see how Jax interacted with his family.

“Your daughter is very happy,” Roni said. “And pregnant.”

There was stunned silence in the room. Roni winked at her and she appreciated the fact that the announcement took the pressure off of this dinner.

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