Page 89 of A Perfect Match
“There’s the chef I’ve heard so much about,” she oozes, like she been waiting to meet him for years instead of days."It's so nice to finally meet you."
Kru looks surprised but pleased as she pulls him into a hug."Nice to meet you too, Mrs.Keegan.I'm so glad you're feeling better."
"Please call me Laura.And thank you."She pats his arm maternally."Piper's told me wonderful things about your restaurant."
“I try to feed her every chance I get,” he says with a grin.“I think she’s tried the whole menu by now.”The comment makes my brothers scoff.I shoot them all a collective glare.
“Kru, I’d like you to meet mybrothers,” I say through gritted teeth.“You’ve already met Asher and Griffin—”
Griffin jerks his head into a nod, still sizing up Kru.
“That’s Dane, and Jett next to him.And this here is Lia, Dane’s daughter.”I ruffle her hair.“She’s three, and the cutest Keegan there is.Everybody, meet Kru.”
I wait for groans, scoffs, or backtalk.There is none.Instead, there’s something worse.
Four sets of eyes boring a hole into Kru.
Kru doesn’t let it faze him.“It’s really nice to meet you all.And to not be getting punched by Griffin again.”
My mom pales, turning to her youngest son.“Griffin!Are you the one that gave Kru that shiner?”Kru’s black eye looks better than it did, but there are still swirls of purple and yellow visible.
“I did,” Griffin confirms.“And I’d do it again.”
“Griffin,” I say while my brothers snicker.
“I’m sure it was a love tap,” Jett says.
“I didn’t have to go to the hospital,” Kru says as he eases into the chair my mom pulls out for him.“So that was a bonus.”
“Are we ready to eat?”I ask, eager to get the focus off of Kru and onto something resembling an easygoing rhythm.I know it will take time for my brothers to warm up to him.
“Let me help,” Kru says.
“You left your kitchen to be here.I don’t want you serving more people,” I say, playfully swatting at him.
“I can do it,” Mom says.
“Mom, you need to sit your butt in that chair,” Jett says.“We’ll take care of it.”
“Not you,” I warn Kru, gliding past him and heading into the kitchen to start serving food.Dane and Jett join me.Tension crackles between us.I can tell they’re dying to needle me about my new boyfriend.
“I don’t want to hear it,” I warn them in a low voice as we pull plates and collect silverware.
“I didn’t say a thing,” Jett says wryly.
“You didn’t have to.Just please, both of you—be nice.”I send them a warning look before I begin plating tonight’s dinner, pork chops and mashed potatoes.I carry two plates out, setting one down in front of Kru and the other for Mom.Jett and Dane bring out the rest of the plates for the family, and soon we’re all digging in.
“Tastes pretty good, Pipe Cleaner,” Dane says.
“Thanks.I’ve gotten pretty good at mimicking Mom’s recipes.”I grin over at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek.“But never quite as good as when you do it.”
“What do you think, Kru?”Jett asks, something glinting in his gaze.
Kru sweeps his gaze between my brothers, then over to me as though double checking he heard correctly.“I think it’s great.”
“Probably a little too plain for you, huh?”Jett goes on.
“Not at all,” Kru says, clearing his throat.“Piper’s an awesome cook.She’s got her own style.”
