Page 48 of Embers of You
Jameson faces me with a small grin. “I tried to tell her. Might as well get in the car, she’s not going to change her mind.”
I notice that an older man, I assume is Jameson’s father, is also in the back seat, sitting next to his mother, but he doesn’t say anything.
I relent as Jameson opens the passenger door for me, and I climb in, turning back toward his mom with a soft smile.
Jameson climbs in and his mom speaks up again, “This is nice, almost like we have our own chauffeur. I feel like a celebrity.”
We both chuckle as Jameson starts to drive. I don’t hear his dad make a noise, but when I glance back, I see their hands intertwined together. I try not to make my smile too obvious because I don’t want to seem weird smiling at these two strangers.
I realize I’m not sure where we’re going and I’m about to ask when his mom speaks up instead.
“What’re your intentions with my boy?” Her tone is teasing.
“Ma,” Jameson scolds.
“Oh stop it, we’re here to get to know the girl.”
“That’s not what you said.” He looks up at her through the rearview mirror, and I cover my mouth to smother my laughter.
“Sutton, how’d you and my unruly son meet?”
“Unruly?” I sputter, unable to help myself.
“Yes, unruly because if he had any sense he would be settled down by now.”
Jameson groans loudly, and rolls down his window, leaning toward it.
“What’re you doing?” she asks.
“Just thinking about jumping out into traffic, Ma.”
She reaches forward and slaps his arm lightly, and I bark out a loud laugh and quickly slap my hand over my mouth.
“See what I have to deal with?” Jameson raises an eyebrow in my direction quickly before looking back toward the road.
“I’d take this over my parents any day.” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth because I don’t want that to lead to any questions. Luckily, everyone else in the car seems distracted enough that no one comments about what I said.
Jameson drives us out of town toward Aberdeen, which is the closest bigger city and the playful banter with his mom keeps up, though it seems to stay lighthearted. I’m pulled from my wandering thoughts when I feel his warm hand on my thigh.
I look over at him, and see the easy smile on his face, one hand steering, the other resting on me comfortably. He must feel me looking because he says, “Friends can do this.”
Again, I don’t argue, but I have to disagree with him. Friends definitely don’t do this.
We get to the restaurant, and of course before I’m able to open my own door Jameson is there, opening it for me. I notice how his dad is doing the same for his mom, and though the man didn’t say a single word on our drive over here, he helps her out of the lifted truck carefully. I’m staring, but it’s so sweet and even before everything went down in my own family my parents were never like this with each other.
That probably explains why my dad cheated and why my mom didn’t even care.
“Are you okay?” Jameson asks, his hand slipping into mine again. I look up at him, hoping he can’t read me, but the way his blue eyes look at me with so much concern and care has my heart thumping even harder in my chest and I forget about the betrayal I was thinking about. Right now, all that matters is the way this man is looking at me.
“Yeah.” I nod. The weirdest thing is that I don’t yank my hand away from his. I tighten my grip and let him lead us inside.
He doesn’t let go until he’s pulling out my chair for me, and then sits next to me at the table. His dad does the same for his mom and I melt a little more watching them.
Once we’re all sitting and looking at the menu, Jameson’s mom speaks up again, “Sutton, sweetie, I hope you know I was just joking.”
“Oh, it’s okay, Mrs. Turner.” I give her a smile.
“I know you only have good intentions with Jameson. I mean you’re the only girl he’s ever had us meet, and one day I hope to see him get married and?—”
