Page 30 of Love Beyond the Illusion
“Beautiful,” he says, running his tender hands down my arms.
“Thanks.”
When he notices that I’m not bothered anymore, he releases me and turns around to grab his keys from the counter in the small kitchen. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s go meet your mother.”
Once again, Jack and I take the ride over to the restaurant in silence. Every so often, I’ll hear him clear his throat over the music. But when a certain track comes on, I catch the corner of Jack’s mouth curve upward. “This is one of my favorite songs.” Maybe that can break the tension? “I love “Rock the Casbah” by The Clash,” I blurt out, looking over at him. Jack rubs his lips together, holding back a smile. I stare at him for a moment, trying to get a read. My eyebrows pinch together. “I sure hope you aren’t smirking at this song.”
With his hands on the wheel, he glances over at me. “It’s not that, I love this track—”
“I do like the remix by Solar Twins a lot more,” I add, cutting him off.
Jack’s half-smile turns into a full smile that covers his entire face. “Oh, I know you do.”
I sit straighter in my seat, planting my palms on my waist. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You don’t remember dancing on that tiny side table while we were having a drink at that lounge in Vegas?”
My face slowly turns red as the memory instantly comes back. “Oh my god. Yes, I did do that, didn’t I?”
“Fun times.” He briefly laughs before his face quickly turns stoic once again.
As we pull into the small parking lot, I stare out the window at this quaint, old-town shopping area filled with restaurants and wine bars.
Jack turns the car off and twists in his seat to face me. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, continuing to take in the shops. Across the street is a bicycle shop that looks like it rents bikes to people to take on wine tours.Because getting plastered while riding a bike in the sun sounds like a fabulously safe idea.
Jack’s face softens, sensing my uneasiness. “My mother is warm and friendly. I’m sure she will love you just as much as you will love her.”
“Thanks.” I force a smile.
He gets out of the car and comes around to my side to open the door. I step out and sling my purse across my body, ready to put on a show.
“We should probably hold hands,” he suggests, slipping his hand into mine. It’s a little stiff at first, but then they slowly mold together. My heart beats fast in my chest from nerves—or our closeness. I’m not sure which one it is.
“There’s my mom.” Jack gestures to a woman with short blonde hair walking toward us from the other end of the parking lot.
With my free hand, I start to pick at the button on my jacket again.
“Stop fidgeting.” He quietly chuckles.
“Okay, okay.” I smile at Jack’s mom as she takes the last few steps toward us.
Up close, Heidi looks a lot like Jack. She has his electric blue eyes and perfect bone structure. She looks young for having a son in his mid-twenties, but I can also tell she has spent a lot of time outside in the vineyards based on her sun-kissed skin. She’s beautiful.
“Piper! It’s so good to meet you, sweetie,” she exclaims, extending her arms to me for a full-body hug.
“It’s great to meet you as well,” I return, smiling.
She turns to her son, giving him the same deep embrace. “Good to see you.”
“I’m glad Piper was able to come out.” He squeezes my hand.
“Yes, it’s lovely.” Heidi turns to me, scrunching her nose. “My son has never brought a woman home. All the what—ten years you lived in Arizona? Not once did he let me or his dad meet someone he was dating.”
Jack clears his throat. “Okay, Mom.”
