Page 144 of On Merit Alone
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Merit
Arms bracketedmy sides as I sifted through the items in my trunk. I ignored the man they belonged to as he sidled up behind me. This was serious.
“I thought you said you weren’t nervous,” he murmured near my ear. It sounded suspiciously like a muffled groan.
I speared him with a look. “If you don’t want to wait, go inside.”
A hand gripped my hip and squeezed. “Don’t nip, Mer. Just tell me what I’m looking at and I’ll help.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I asked, waving a hand in front of me.
“That you insisted on driving yourself so that you had room to bring all your earthly belongings?” he asked, the smartass in his voice teasing. It nicked at the corners of my composure, fraying them.
“No.” I turned to him. “I can’t show up empty-handed, but I’ve never met your parents, and you never talk about them in detail, so I don’t know if I should bring in wine because what if they don’t drink? Or the fruit because what if they’re allergic? I made this red, white, and blue rice cereal thing, but it has marshmallows in it, and what if they hate those too? And?—”
My voice cracked, emotion I didn’t know was plaguing me threatening to get out.
“Hey, hey,” Ira said softly. Stepping forward he immediately removed the two different wine options from my grasp and set them down in the trunk behind me before grabbing onto both sides of my face. “Easy, yeah? Breathe with me and calm down.”
I did, feeling his steady chest over mine as he held onto me.
“It’s just my family, Merit. They are going to love and accept anything you bring,” he assured me.
“But—”
He kissed me softly, but only once letting his forehead remain on mine as he pulled away. “But nothing. Bring every last thing in there, and they will be happy. Bring nothing, and they will be happy. It’s not stuff they want in there, it’s you. The real you. So I’m going to need you to shake this softy loose and bring back my girl. Alright?”
My eyebrow raised even as my insides did a little happy dance. “Your girl, huh?”
He smiled. “Don’t play. You know?—”
“Ira Thomas King! You better leave that girl alone and bring your behind in here!” a sweet but serious older voice called from the direction of the front door. I was parked at the very end of the driveway and being half seated in the open trunk, it might sort of seem like we were hiding back here.Or doing something else…
I rolled my lips into my mouth, bugging my eyes in a way that said, “Thomas?”
Ira ignored me as he tried (and lost) to fight his smile. Then he called back, “Listenwoman, I told her you were patient. Are you trying to make me a liar?”
A beat went by, and then a dramatic sigh filled the air, “I’m sorry! Just get in here soon. Dad wants to start grilling and needs to know what everyone wants.”
I elbowed Ira when I realized she was retreating, motioningquickly to the spread in the back of my car. Not missing a beat he popped his head from around the side of the trunk. “Ma, hold up! Red or white wine?”
“We’ll take whatever you have. You know your brother eats for three. Let’s go kids,” she said.
Back around on my side, Ira raised his eyebrows as if to say‘see.’I still wasn’t convinced, but I was a little more put at ease after hearing them talking to each other. Ira was right, they were similar. And if there was anyone I could get along with, it was this guy.
Ira’s parent’s home reminded me a lot of his own. Light warm colors covered the walls. Family photos scattered around showcasing core memories. The smell of clean floors and cooking filling the air.
We left our shoes by the door, something he’d picked up from his mom I guess, and went straight into the brown and white kitchen to drop off my offerings. On the stove there were a few different pots cooking with different sides and a stone pot of what smelled like chili. On the middle island there was a large drink dispenser filled with lemonade. And tucked into a cake holder above the fridge were a couple of different cakes I already couldn’t wait to eat.
Curiously, as I led the way into the room with Ira directing me as he held the bulk of my offerings, there was no one to be found. I could have sworn the driveway was full of cars when we arrived, but the house was quiet even as we got into what looked to be the main area with a kitchen that was attached to a living room and beyond.
Looking over my shoulder, I caught Ira’s eye. “Where is everyone?”
“You don’t have to whisper, Six. They’re one hundred percent listening either way,” he said. “And I told them not to crowd you. So they’re holding back.”
My eyebrows pinched. “Why?”
