Page 41 of Good Girl's Guide to Love
He sits up a little straighter as I turn back the conversation. “I’m guessing Katie is going to make sure we’re seen out. So dinners, when we can squeeze them in. I have some charity things and team functions that people would assume you would attend with me. And of course, if you can make it to games—that’s the easiest.”
“That should be no problem,” I say. “Oh, just wait until I tell my brother I’m going to be going to Fury games. He’s…”
The words die on my lips as I look out of the window of the diner. I watch four very familiar people looking around outside on the street, acting as if they’re lost, until they spot me staring at them through the window.
“What?” Linc says, looking out the window in a panic. “Is someone watching us?”
I nod, but I don’t blink. “Yes. My siblings.”
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linc
I lookout the window of the diner, not really sure what I’m about to see.
And somehow, without knowing who Ainsley’s siblings, are, I know when I see them immediately.
“I’m going to kill them.”
I choke on a laugh, because what I’m looking at right now is downright comical. Three of them are wearing all black. The fourth has long, dark hair and is wearing normal casual clothes for a Sunday. She also looks annoyed as hell at the other three. There’s one guy among them, and he’s pushing a stroller. The two black-clad women are looking around like they’re auditioning for the next spy movie. Honestly, I’m ready for the blonde to start jumping on cars.
“What are they doing?” I ask as I watch the guy quickly look away from the window, clearly trying to do his best to look casual but massively failing.
Ainsley shakes her head and throws in an eye roll. “Not having boundaries.”
She throws down her napkin and pushes away from the table, marching to the front door.
“What are you idiots doing?”
I look back through the window to see all of them freeze at Ainsley’s yell.
“I told you she’d see us,” the non-black-wearing woman says.
“She wouldn’t have if you would’ve worn black, Maeve!”
“It wasn’t the black, dumbass,” she replies to the man. “It’s that she was sitting in front of a window, and you’re not stealthy. You’re on the downhill slope to forty and pushing a baby stroller.”
“How dare you!” he yells.
“Will you four just get in here? You’re causing a scene, and I’ve had enough over the past twenty-four hours.”
I stand up from my chair realizing that I need to think quickly right now.
This is Ainsley’s family. I know they were already worried about her today, based on her reaction to the group texting. But for them to track her down and come here, and clearly with some level of planning, feels like a lot. Is this a normal family thing? Or just a her-family thing?
I’ve never met a family in the capacity of a boyfriend. Actually, I’ve rarely met families. In high school and college, I didn’t have serious girlfriends, so I never had to deal with a dad greeting me at the front door with a baseball bat. Even my friend group wasn’t the kind who had moms who were inviting us over for Sunday dinners. The only one who would’ve done that was my Gram, but she hated my friends and told me they were bad influences.
She wasn’t wrong.
The only time I’ve ever met anyone’s family was at Mississippi State. Wyatt would always make sure to invite me to dinner when his parents were in town. I knew why he did it—Gram was too old to travel at that point, which meant I never had anyone coming to see me play on Saturdays or take me outfor a decent meal—but they never made me feel bad about it. I always appreciated that.
But this is not that. The Atkinses were trying to make me feel included.
Ainsley’s family is ready to put me under the interrogation lamp.
“Well, well, this must be my sister’s new boyfriend.”
I swallow the sudden lump in my throat, and wipe my hand on my shorts just to make sure I’m not sweating. “I am. Linc Kincaid.”
