Page 32 of Spring Break with a Bass Player
“Honestly, it’s just so nice to finally meet the woman our son has been talking about for months,” Erin says sweetly as Lettie tries to hide a laugh by coughing into her hand.
“Months,huh?” I murmur as I tilt my face to look at Bridger. His expression is somewhere betweenguilty as chargedandI can’t believe my mom just said that.“I can only imagine,” I say tightly, my brain on a loop of how aggravated I’d been every single day with the man I’m holding on to like a lifeline.
“Don’t worry.” Erin laughs. “These Cole men take a little getting used to.” She pats Troy’s leg fondly.
“I think I’m supposed to be offended,” Bridger stage-whispers to me, making everyone laugh as Erin rolls her eyes.
“You guys love big right from the start, but therest of usneed time to catch up.”
“Jesus, Mom, could younotscare her off?”
I can feel him tense even though he’s trying to make it a joke, but as much as I fought him to get here, I like being with him.
I like it a lot.
“It is rather exhausting being your girlfriend,” I muse, my lips twitching when his head whips to mine. “All that smiling and happiness.” I lift one shoulder and let it drop as Bridger’s face splits into a grin. “It’s a lot to get used to.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” he rasps, his eyes sparkling as he watches me.
“You’ve already made plans for Christmas, Band Camp.”
I didn’t mean to use his nickname in front of everyone, and my cheeks heat when Lettie starts laughing. Leaning in, Bridger kisses my cheek, his lips warm and soft, the touch melting a little of my nerves away.
“You two are just adorable,” Erin exclaims as we turn our attention back to them. “Honey, maybe we should look for a house while we’re down here. What do you think? Bridger and Saige are here and Lettie is staying. It makes sense for us to be closer.”
“If we can find someone who knows the area.” Troy looks at me with a wink and I nod.
“Whenever you’re ready, I’d be happy to find some properties to see,” I tell them as Bridger all but launches himself off the couch, excitement pouring off him in waves.
It was a hard secret to keep—not just that I voluntarily reached out to his parents in order to show him I’m serious about us, but that they’d shared their plans to move down here now that Troy is in the clear.
“You knew,” Lettie mouths to me, and I shrug as her lips curve up. “Thank you.” Her eyes are watery now and so are mine because I helped make this happen. The love and relief in the room are palpable, and I’m so humbled to be a part of it.
So I lean into it, the feeling of togetherness and family and the butterflies in my stomach. Because I deserve this too…right?
21
SAIGE
“Ican’t believe you lied to your parents,” I say as we make the short walk to my house. Begrudgingly, I can admit that tonight had been fun, and I’d had a good time.
“About what?”
“About me being nice.”
He snorts. “Youarenice.”
“I’m not and Idefinitelywasn’t when you moved in.”
“You just needed to warm up to me,” he murmurs into my neck, my back pressed to his front as I open my door.
“Andyouare not getting any action with your parents right next door,” I tell him, turning the knob and stepping inside.
“That’s fine but what about you?” he says, his voice low and full of promise as he spins us and pins my back to the door. “You’ve seen me play; you know how good I am with my fingers.”
I gasp, the noise half want and half surprise as he flicks open the button on my jeans and waits.
“Speculation,” I goad and he grunts, sliding the zipper down a tiny bit before stopping.
