Page 161 of Huckleberry Hill
“Sullivan—my mother’s maiden name. Come on, you have to tell me. Is it something like Mortimer?”
“No.”
“I won’t make fun of you.”
“Oh, you will. I’d expect nothing less from you actually.”
“We’re not supposed to have secrets, remember?”
He sighed. “Copernicus.”
I blinked. “Copernicus. Like the astronomer?”
“Yep.”
I attempted to swallow my own lips to keep the laughter inside.
“Go ahead.”
I burst into laughter, startling Tempest who looked up in confusion. I patted her head, and she settled down immediately.
“That’s the most endearing thing I’ve ever heard,” I said. “Copernicus? How did you get that name?”
“I don’t even know,” he admitted. “It’s not like it’s a family name. My mom just liked it.”
“I think I’m going to like your mother quite a bit,” I said with a shake of my head.
He stilled.
My smile dropped. “What? What did I say?”
“You said you’d like my mom.”
I frowned. “Should I not have said that?”
“No, I mean—you’d be okay . . . with meeting her?”
“Of course I’d be okay with meeting her. Declan, what’s this?—”
Declan leaned forward and covered my lips with his. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
“Why? Because I want to meet your mom?”
“Yes.”
“People meet each other’s parents when they’re in a relationship. It’s just what they do. Hell, you sit at family meals with mine on a regular basis at this point. My dad got you hammered! I’m sure your mom would be a cakewalk, comparatively.”
He smiled slightly. “Maybe I’ll invite her out this summer.”
“Summer’s a gorgeous time here.” I nodded.
Declan touched my forehead. “Just seeing if you have a fever.”
“Why would I have a fever?” I laughed.
He dropped his hand. “Because not too long ago, you refused to have any sort of conversation about the future, or feelings for me, or calling our relationship a relationship. Now, you’re all about meeting my mother.”
I rolled my eyes. “Once I gave myself permission not to worry about what other people thought, it suddenly became very freeing.”
