Fight Me(14)

“Oh, please call me Elizabeth. I’m so glad you are joining us for dinner. It’ll be ready in just a few moments.”

“Well thank you for having me. I know it’s sort of sudden, but…”

“Oh, you just hush, dear. We always have plenty of food to go around. I’m used to making large meals for my growing boys and their friends,” she says as she pats Jake’s stomach.

“Why don’t you come into the kitchen with me and Avery, and Jake can go help the guys move the furniture in the living room.”

“Mom,” Jake says in a tone laced with warning.

“Jake, don’t you worry, honey. We’ll be just fine without you.” She gives me a wink as she steers me towards the kitchen. “I think he’s afraid I’m going to show you his naked baby pictures or tell you all about his embarrassing moments as a child,” she says with a grin. “It’ll have to wait until you come to my house, dear. I just don’t carry them all with me anymore.”

I can’t help but laugh. If I was going to be spending more time with this family, I could definitely see myself enjoying my time with Mrs. Stevens. But, I don’t plan on it. I don’t plan on spending any more time with Jake Stevens. Well, except for tonight. But, it’s just a way of saying thanks for helping me with my sink. After tonight, no more time with Jake.

“Mom, all the side salads are out. Oh, I’m sorry. Who’s this?” A beautiful blond several inches taller than me is standing at the kitchen island removing lids from a bunch of plastic bowls.

“This is Erin Anderson. She came with Jake.” I sense the happiness in her voice as she tells her daughter.

“Jake invited me over since he just finished fixing my sink. I’m not with Jake,” I defend.

Avery looks at me with a big smile on her face. “I like this one already.”

“Me too, honey,” Mrs. Stevens adds with a coy smile.

I stand there staring at the two ladies in front of me feeling like there’s something more going on here.

“What?” I finally ask.

“Oh nothing, dear. Jake just never brings girls to family dinners.”

“Like never,” Avery adds. “The last girl he brought over was that tramp in college. You remember her, mom? The one who was hitting on Nate by the end of the night?”

“Of course I remember, dear. But that has nothing to do with the now.” Mrs. Stevens turns her attention back to me as she goes about final preparations for the meal. “So, Erin. What have you been up to since we saw you last?”

“Well, after I left Rivers Edge, I went to live with my grandma in Jackson, Mississippi. I graduated there and then went on to college earning my Masters in Library Science. I’m still in touch with a friend I went to school with here, so when she mentioned that Mrs. Masterson was retiring, I decided to check into the position. I loved it in Jackson but after my grandma died, I realized I wanted to return to a smaller town. So here I am.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your grandmother. But, I’ll be honest, we are so glad you are back. You were always the nicest child.”

“Yeah, until Jake ruined her,” Avery replied. My heart starts to beat a little faster and my palms start to sweat. I hate being reminded of that horrible day twenty years ago.

“That’s old water under the bridge, Avery. Erin is over that incident, I’m sure.” Mrs. Stevens turned her full attention back to me. “Not that I’m condoning what he did, dear. He was completely in the wrong, and you had every right to be upset and angry.”

I don’t really know how to reply. Am I over the incident? Nope. I still loath Jake Stevens. Before I have to reply, Maddox comes in the back door with a platter full of hamburgers and hotdogs. “Hey, Erin. It’s good to see you,” he says as he sets the platter on the counter in front of his fiancée. He gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. Avery’s smile could blind a person it’s so big. You can feel the love and happiness radiating off of them. It makes me feel little tinges of jealousy which just makes me feel like a horrible person. No one deserves to be happy like Maddox and Avery. I’ve heard a few stories about their past and the love story that led up to today. They seem great together.

“Hi, Maddox. Thanks for including me in dinner tonight.”

Maddox gives Avery a questioning look before she says, “Jake brought her.” The smile never leaves her face.

“Really? Well, isn’t that interesting. I better go see what ol’ Jake is up to, shouldn’t I?”

“He just brought me because he was helping with my sink,” I defend but it’s no use. He’s already walking towards the living room with a smug smile on his face.