Roxy wipes away the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I’m so jealous of you. I mean . . . not trying to move in on yours, but I need a man!”
“It’ll happen. Probably when you least expect it,” I tell Roxy, hugging her before exchanging hugs with Bri and Gavin. “You’re going to find a man just as awesome as these two men,” I say, gesturing at Oliver and Gavin.
“Nah, luck never runs in threes. I’m gonna be lucky if I don’t end up with a loser who stalks me and tries to count my pussy hairs.”
Brianna gawks at Roxy for a second before turning to look at me. “You’re right, she is worse than you. How am I ever supposed to let my Rafe near you two?”
“Ear plugs. Good ear plugs.”
“Mom, it’s me!” Oliver hollers as we get out of his Audi. After a five-hour “sneak preview opening,” I’m not sure if I’m ready for any more today, but I insisted on this after Oliver’s proposal. There’s no way in hell I’m meeting my soon-to-be mother-in-law at the wedding. I’m assuming I’m already going to have to meet his father that way.
“You know, she’s gonna be pissed about this,” I whisper under my breath.
“You’ll be okay,” he reassures me. “My mom is a sweetheart. Just ignore my brother and you’ll be okay.”
“You know, you didn’t have to do this,” I say as I see the front door open. “I mean, we could have taken her to dinner or something.”
“I got to meet your family right in their home. Now you get to meet mine,” Oliver says with a smirk. “Or is my princess afraid?”
“Oh, hell no,” I growl, punching him lightly in the shoulder as the screen opens and a woman who’s a little older than Mom comes out. She’s got Oliver’s hair, and while she’s not as energetic as Mom, the love in her eyes as she comes out and hugs Oliver is evident.
“Mom, you’re looking good. I’d like you to meet . . .”
The woman’s eyes go wide as she takes me in, smiling. “Is this the girl you left to go see all those weeks back?”
Oliver nods proudly, putting his arms around me. “Yes, Mom. Sorry, I know I’ve been caught up in getting the cafe open, but . . . well, Mom, this is Mindy Price. We’re getting married.”
“Oh, my God,” his mom says. “She’s beautiful. Come in, come in!”
We go inside, where I see a younger version of Oliver coming in from the back yard. “You must be Anthony.”
“Yeah,” Anthony says, looking a little shocked. “Holy shit. Oliver, you brought in a dime piece.”
“And your head is about to be a showpiece if you don’t show some respect,” Oliver growls, but before the boys can continue, their mother steps between them.
“Now, now, boys, none of that,” she says with a chuckle. “Anthony, you know better than that.”
I laugh, waving it off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve heard far worse.”
We visit for another two hours. After dinner, the brothers volunteer to wash up the dishes while I talk with their mother. She goes outside, where she lights up for a moment before staring at the cigarette in her hand and crushing it underfoot. “Nope, no more of those. I want to see grandbabies someday, and I won’t be doing that with cancer sticks all the time.”
“Thanks,” I concede. “So Oliver told you almost everything, huh?”
“Almost,” she says, chuckling. “Never has told me just why the hell you two took a dog for a walk for all those hours, but I’m sure you had your reasons.”
I blush in the deep purple twilight, nodding. “Yeah, well, your son . . . he’s good for me.”
“You’re good for him too,” she says, smiling. “When he came to town, he was so bitter at his father, and I can understand that. But he was going down the same path his father did, all business and no heart . . . until he met you. So thank you. And Mindy?”
“Yes?”
Oliver’s mom comes over and gives me a hug. “I’m going to love having you as a daughter-in-law.”
I hug her back, happy. “I’m going to love having another mother, it seems.”
Epilogue
“How’s it going guys?” I ask, sticking my head in the door. I don’t work the line anymore. Mindy’s Corner has grown fast enough that we hired a real chef and staff within six months, and now, two years after opening, we’re going strong.
“Doing well, Mr. Steele,” Jake, the head chef, says. “Hey, when you’ve got a minute, I want you to try something.”