She lifted her hand to stifle a giggle. Aiden's dad was quite handsome, for an older guy, and she couldn't help but wonder if Aiden would age just as gracefully. The grandmother was hugging Waverley, who was talking a mile a minute.
Chelsea backed down another step off the porch, but it was too late. Aiden spotted her. "Mom, I brought Chelsea along, too, although she's trying to sneak away. She's a chicken," he said, pulling her to his side by interlocking their fingers.
"Traitor," she whispered before turning a bright smile toward the older couple. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Finally, you bring her home? Sweetheart, the bracelet you sent for my birthday was just lovely. Thanks so much!" The woman moved forward and enveloped Chelsea into a hug.
Chelsea tried to think of an explanation-something that would make the woman think that the gift was from her son, for instance-but came up with nothing.
Instead, she glared at her boss and, when his parents turned to lead Waverley inside, kicked him in the shin.
…
Aiden
He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching as his dad pulled out the old train set. Something about the old toy had a charm which captured Aiden as a child, and Waverley proved no more immune to it than he had. As he set it up, the child examined each car and discussed what they meant with her grandfather.
Aiden could tell they were going to get along great. Behind him, he heard the gentle clunk of dishes and water. His mother preferred to do them by hand, still, and Chelsea had volunteered to help out after dinner. The women's voices were soft, a balm, and Aiden couldn't help but think that, although he hadn't planned things to work out the way they did, he couldn't have asked for more than that one moment of perfection.
He wanted to offer to help, but he could tell his mom was peppering Chelsea with questions-getting to know her-and didn't want to ruin the chance for them to get to know each other. Plus, it was a good excuse not to do dishes.
He wasn't a fool, after all.
When they'd finished, he caught Chelsea from behind for a quick hug and dropped a kiss on her neck before she escaped to the bathroom. Knowing her, she had to text Kimmie an update, so she'd be in there for a minute. Staying behind in the kitchen, he glanced over at his mother who was watching her husband and grandchild with a smile of her own.
"So do you like them?" he asked his mother.
She turned to face him, hands on hips. "What kind of question is that? I'm assuming, as you brought that girl to meet us and haven't with any of the others, that this one is one you might be keeping?"
He nodded. "If I have my way, yes."
"About damn time," she growled. Chelsea came around the corner just in time to hear his mother swear, and her eyes went wide. "You've been talking about Chelsea for how long now? About damn time, and that's the best I have for you, Aiden Ellis Kelley."
She caught the shocked look on Chelsea's face and waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh, dear, don't look shocked. You work with this lot; you can't pretend you're offended by a little rough language."
Chelsea's laughter made his lips twitch. In seconds, he was laughing so hard, he was bent at the waist. His father peeked into the kitchen and asked, "What'd I miss?"
"Just me welcoming this girl to the family," his mother said. Pulling Chelsea into another hug, she said, "Welcome home, Chelsea. I always wanted a daughter, and he brings me a daughter and granddaughter in one night."
Aiden smiled, but then she narrowed her gaze on him. "And you? Meet me on the porch."
She headed that direction, but he paused by Chelsea on his way through. She was tearing up. "Don't cry."
"Did you hear what she said?"
"Yes, and that's why I said don't cry." He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Be right back."
She sniffled again and swatted his ass. "Go get 'em, tiger."
"Don't ever do that again," he warned her.
She smiled unrepentantly and went to help with the train.
On the porch, the night was crisp and the crickets were chirping. He glanced around at the neatly situated neighborhood-a far nicer place than the one he'd grown up in. When he'd offered to buy his parents a house, he thought they'd choose to live in the city, near him.
Instead, they'd asked for this. A quiet place, filled with small-town charm, even though it was in the suburbs. "What's up, Mom?"
He leaned on the railing to the porch while his mother sat on the swing, moving her legs gently. "You're going to marry her?"