Tori took a deep breath. “Thank you, Stacy.”
“Now sit. Let’s have a glass of wine together before the craziness ensues.”
Stacy poured a glass for each of them. Tori lifted hers. “To Ethan, Riley, Zoey, and as-yet-unnamed baby boy Kent.”
Stacy raised her glass. “Salute!”
Tori took a sip. “Good wine.”
“It is good. I put Brody in charge of choosing the wine.”
Tori arched a brow. “Really? I had no idea he even knew anything about wine.”
“Well, you two are still learning about each other now that you’re dating, aren’t you?”
Uh-oh. “I...guess so.”
Stacy patted her hand. “Relax. I’m not going to meddle. Much.” She smiled behind the rim of the glass.”
Tori didn’t know what to say to that. “Stacy, I—”
“Is my mother giving you the third degree?”
Thank God for Brody’s timely arrival, because she would have had no idea how to talk about Brody with his mother.
“I was not,” Stacy said, giving Brody a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
He leaned against the counter. “Tell me again what I’m doing at a baby shower?”
“You were invited,” Stacy said. “Riley wanted a couples shower. And since you and Tori are now a couple...”
“I’m sure I heard Wyatt calling me,” Brody said, winking at Tori before he dashed out of the room.
“Coward,” Stacy said. “I’ll corner you yet today.”
Tori laughed. “I don’t think he’s comfortable yet thinking about the two of us together.”
“Well, the only thing I’m going to say about it is that it’s about time.”
“A lot of people seem to be saying that.”
“And you aren’t?”
She shrugged. “I’m just...taking it day by day.”
“Look, Tori. I have no rose-colored glasses on when it comes to my son. I know all about his notorious reputation with women.”
Good lord. She did not want to have this conversation. She prayed Calliope would come in soon. “Uh, reputation?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know what a womanizer he’s been in the past. But I also know he would never intentionally hurt you. There are too many people in this family who care about you. I think he’s changed, Tori.”
“He and I are getting along great.” So far.
“Good. And I’m sure it’ll stay that way. He might not have always been the best when it comes to relationships, but he’s not stupid. He knows a great thing when he sees it. And you’re the best thing to happen to him in a long time, Tori.”
Her eyes stung as tears welled up. “Thank you, Stacy. I’m glad you think so.”
“Aww, come here, honey. “ Stacy folded her into her arms and hugged her tight. “I know you had a crappy family. You know no matter what happens, we’ll always be here for you.”
She squeezed Stacy and hoped what she said was true, because losing Brody would be devastating enough. Losing the whole Kent family would destroy her.
* * *
Baby showers were okay, if you liked blue shirts and blue outfits and blue hats and blue booties and blue everything and women oooh-ing and aaah-ing for an hour as every package was opened.
Thank God for beer or Brody would have never survived this. But Tori seemed to enjoy the present-opening part, and even his brothers had gotten into it, though he had no idea why Wyatt seemed so interested.
He smirked when Riley and Ethan opened his gift, a miniature construction bench with wooden hammer, wrench and the like.
“Oh, Brody, this is awesome,” Riley said. She patted her belly. “My little construction worker, just like his daddy.”
“Yeah, should be fun when he’s bangin’ on it while you’re trying to sleep.”
“Gee, thanks, Brody,” Ethan said.
“You’re welcome, bro.”
Tori nudged him. “Such a cute gift.”
“I did it to annoy my brother.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s adorable.”
“You think every gift is adorable.” But he grasped her hand and squeezed it, and she laid her head on his shoulder while the rest of the gifts were opened.
After that there was food, which he had to admit was his favorite part. He stuffed himself, then went into the kitchen to toss his plate.
“Hey,” his mom said, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him.
His family was demonstrative, and rampant huggers. He kind of liked that about them, so he held her close. “Good party, Mom.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” She tilted her head back. “Riley and Ethan seem to be having a great time and they received some lovely gifts.”
“Yeah, if you like that baby stuff.”
“Oh, you.” She pushed at him and he let her go. “Maybe it’s time you started thinking about that baby stuff.”
“I don’t have the right equipment, Mom.”
She rolled her eyes and climbed up to sit on a stool at the center island to sip her wine while he grabbed another beer out of the fridge.
“You know what I’m talking about. A wife. A family of your own.”
“Don’t you have your hands full with the new grandson on the way?”
“I have enough love in my heart for a house full of grandchildren. And you’re dodging the inevitable conversation.”
He took a long swallow of beer. “What conversation is that?”
“You and Tori.”
“What about me and Tori?”
“Are you serious about her?”
“I don’t know. Things are progressing.”
His mom took a sip of wine, then laid her glass down. “Brody, you know I love you like you’re my own son.”
“Ha, ha, Mom.”
She winked at him. “Seriously, I love Tori like she’s family, too. And I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“But it’s okay if I do?”
She frowned. “You think she’s going to hurt you?”
“I don’t know.” He looked around. They were alone in the kitchen. “I’m not used to relationships.”
“Obviously, since you’ve been manwhoring your way through nearly every woman in town since you were seventeen.”
“Jesus, Mom.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? I don’t live under a rock, you know. You’ve never had a steady relationship with a woman.”
“I’ve been busy with the company.”
“That’s an excuse to avoid commitment.”
“And you watch too much Dr. Phil.”
“Actually, I’m into Dr. Oz now, but that’s beside the point. You might want to blow me off as not knowing what I’m talking about, but I’ve been married to your father for thirty-seven years. And we’ve had our rough patches. He’s hurt me and I’ve hurt him, but we have a strength in our love that’s binded us.”
Brody sucked in a breath. He knew the reason he and his brothers were solid was because of his parents, the upbringing they had. “I know love and marriage isn’t easy. Except for you and Dad, of course.”
His mom laughed. “Before your dad and I met and fell in love, I had my heart broken a few times by guys who couldn’t commit, and despite me being deliriously happy with your father, I know the pain of having my heart broken. It’s a pain you don’t ever forget, so don’t stand here and insult me by insinuating that I don’t have personal experience in matters of love and heartbreak.”
He’d never had this kind of conversation with his mother. “Okay. I’m sorry, Mom.”
She scooted off the stool and came over to him and laid her hand in his. “I love you. Above all, I will always love you, no matter what. But I love Tori, too, and that girl has been through hell and back in her life. She looks at your father and I as family. She looks at Ethan and Wyatt as her brothers. But she has never once looked at you as family.”
“No?”
“No. That girl has been in love with you since she was a teenager. Open your eyes, Brody, and be careful not to hurt her. Or if you realize she’s not the one for you and you know you’re going to hurt her, then let her down gently, and don’t alienate her from the family she loves and who love her.”
Fuck. “Yeah. Okay. I understand.”
“Good. Then I’ll butt out from now on. I love you, son.” She reached up, grabbed his head and pulled him down for a kiss on his cheek. “I need to go ogle the cute baby gifts and take a few hundred more pictures.”
After she left the kitchen, he downed the rest of his beer and grabbed another.
Talk about a Come to Jesus meeting. His mother had read him the riot act and had done it in her most gentle, sweetest voice, just like she always had done when they were kids. She’d never had to raise her voice to them. Calm reason had them dropping their chins to their chests and confessing their sins before they knew what was up.
Now he had to figure out what the hell he was going to do about what she’d told him.
It was one thing to have fun with Tori, to have a relationship with her because it wasn’t complicated, and because it was what the two of them wanted.
It was another thing entirely to have the entire town and his family eagle-eyeing his every move.
“There you are.”
He turned around as Tori entered the kitchen.
“I wondered where you’d disappeared to. Too much baby blue for you?” she asked with a grin.
“Yeah. Way heavy on baby land out there.”
She laughed. “I think they’re set for Baby Boy Kent’s first couple years after that shower.”
“It seems that way.”
She tucked herself under his arm. “Things are wrapping up out there if you want to make your escape.”
That was the nice thing about Tori. She always gave him an out and wasn’t the clingy type. “Are you hanging here for a while?”
She nodded. “I’ll help clean up the disaster after everyone leaves. I don’t want to leave that for your mom or Calliope to deal with.”
And she was generous, always thinking of others before herself. “Then I’ll stay and help, too.”
“Are you sure? We can handle it.”
He bent and brushed his lips across hers, loving the way she yielded against him.
Maybe it was time he stopped thinking and worrying about what other people thought and focused only on what he felt. “If you can handle it, then so can I. Later, you and I can make our escape.”
Her eyes sparkled with promise. “I love the sound of that.”
* * *
Exhausted and giddy from the baby shower, Tori was more than a little thrilled when Brody had asked her to follow him to his place after.
He’d spent the evening looking like a miserable cornered deer. She knew it wouldn’t be his kind of venue, but he’d been a trooper about it. She supposed that’s what family did for each other, at least family that cared about each other, another reason she loved all the Kents. They stood up for each other and by each other, even during the uncomfortable events. Even Brody’s dad had showed up and dutifully showed enthusiasm over every baby item that had been unveiled.
Now she was exhausted and more than ready to kick off her uncomfortable shoes, so when she pulled into Brody’s driveway, he came to meet her at her car.
“Pull into the garage. It looks like rain tonight.”
She laughed. “My car has more golf-ball-sized hail dings on it than I can count. I don’t think a little rain will hurt it.”
“Pull it into the garage, Tori.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
It seemed weird to park her car next to his truck. Silly perhaps, but it made them look like a couple and she hadn’t yet reconciled them to that place yet.
He waited for her to get out, then held the door for her as she walked in from the garage.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Very. But it was a nice baby shower, and I’m glad it went well, both for Riley and for your mom, who was stressed about the details.”
“And now it’s over.”
She kicked off her shoes inside the door. “Yes. Thank God. Now it’s over.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
“A giant glass of ice water would be great.” She’d had a couple glasses of wine and a few beers throughout the night but plenty of food, so fortunately she wasn’t buzzed, just tired. When Brody handed her the water, she took several swallows.
Brody swept his hand over her hair. “You look tired.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “That’s a euphemism for I look like hell, right?”
He laughed. “No, it means there are dark circles under your eyes like you need some sleep. Let’s go to bed.”
She couldn’t argue with him. “That sounds good. I am tired.”
They went upstairs and she realized how comfortable she’d grown undressing and climbing into bed with him. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, then kissed the top of her head.
She closed her eyes, relaxing into his body, smoothing her hand over his chest, drifting across his abs, then even lower. She could never get enough of touching him. Every moment they had together was precious to her, because she never knew when it would end.
“You keep touching me like that you’re not going to get to sleep.”
She lifted her head, searching his face in the darkness as she wrapped her hand around the hot, thick, oh-so-hard part of him. “I’m not that tired, you know.”