Michael (Wild Men #8)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Michael

My vacation at Wild Ranch is turning into a vacation with Emery Walker. I still spend plenty of time with my cousins, but Emery and I grow closer by the day. We go on hikes, drive into the mountains, and spend loads of time in bed. The sex is unbelievable, but I also enjoy the talking. Intimate conversations under the veil of darkness with no one else awake but us.

Whenever a woman used to try to get to know me, I would shut it down fast.

And yet with Emery, I find myself looking forward to hanging out after we have sex. She gets me. I never felt like anyone ever did before.

“You and I are total opposites,” I say to her one morning. “Sometimes, I’m amazed we fit.”

She kisses me. “And yet we do.”

Yes. We do.

“After I hang out with my mom, do you want to meet later at Cowboy Aromas?”

“Sure. ”

I kiss her goodbye, and I’m about to leave the cabin when my phone rings.

“Hi, Lynn,” I say after swiping the screen. “How are you?”

“Wonderful, dear. I’m calling to invite you over tomorrow,” she says.

“The birthday girl.” I grin. “I’m lucky I’m in town. How are you planning to celebrate?”

“I want a very small party,” she says. “Just you and Ayden and his family, and my niece and her parents.”

I choke on the sip of water I’m taking.

“Are you okay, Mikey?”

“Fine,” I get out. “Just went down the wrong pipe.”

“So I’ll see you tomorrow? I’ll text you the details.”

“Um…sure. See you then.”

I don’t know if Emery wants her aunt to know about us. Lynn is pretty traditional, and I’m not sure how she’d feel about no-strings affair with an expiration date.

Emery

Mom and I are red-faced and sweating by the time we leave the tennis courts.

“I finally beat you,” I tease her as we stop at my parents’ house down the street to shower and change.

“I was off my game today,” she says with a smile.

I get dressed in my old bedroom after a quick refreshing shower. When I walk out into the living room, I’m wearing a clean version of what I wore to the tennis courts—a graphic tee and faded blue cut-offs with flip-flops instead of sneakers.

Mom, on the other hand, glides into the living room in a floor-length pale yellow and blue skirt that she’s paired with a white blouse and matching pumps.

“You look hot, Mom.” I pretend to fan myself.

She laughs and pats her gray stylish bob. “I’m too old to be hot, darling.”

“We’re never too old to look good,” I say as we leave the house and go to grab lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

My mom and I chat about mostly everything, so as we drive to the restaurant, I fill her in on Michael and me. “It’s casual,” I caution her. “So don’t get too excited.”

She promises not to, but as I tell her about our connection through Tony, I can see her enthusiasm building. She’s not one of those mothers who just wants to marry her daughter off. She’d be fine if I stayed single forever. But she also knows me, and she can tell when I’m happy and when I’m not.

“You’re happy,” she says as we sit down at La Casa and place our order. “You like this young man a lot .”

I try to protest, but what’s the use? I’m infatuated with Michael. I do like him a lot .

“So tell me more about him.” Mom’s eyes fill with emotion. “What a tragic coincidence about his daddy and Uncle Tony.”

“I know. I can’t imagine how hard it was.”

“He sounds like he’s got a good head on his shoulders. But it must have been very hard to go through his teenage years without a father.”

“I think his whole life has been shaped by that event.” I take a sip of my water. “He’s a good person. We’re having fun together.”

“I love that you’re so happy, honey.” Mom’s eyes brighten.

I got lucky with my parents. They truly love me unconditionally, and not only that, we actually like each other. My mom is a best friend to me, and I would hang out with her even if we weren’t related .

“Thanks, Mom.” I swirl a tortilla chip through my guacamole.

“Have you told Aunt Lynn?”

“Nope. I’ve been a little preoccupied.”

“You can tell her the sex is out of this world,” Mom jokes.

I laugh. I haven’t actually told my mom anything about sex with Michael, but she knows me well, and apparently, she’s decided I’m getting it on the regular now. She wouldn’t be wrong.

“Mom!” I say. “You know Aunt Lynn is a little more conservative than we are.”

She chuckles. “I know. But it would be fun to say, don’t you think?”

“Not really. I think she’d die of embarrassment, and I wouldn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.”

“Well, don’t worry about your aunt. You tell her when you’re ready. I won’t say a word.”

“I appreciate that. Michael is…he’s unlike any guy I’ve ever dated. He’s brave and grumpy and sweet and hard to read all at the same time.”

“He sounds fascinating.” Mom takes a bite of her burrito.

“He is,” I say. “But you know, we’re keeping it casual. He lives in Maine for goodness sake. That’s clear across the country. And he’s got fears of losing a loved one.”

“That’s understandable after what he went through,” Mom says. “But you seem to like him a lot. I hope it works out for you two. And I can’t wait to meet him soon.”

After my lunch with Mom, I head over to Cowboy Aromas.

Michael’s not here yet, so I order an iced latte and take a seat by the window .

When he arrives a few minutes later, he kisses me on the cheek and slides into the chair across from me at the table.

He hasn’t shaved the last two days, and the extra facial scruff is so sexy on him. The afternoon is cool and rainy, and he’s wearing a dark blue button-down shirt and long shorts.

“Hopefully this latte will stay in the cup until I drink it,” I joke.

“I’m going to go order,” he says. “Be right back.”

While I’m waiting for him, I scroll through my texts I never got to today.

When I see my aunt’s birthday invite, I quickly text her back a “can’t wait.”

“So your aunt called me,” Michael says as he returns to the table with a coffee and a pastry.

He offers me half the pastry, and when I nod, he carefully cuts it in half and hands me a piece.

“Did she invite you to her party tomorrow?” I ask him.

He widens his eyes. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

I laugh. “Because she sent me an invite, silly. It’s going to be so fun!”

“So you’re okay with Lynn knowing we’re together?”

“Of course!” I playfully pat his hand. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. I thought she might disapprove of the casual nature of things between us.”

“She might, but I don’t care. She’ll be happy I’m happy. So will my dad. And my mom already knows about you.”

His face when I mention my parents…I burst into laughter at how he scrunches his nose.

“You are so funny!” I tell him. “You’re actually nervous to meet my parents.”

“I’m not,” he says quickly.

“You are! I can’t believe it…Michael Wild, who goes out on th e water in treacherous conditions and has endured so many scares, is afraid to meet a girl’s mom and dad.”

He tries to protest again, but I keep laughing, and he finally grins.

“Your laugh is infectious,” he tells me.

“That’s the nicest thing you could say to me,” I tell him, sincerely touched. “I do enjoy being happy.”

“You’re a ray of sunshine,” he says, his tone soft and affectionate. “I wish I had a hundredth of your joy.”

“Maybe I have enough for the both of us, and you can share your courage with me.”

“I don’t think of myself as courageous,” he says.

“You darn well should,” I argue him. “To run a fishing crew and get them all home safe is a daily lesson in bravery.”

His eyes roam over my face. “You’re certainly good for a man’s ego.”

“I’m completely serious.”

“I know you are. And I appreciate the compliment.” He reaches across the table for my hand. “I have a surprise for you. Are you free tonight?”

I smile. “That’s the beauty of going on vacation by yourself. I can do whatever I want. And I want to spend tonight with you.”