Page 46 of Refurbished

As if he could read my mind, Ramsey grabbed a stuffed Orlando that was made specifically as a dog toy. Amelia had included them in the goody bags because ‘these are animal lovers, they have pets at home’. Amelia was wonderful. She accepted me as her son’s partner and had done so much to make this event a success. It was a wonderful surprise that on some of the nights her son worked, she would show up after feeding, with dinner and a story about her son. Amelia was an unexpected bonus to being with Angus. The pride she had in him was something so pure you couldn’t help but wish you were her child. Amelia also had a gentle way of looking out for him without being too pushy. There were days she would ask about his eating, then she would offer me suggestions on how to see signs of his disorder.

“Did Angus make it to his appointment today?” She asked me while we finished some enchiladas she brought over.

I smiled at her. Sometimes I wanted to tell her it was my job to fuss over him now. It would be okay if she let me take the reins, but I realized that as his mother, she would never relinquish that job. “He did. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen anything that was concerning. Other than that small blip when we started dating, he’s doing well.” Angus had told me it was okay to talk to his mother about these things.

She sighed, then looked at me. “You are perfect for him, Eion. I knew one day the right man would come along and give him everything he deserved.”

Her words made it hard to swallow. There was no denying the love between her son and me. We were both taking our time before we said the words, though. The last person I had committed to broke me, and sadly, I was still afraid of it happening again. I wasn’t sure I would survive losing Angus. Having his beauty around me filled in all the rough spots. “Thank you. I care a lot about him.”

She laughed quietly. “You amuse me, Eion. You two are so in love that you can feel it when you are in the same room. I look forward to the day I get to walk him down the aisle and give him to you as your forever partner.”

I knew the look on my face was that of shock, but it wasn’t because she was wrong. Because she was right. I had thought about us being married, maybe getting another dog. We could build a house on the land or simply stay in the fifth wheel. It didn’t matter as long as I was with Angus. “You never know.” It was a lame response, but the fact that I could say anything was a good thing. Discussing how I really felt about him was something I needed to do with him before any further conversation with his mother.

“I’m going to give a treat to Orlando, then head home. Send me pictures of the tuxedos you pick when you are done with your fitting tomorrow.” She gave a little chuckle that seemed out of place, but she was quirky like her son, so who knows. I gave her a hug, and I agreed to let her know. I got ready for bed and cleaned up the kitchen. I settled in with the dogs. Both animals were fast friends, and the three of us snuggled until I felt Angus slide in next to me. Some nights we tucked in tight and fell back asleep, but there were nights we would make love when he got home, having missed the other so much we needed to make that physical connection.

The next day, we walked into the fancy hotel, and I was confused. “I thought we were getting tuxedos today?” I looked at Angus.

“We are. Super rich, remember?” I had no idea what he was talking about, but it appeared I was about to learn. When we exited the elevator, he stopped me. “Eion, they are going to want to measure everything about you, which means he will be touching your legs, arms, waist, and shoulders.”

My heart swelled. These MacGregors were trying to kill me because, for the second time in twenty-four hours, I was fighting back tears from words. He understood that I might be uncomfortable because of my injury. I had never cared much what strangers thought, but I had never had them touching my body. “How many people?”

“One tailor will do the measurements, and it will only be him and me in the room. This is supposed to be fun. Have you ever seen a pretty woman?”

He had to be kidding. There was no way this was going to be my Pretty Woman moment, though something about it appealed to me. Angus really didn’t throw his money around. We stayed in a trailer, cooked our own food, and generally spent our days with the animals and each other. “As long as you are there, I will be fine.”

He kissed me gently. “You will have fun. I’ve never done this with another person before.” When I looked into his eyes, he was clearly excited. He took my hand, and we entered one of the hotel rooms. It was a suite, but the furniture had been moved around. Along the walls were racks of suits and tuxedos. In the center was a fitting stand, and the side table held champagne, whiskey, and snacks.

“Holy shit,” I mumbled.

“Right. My mother doesn’t fuck around.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

A handsome man welcomed us in. “Please get comfortable. Mrs. MacGregor said you were to get the best we had to offer, so I came myself. I am Adrian, and I will be fitting and altering your suits.”

Another man walked in. “I’m William. If you need or want anything, please ask. Would you like a drink?”

Angus looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows. “I’d like a whiskey neat,” then looked at me.

“I’ll have the same.”

“Perfect, we have lunch for you after your measurements, then you will pick your outfits after. Mrs. MacGregor asked me to give this to you, Mr. Foster.” He handed me a monogrammed envelope. When I opened it, I found a note written in her beautiful handwriting.

“Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you,” William said, then vanished into the other room.

I handed the card to Angus. When he finished reading, he laughed. “I think I know what this means. Remember what the note said. Adrian, can you tell me what my mother has ordered from you?”

“Yes, Mr. MacGregor.”

“Please call me Angus.”

“Yes. Angus. I am to help you choose matching Tuxedos due no later than Thursday night; Ralph Lauren Purple Label is recommended. In the next two weeks, I am to have six dress shirts, ten ties, three pairs of shoes, five slacks, and two suits for each of you. We are also supposed to get you some new boots, jeans, and cool work shirts. Plus, and I quote. ‘Fancy underwear and socks because that’s what a mother gets for her sons.’”

Angus looked at me. “Is that okay with you? My mother. I. Well. Honestly, I don’t have an explanation. If it’s too much, we will get only the tuxedos for the event. The other stuff is nice for our closets, and you can never have too many work clothes. What do you think? It will be fun.”

This had to be one of the craziest things I’d ever experienced. At that moment, I wished I had brought Barnaby with me to calm my nerves. With Angus here, I assumed I could manage my anxiety. Aside from pride, I couldn’t see any reason not to get the items she ordered. “What the hell, let’s do it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He kissed me.