Page 176 of Studs Up
“Just working on some projects,” she made an entrance in a blindingly rainbow muumuu and strings of glass beads hanging around her neck. She was a good foot shorter than Nolan, and she had blond hair where he had black. But she had gifted him with her eyes.
“What the fuck kind of project is this?”
She shrugged, and then she saw me. A sweet, maternal, warm smile spread across her face, and she crossed the living room effortlessly with her arms open.
“Look at my beautiful boy,” she said as she hugged me tightly. “I’ve watched all your games, and I’m so proud of you.”
Nolan mouthed, ‘I told you so’ and leaned against the archway between the living and dining room.
“You’d look better in blue and green, though,” she muttered as she let me go. “But I’ll just have to be happy with what I get.” She gave me a pat on the cheek.
“You’ll call me ma, and I won’t hear a word otherwise,” she said pointedly. “You’re marrying my son, and that will make you my son, and we won’t let that in-law bullshit get in the way.”
“Good god,” Nolan groaned. “That’s not going to be confusing.”
But he was smiling at me. I had just been adopted by a mother who loved me. Nolan looked on with sparkling eyes and a faint smile. This was my family now. It was small, but the love I received in the five minutes I had been here was more than I had ever gotten at home.
She made dinner, and she did the whole thing. A roast, potatoes, sauteed vegetables and homemade bread. I was put at the table and told to sit and stay. She poured me a cup of coffee, gave me a cookie, and ordered Nolan to help her.
He had warned me about the coffee, and he was not wrong. He showed me the mouthwash he brought and stashed in the car, and I thought a lot about those little bottles as I sat there.
They bickered, and it was adorable. It was clear that Nolan was definitely a product of Ma. Nolan had told me once that his father had been the kindest man, and I was sure that’s where the good, gentle heart came from.
Ma told stories all through dinner about Nolan and his childhood. I laughed until my stomach hurt, and Nolan sat stiff as a board with his arms crossed, turning his engagement ring on his finger.
They refused to let me do anything in the kitchen after dinner. Nolan helped Ma clean up, and I excused myself to go to the bathroom, which I did use. After that, I went to find his room. And holy fuck.
“You know, I was pretty clear about this,” he sighed but didn’t sound mad.
“Yeah, I can see why.” He came up behind me and slid his arms around my chest.
“This is some crazy obsession type shit,” I smiled. I wasn’t the only one on the wall, but I was definitely the one he focused on.
“I told you,” he whispered in my ear. “It was always you.”
I shivered. He let me go when I stepped closer to get a better look. I knew almost everyone on the wall.
“When you said studious, I thought you meant school work.”
“I was.” I turned, and he jerked his head to a bookcase. Coursework books and psychology books were linedup neatly, and then when he ran out of room, they were haphazardly stuffed where he could squeeze them.
“Wow,” I breathed.
“Did you have a life?” I asked sarcastically.
“No,” he said thoughtfully. “Not until you kissed me.”
I turned to him.
“I told Ma after the first time. I was confused and trying to understand, and she told me it would have to be someone special to wake me up.”
My heart pounded slowly. He walked toward me and held my chin with two fingers. His eyes were something I would never get used to. He was hypnotizing when he looked at me like he loved me, and then I would remember he did.
“You woke me up,” he whispered. The kiss was light and brief, and it still took my breath away.
…
Coach Mirren looked up as we sat down. When we talked about our wedding, we agreed on everything. Simple, small, intimate, short. But the first thing that we agreed on was this.
