Joshua Healy (The Mitchell/Healy Family #10)(25)

She moves slowly, as if she’s worried she’s going to get another eye full.

“This is Tamsyn. Tamsyn, this is my mom, Amy.”

The girls say hello, but I can tell both are downright uncomfortable. “We were...”

“Joshua, I’m not na?ve. Just keep it down, that’s all I ask.”

As soon as the door shuts I feel Tamsyn leaving my side. She’s sulking in the gamer chair, worried she’s made a terrible impression. “Don’t be like that,” I tell her.

“She hates me. She thinks I’m a whore. My god, I think I am too.”

I’m laughing at her assumption. “You’re not. My mom ain’t like that. You’ll see. By morning she’ll forget all about it.”

“I can’t face her. She’s probably telling your father you have a floosy in your room.”

It’s hard to keep a straight face when she’s being this irrational. “You’re not the first female she’s walked in on.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better or worse?”

I shrug. “You’re the one who wanted to get frisky.”

Her hands go up in the air. She’s pissed, and I can either calm her down, or prepare to drive her back to her dorm.

“Okay, that’s not fair. Look, I’m sorry. This whole dating thing is new to me. I’ve brought other women home before. I’ve never lied about the person I am, Tamsyn. I’m an adult. My mom has tits. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is for me,” she argues. “I don’t want to make a bad first impression. You may not care because in a week you’ll tire of me, but I could see her somewhere in the future and would like her to think of me as a good person, not some slut her son screwed around with for a while.”

I can see how that would be a problem for her. I clear my throat before attempting to make peace. “You’re right. You’re not like the girls I’ve brought home before. Get dressed and come downstairs when you have your things with you.”

“Wait? What? You want to take me home?” She thinks I’m rejecting her.

“Just do what I ask. I’ll explain when you come downstairs.”

While I leave her to get in a respectable condition, I locate my parents in the kitchen. Mom is doing some dishes while my father leans on the counter next to her facing me. “Hey,” I announce so I have both of their attention. “So, that new chick I’m seeing is sort of freaked out about the situation we were in. She’s worried you’ll think negatively toward her.”

“I don’t know her,” my mom admits. “Why would I be negative?”

“Just do me a favor and start over fresh. She’s about to come downstairs, and I know it’s late, but I need you both to formally meet her. It’s important to me.”

This gets both of my parents’ attention.

My dad is the first to respond. “Are we hearing you right, son?”

I smirk and shake my head. “Yeah, you are. Come into the living room with me and put on a smile. She’s a nice girl, better than I deserve.”

My parents follow me into the living room at the same time Tamsyn is coming down the stairs. The first thing I notice is that she has tears in her eyes, so I meet her before she’s at the bottom step. “Why are you crying?” I whisper.

“Because I screwed up and now you want me gone.”

I wipe her eyes with my thumbs and turn to face my awaiting parents. “Mom, Dad, this is Tamsyn, the woman I’ve been seeing.”

My mom walks over and takes Tamsyn by the hands. She’s smiling, friendly, but mostly doing her best to make her feel like she’s welcome. “We’re very happy to meet you.”

My dad is still in the same position. I can tell he’s had a few drinks while playing cards with the family. “What’s a pretty little thing like you hanging out with this guy?” He jokes.

She snickers. “He’s not that bad.”

“He cleaned his room, Conner. Give the guy a break.”

My dad chuckles while approaching Tamsyn. “Darlin’, if he cleaned his room for you, it must be serious. You kids have fun. I’m hitting the sack.”

Mom mother waits until he leaves to speak again. “Do you eat breakfast?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. If you stay the night, make sure you join us. It’s always a big to-do here on the ranch.”

“Oh, yeah, is it okay if she sleeps in Cammie’s room? She packed a bag in case it got too late for me to want to drive her back to campus.”

My mom is shocked. If I could pick her jaw up from the floor, I would. “Well, of course. The sheets are clean. I just put them on last week. Just make sure her bathroom has toilet paper.”

“Thank you. I won’t be any trouble,” Tamsyn explains.

“It’s my pleasure. See you both in the morning.”

When my mom passes by us she turns and gives me a thumbs up. I’ve never see this kind of response and wonder if it’s a show or she actually likes Tamsyn. At any rate, I think I’ve managed to make amends with my new lady friend.

I lace our fingers together. “How about we finish our game before bed?”

“I thought you were taking me home?”