One Funeral (No Weddings #2)(53)

In the middle of the pressing crowd, Cade grabbed hold of me in a hug and lifted me off the ground, spinning. We knocked into several people, including Kiki.

Kiki bumped us back, laughing. “Hey, watch it, you two. This isn’t a mosh pit.”

Kristen gave us a group hug. “Congrats, bro. We’re proud of you.”

Then Kendall and Kiki joined in on the hug. Kiki chucked a fist bump on his chin. “Yeah. Congrats, Cade.”

Cade released me with a spark of mischief in his eyes, then stalked Kiki. “Mosh pit!”

Eyes wide and head shaking, Kiki backed up, bumping into Kendall. Then she spun around behind her sister, holding Kendall’s arms out like a human shield. “Do not let him lift me off this ground!”

Cade feinted left, then darted right, knocking Kendall out of the way before grabbing a squealing Kiki. I laughed, watching as Cade tried to lift her, grunting and groaning while she squirmed and twisted.

“Damn, woman. You need to lose some weight if you want to body surf.”

The slender hundred-and-ten-pound Kiki kicked him in the shin as he put her down. “I will eat my weight in cheesecake and doughnuts to have you never pick me up again.”

Smile beaming from ear to ear, he ruffled her dark curls into a wavy mess. “Don’t forget Hannah’s chocolate bacon cupcakes. They’ll be good for a few dozen pounds.”

As we flowed with the crowd toward the exits, Kristen caught up to us after saying hello to a couple of friends. Instead of going straight out the doors though, Cade tugged my hand, leading us toward the right, following his sisters.

“Mom, Dad, you made it!” Cade released his hold on me and embraced his mom.

The man she stood beside looked just like Cade, the same strong jawline and dark, electric-blue eyes. His hair was almost white though, with hints of black still visible in the crown and at the peak of his short sideburns.

A proud smile brightened the older Michaelson’s face as he shook Cade’s hand. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

His mom laughed, elbowing him in the ribs. “Or there would’ve been hell to pay later tonight.”

His dad quickly glanced at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“Mom, you’ve already met Hannah. Dad, this is Hannah Martin.” Cade wrapped an arm behind my shoulders. “My girlfriend.”

My lungs froze. Even though we’d discussed it in the car, I hadn’t mentally prepared for the sudden outing of our status. All my thoughts had been centered on Cade for his milestone day.

His mom’s eyes widened while his dad’s narrowed. Both stared at me for a couple of beats, their smiles faltering. Then his dad’s eyes crinkled at the corners, a smile curving his lips, as he extended his hand out. “Great to meet you, Hannah. I’ve heard absolutely nothing about you.”

Nervous, I glanced at Cade. He only raised his brows and nodded, encouraging me. I turned back to his dad and accepted his extended hand, shaking it with a firm grip. “Well, I’ve not heard much about you either, Mr. Michaelson. So I guess that makes us even.”

His dad barked out a laugh, yanking my hand forward to pull me in for a half hug. “Cade’s been teaching you about business, I see. When you succeed in making ‘nothing’ and ‘not much’ even, you’ll go far in life.” He gave a teasing wink. “And please, call me Garrett.” He whispered down to me, before releasing me, “And actually, I’ve heard about you from Victoria. Something about a breathtaking cake at a charity function I couldn’t attend.”

His mom leaned into her husband’s other side. “A stunning cake. The work of art had the club buzzing—an entire crystalline globe made of cake and sugared frosting.”

Cade tugged me back into his arms. “Don’t forget the Swarovski crystals on the base.”

“Hey, man, congratulations!” Mase came up from behind us and shook Cade’s hand.

Ben was beside him and gave him a big man-hug. “Congrats, Cade. I’m proud of you.”

Their girlfriends, Laura and Stacy, pushed forward from behind. We all hugged and chatted as we made our way through the dwindling crowd to the exit doors.

As our large group spilled out into the bright sunshine, Jason asked, “We’re heading back to your place, right?”

“Yeah. Mom, Dad, you coming?”

His mom glared up at his dad until he caught on that he was supposed to reply. He laughed. “Yes, of course. We’ll stop by for a little while. We’re up in the garage.” His dad pointed northeast.

Cade gave his dad a nod, grinning. “Great. We’ll meet you there.” Then he glanced over his shoulder, calling out to everyone as they wandered off in different directions. “Last one there gets stuck in the gutter.”

Shaking my head, I laughed. “What, no rotten eggs for you Michaelsons?”

“No, that too. But literally, the driveway has space for only so many cars. My brain lives in the gutter 24/7. Someone else is gonna have to park there.”

I snorted. “Your brain is weird.”

“You love my brain.”

I narrowed my eyes, giving him a sidelong glance. “Yeah, maybe.”

We arrived back at the car, and he turned around, leaning back against it. “So that wasn’t so bad, was it? Meeting my folks? Being introduced as my girlfriend?”