Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(69)

“I’ll hold my tongue, but you know how I feel.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. I’m furious. I’m just glad Nora was there. It was probably awkward for her but she did a lot to make Riley feel better.”

“Are things getting serious?”

“With Nora?” I hesitated. Were things getting serious? “I don’t know, Mom. Things are good. I don’t want to jinx it.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re not going to jinx your relationship.”

“No, but I don’t want to set expectations that are too high. Don’t get me wrong, she’s amazing and Riley loves her.”

“But?”

“But I don’t know where it’s going.” I didn’t want to explain that I already knew how Nora felt about words like forever and marriage. They weren’t for her. “We haven’t had that conversation, so let’s just leave it at that.”

“Fair enough. I don’t mean to pry.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Fine, I do. But I’m your mother. I love you.”

Prior to having Riley, especially prior to her entering adolescence, I wouldn’t have understood that. But now that my own daughter was developing a life of her own, I had a similar urge to dig into what was going on with her—because I loved her.

“I know, Mom. I love you too.”

We said goodbye and she ended the call. I shifted, stretching my back a little. It had gotten stiff while I’d been working. Like my reading glasses, it was an irritating reminder that I wasn’t twenty-five anymore.

As much as I wanted to ignore my mom’s question—were things getting serious—it had been on my mind. I wanted to be okay with where things were with Nora. We hadn’t even been together that long, so why was I unsettled?

I knew the answer. I just didn’t want to think about it too hard. Because I had a feeling I could already see where things were going.

Since becoming a father, I’d avoided casual relationships—casual sex. There had been times when a no-strings outlet would have been nice. And there had been a few women who would have been happy to have that arrangement with me. But I hadn’t gone there. Partly because of Riley, and partly because, at the end of the day, that wasn’t what I really wanted.

I understood why Nora avoided commitment. Being played by that douchebag had hurt her deeply. Her father had, too. But I wasn’t sure where that left us. Sure, we’d gone from casual to something more.

But where did that road lead for her? Was she open to a deeper commitment or was she just along for the ride while it lasted?

The problem was, now that she was in our life, I didn’t know what Riley and I would do without her.

Nora wasn’t Brooklyn. Not even close. But I didn’t know if she was interested in what we had to offer long term. If forever was even an option.

I pulled into my driveway and pushed all that aside. It wasn’t the time for it. I had to be on my game tonight. I had a feeling the husband gang was going to bust my balls.





If you’d asked me what I thought Nora’s friends would be like, I probably would have assumed they were a lot like her. Women I’d dated in the past seemed to have groups of friends who had more in common than not—how they dressed, how they spent their time. Some of them had even looked alike. I wouldn’t have expected a bunch of Nora clones, but I still didn’t see this group coming.

Everly Calloway—pretty, blond, and all smiles. She had a lightness to her presence that was in stark contrast to her serious husband, Shepherd. I could see why Nora liked her. She was friendly and pleasant and her daughter was equally so. Little Ella Calloway made me miss Riley’s toddler years.

Then there was Hazel Nash. If there was anyone who was Nora’s opposite, it was Hazel. Whereas Nora was fluid and graceful, Hazel had a nerdy awkwardness to her. She fiddled with her glasses and quoted studies and statistics in the course of normal conversation. The other girls just went with it, clearly used to her quirks. And her husband, Corban, had a similar intellectual vibe. Smart guy, kinda weird. I liked him.

And Sophie Cox. That sweet thing was a hot mess on wheels. She had curly hair and a contagious laugh, and her husband, Cox, was clearly well-practiced at handling her missteps. Nora had said she was a little accident prone. I took issue with a little. In the first half hour, she knocked over two drinks, spilled another, and almost tripped over her own feet. Cox just grinned as he kept her from hurting herself, always calling her “sugar”.

Riley was enamored with all of them.

We hung out in Nora’s backyard—I’d mowed the grass for her before I’d gone to work this morning—with snacks and drinks, and it wasn’t unlike having my family over for a big get-together.

Because that’s what this was. Nora’s family.

I’d brought over my grill so I could treat everyone to steaks. I could admit I was looking to make a good impression. The girls had congregated around the umbrella table. They chatted and sipped drinks, and had even included Riley. I glanced at Nora as I brought the steaks from inside and winked.

Cox followed me to the grill and handed me a glass of whiskey from the bottle he’d brought.

“Thanks, man.”

He nodded, lifting his glass. “Cheers.”

I took a sip. It was good. Smooth with just enough bite to wake you up.