Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers #1)(46)

He bobbed his head. “I appreciate that.” A few seconds passed without him saying anything, and I turned to my clipboard to start marking off the service items I’d filled for the car. “So,” he started, and when I looked up, he had his head bent, kicking at a stain on the floor. “You don’t think it’s too soon? Feel like it’s… an insult, to your mother? For me to date, move on?”

“Man, hell nah,” I scowled. “None of us think that. We know how you felt about mama, know you loved her. It’s been four years, Pops. I think even mama would want you to enjoy your life, and move on.”

“Well I know that. She actually told me that, when she was sick. She knew it was coming, and she wanted me to promise not to waste away after she left. You boys are the only reason I could keep that promise though. I don’t want you feeling like I’m disrespecting her memory.”

“I don’t,” I insisted. “We don’t. Don’t even… Just erase that from your mind. You said seven-thirty, right?”

“Yep. Seven thirty.”

“Aiight. I’ll be there.”



- & -





“Reesie get dressed.”

My eyes popped open, and I screamed at the sight of my mother standing over the tub. I hadn’t been expecting her, nor had I heard her come in, so her sudden intrusion into my relaxing bubble bath scared the hell out of me.

“Don’t be dramatic,” she said, before she turned to head out of the bathroom. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You weren’t answering your phone or doorbell. I used my key to make sure you were still alive. And you had your music up too loud. I could hear it from my side.”

I rolled my eyes as I pulled myself out of the tub. I’d already been in there nearly an hour anyway, and the water was starting to get less than warm. “What if I’d had company?” I asked, wrapping myself in a towel. When I stepped out of the bathroom, the light was on in my closet, and I found my mother there, flipping through hangers.

“Then I would have politely snuck back out and gone to my house to wash out my eyes. But I didn’t see a car other than yours, so I assumed it was safe. I need you to get dressed, so we can go.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Go where?”

“To Joseph’s, for dinner. With his family.”

My mouth dropped open, and I quickly closed it back, letting my lips spread into a grin. “Ah, so that dress and those boots got you invited to meet the family, huh?”

She pulled out a sweater dress, looked it over, and then hung it up again before she turned to look at me. “Just the boots,” she said, then winked before she went back to looking through my clothes.

“Oooh, mama you’re nasty,” I giggled, gently nudging her aside to pick out my own clothes. “Is this dinner a formal thing, or…?”

“Casual,” she answered, looking over my shoulder.

I grabbed a pair of jeans, then started looking for a top. “Okay. What time?”

“We’re supposed to be there at seven thirty.”

My eyes shot over to the clock. “Mama, it’s 6:45!”

She shrugged. “I tried to call, and I sent a text message thing. Just throw something on, Reesie. It’s dinner at his house. Look at me!”

My eyes raked over her, from head to toe and then back up, landing on her face with a deadpan expression. My mother looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine, per usual, in boots, slim-fitting rust colored pants, and a thick, creamy off-white sweater.

I, on the other hand, was going to be ashy if I didn’t put on some lotion real soon, and had taken down my braids earlier in the day. I’d only bothered with washing and conditioning my hair, and pulled it into a band on top of my head. Dealing with it would take at least an hour.

I groaned. “How long does it take to get to his house?”

“It’s about fifteen minutes. Twenty to be safe.”

I groaned again. “Okay, so… I’ve got twenty-five minutes. I guess I’ll see what I can do.”

I put the jeans back, and grabbed leggings instead, pairing them with a dark olive sweater and skirt combo. I lotioned and dressed quickly, then pulled on boots to keep it simple, and decided on big hoops and minimal makeup, since I really didn’t have time. I lifted an eyebrow at my hair, pulled on top of my head, and frowned. No way I could tackle it if we didn’t want to be late. I tugged open a drawer on my vanity, digging around until I found a narrow silk scarf, and tied it around my hair like an intricate headband.

I wonder if Jason is going to be there.

That thought hit me out of nowhere, reminding me that as far as I knew, he still didn’t know my mother was dating his father.

When Jason and I were together, I honestly wasn’t thinking about them. I was in the moment with him, focused on us… and was it really my place to say something anyway? I’d never discussed my mother’s love life with previous boyfriends, but this was admittedly a little different since this time, she was dating my boyfriend’s father.

Wait.

Did I just call him my boyfriend?

The word felt foreign, even in my thoughts. But as strange as it was, it also felt really, really… nice.

I thought about texting him, giving him some sort of heads up, and then decided against it. He hadn’t texted or called all day, and I honestly wasn’t sure what the right move was. Gray was the first, and only guy I’d dated since my father died, six years ago, and obviously, I hadn’t handled that very well. Instead of stressing about it, I chose to finish getting myself ready so we wouldn’t be late.