Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (155 page)

Andi wrinkled her nose.  “I thought it was just guys that had that.  My mom seems perfectly oblivious when I’ve had sex.  It’s my dad that always seems to know.”

“Nah, my mom always knows when I do it.  You think we got time for a rematch before we have to leave Tone?”

“Yeah.”

“Can we get back to the game Andi?  I’m going to win this time, I swear.”

“Sure.” 

Andi winked at Tory before she turned back to the game.  Tory had a feeling that Andi was going to let Carl win this time even if she’d told him that she wouldn’t.

Tony took her hand and drew her into the bedroom with him.  They took a quick shower together and then got dressed.

They got into separate cars and drove the short distance to Carl’s house.  Carl and Andi had already disappeared into the house by the time they got out of the car, so Tony knocked lightly on the door before he opened it.

Lori greeted them.  “You know you don’t have to knock Tony.  Our home has always been your home.  I’m so glad to hear that Monica is doing so well.  If we’re lucky she might be at the next big family dinner.  You look beautiful Tory.”

Tory thought the comment was a little weird since she was wearing jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, but she said “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome dear.  I was so happy to hear of your engagement.  You have brought so much happiness into Tony’s life.”

“He’s brought more happiness than he’ll ever know into mine too.”  She squeezed Tony’s hand.

“How does Monica feel about your engagement?”

“Mom’s okay with it.  She’s got this young nurse at the hospital all hot and bothered over her.”

Tory could see that Lori was hiding a smile.  “She told me about him on the phone.  He’s been helping your mother very much Anthony.  You should be grateful.”

“I’ll be grateful when she gets out of there and away from him.”

She turned back to Tory.  “How did your parents take the news?”

“I talked to my Dad.  He’s fine with it.  We’re going to visit him when I have Spring Break.  I haven’t been able to get a hold of my mom.”

“I’m sorry you haven’t been able to speak to your mother.  But it’s nice that your father seems to approve.  I’m sure that he’ll very much approve of our Tony when he meets him.”

Tory smiled.  “I’m sure he will.”  Then her smile faded as she started to worry that her mom would call during dinner and yell at her.

Lori didn’t catch it, though.  She took Tory’s arm.  “Come on.  Let’s eat.”

Tony followed them.  Everyone was already seated at the table in the cozy kitchen.  Michelle was sitting next to a good looking man who Tory thought must be her husband, a teenage boy on the other side, typing away on his cell phone.  He didn’t look up, but Tory could tell how hot he was.  She snuck a look at Tony to make sure that he hadn’t caught her checking out Andi’s brother.  He hadn’t.  Lori busied herself with passing a stack of plates around the table.  Tony took her hand and led her to the head of the table where his uncle was sitting. 

“Uncle Keith, I’d like to formally introduce you to my fiancé Tory.”

“It’s good to finally meet you in person Tory, our first informal meeting non withstanding.” He winked at her.  Tory felt herself blush.

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Brent, Riley, this is my nephew’s future wife, Tory.”

“Nice to meet you Tory.” Brent said.

Riley didn’t look up from the screen of his cell phone.  “Hi.”

Tony took her hand and led her back around the table.  She was seated between Tony and Andi.  Tony immediately started a conversation with Carl who was seated on the other side of him and looked sulky because he wasn’t sitting next to Andi.

“Hey Tory,” Andi said brightly.

“Hi Andi.  What’s up with your brother?”

“You think he’s cute?  A lot of girls think he’s cute.  But you’ve got Tony.”

Tory rolled her eyes.  “No.  I mean he is cute, but that’s not what I meant.  Why is he in such a bad mood?”

“Oh, my parents are mad at him again.  Sophie showed up in town last night and he snuck out to be with her.  They caught them doing it in her car in the park a few blocks from my grandma’s house.  My mom was super pissed.  She told him he couldn’t see her anymore.  He’s supposedly texting his friends, but I know he’s talking to her.”

“Do you like Sophie?”

“Yeah.  She’s nice enough.  Riley has been hot after her for forever.  It’s weird because he’s this big jock, all popular and stuff.  She hangs out with this Emo Goth crowd.  She’s really smart.  She got into a really good college.  Riley has been trying to get in there, but he got waitlisted because his grades aren’t as good as hers.  I heard them talking about taking a year off and moving in together.  People say that she might be pregnant but I don’t believe it.  We haven’t been that close lately, but my brother would tell me if she was pregnant.  I think he’d be really happy if she was to be honest with you.”

Food was soon passed around.  They all started to eat except for Riley, who hadn’t bothered to look at the food he’d put on his plate.

“Riley James,” Michelle said.

Riley looked up from his cell phone briefly before going back to typing away.  “What Mom?”

“Lori went to a lot of trouble to make dinner.  You’re going to eat.”

“It was no trouble Michelle,” Lori said.  Tory could tell that she was trying to keep the peace.

But Michelle wasn’t having it.  She took a sip from the glass of wine in front of her.  “Give me that phone Riley.  Now.”

“I’m not hungry Mom.  Chill out.”

“Give me the phone Riley.  You know that I told you not to talk to that girl.”

Riley finally looked up and met his mother’s eyes.  “She’s not that girl Mom.  I’m marrying her.  We’re having a baby.”

“You had better be joking Riley James Spacey.  Because if you’re not your father and I are going to send you to reform school.”

“Michelle,” Brent said.  There was a tone of warning in his voice.  “Maybe now is not the best time to have this conversation.”

“No, Dad.  I don’t give a shit.  Let Andi’s boyfriend and his family hear this.  I don’t care if the whole world hears.  I love Sophie.  There’s no way that you’re going to keep me away from her.  I’ll run away if I have to.  And you can’t ship me off.  I turn eighteen tomorrow remember?”

“You are still my son.  I can do anything I want as long as you’re under my roof,” Michelle said.

“So I won’t be under your roof.  We’ll stay with Sophie’s dad.  He already said we could.  He’s happy for us.  He’s excited about having a grandkid.  Why can’t you be happy for me Mom?  Why do you always have to be such a bitch?”

“Riley,” Brent said.  “Don’t talk to your mother like that.”

“Why not?  You know that she’s stuck up.  She tries to play it off like she’s not, but she is.  You know that she’d rather have me going out with some stupid cheerleader.  Then maybe she’d be happy that I had gotten my girlfriend pregnant.  She’d probably be planning my wedding right now if my girlfriend fit in to what she thought my life should be like.  I don’t care what she thinks.  I love Sophie whether she’s got purple hair or green hair or brown hair.  I think it’s hot that she’s got piercings and a couple of tattoos.  I plan on getting some myself.  I already pierced my tongue.”

Riley stuck his tongue out at his mother.  She let out a little gasp as he put it back in his mouth, because there had indeed been a stud in his tongue. 

“Riley, give me your phone.  I don’t care if I have to lock you up in the basement myself.  You will not see Sophie again.”

“Is that what you want Mom?  For me to walk away and never look back?  No one will ever be good enough for your kids will they?  I heard you talking to Dad about how Carl’s not good enough for Andi because his dad’s a cop and his mom’s a pothead.  Well, too bad Mom.  Your son is in love with a girl with purple hair and your precious daughter is already knockin’ boots with Carl.  Fuck you and your self-righteousness Michelle.”

Riley got up from the table.  Tory heard the front door open and slam shut.  Everyone around the table was quiet for a minute.  She thought that Keith looked a little pissed, but Lori was her usual cheerful self, still smiling.

Michelle started to get up, but Brent put a hand on her arm.  She shook his hand off and gave him a dirty look.  When she started to rise again, he helped her gently but firmly back into her chair.  “Leave him be Michelle.  Let him blow off some steam.”

“Why?  Do you not think that slut is still in town?”

Brent sighed.  “Sophie is not a slut and you know it.  He told me about Sophie’s pregnancy yesterday.  I told him that I would assist them in any way that I could.”

“How dare you go behind my back like that?   In case you’ve forgotten, I gave birth to Riley.”

“He didn’t want to tell you because he was afraid you’d act, well, like you’ve been acting.  I’m sorry Keith, Lori.  I think we’d better go.”

“Nonsense,” Keith said.  “We’re family.  What’s a spat between family?”

Brent gave him a weak smile.  “Thank you.  Do you think that I could talk you out of that beer you offered me earlier?”

“Of course.”

Lori started to get up, but Keith waved her back into her chair.  “I’ll get it.”  He kissed her as he walked by.  Tory heard him say “I love you my pretty pothead.”

“I love you too, my big stupid cop.”

Keith chuckled.  Brent shot them a look, but Lori merely smiled at him. 

“Uh Dad,” Andi suddenly said.

“Hush Andrea.  We already know that you snuck out of Grandma’s house the other night.  Don’t get yourself in any deeper.  That we will discuss later.”  He turned to Carl.  “Carl?”

Carl looked up.  “Yes sir?”

“Promise me that you’ll be careful.  That you’ll be a man if you get my little girl into the same kind of trouble that Riley that has gotten Sophie into.”

“Yes sir.  Of course.”

“It’s not trouble Dad,” Andi said.  “Why is it trouble when they’re in love?”

Lori laughed softly.

“Shut up Andrea,” Michelle said.  Tory thought she was starting to sound a little drunk.  Her glass was empty.  Lori passed her the bottle of wine and she filled her glass, taking a huge gulp.

“Michelle that was hardly necessary.  She was simply giving her opinion.  It was my understanding that we were the kind of parents that allowed our children to do that.”

Michelle let out a harsh laugh.  “And look where that’s gotten us.  A son who’s gotten his weird girlfriend pregnant and a daughter who is probably going to be the next one to be pregnant.  Where did we go wrong Brent?”

“We didn’t go wrong anywhere Chel.  We’ve got two wonderful bright kids who happened to have fallen in love before you wanted them to.  They’re both growing up.  You have to let them.  Do you not remember how beautiful young love can be?”

Keith returned with three cans of beer.  He passed one to Brent and tried to pass one to Tony who shook his head, reaching out to squeeze Tory’s hand.  Keith winked at Tory and then gave a little shrug, placing both cans of beer in front of his plate.  He popped one open and took a long drink.

“I don’t remember it being so beautiful that I gave you oral sex in your parents’ backyard,” Michelle said.

Andi giggled.  Brent gave her a dirty look.  “No, but we did something similar when we were about that age in your parents’ backyard.”

“We were older,” Michelle said.  Tory could see that a light color had risen to her cheeks.  Now she knew where Andi got her frankness about sex from she thought.  It wasn’t her mother.

“Hardly.  Now, I happen to know that Sophie is still in town.”  Brent chuckled.  “Those two can hardly stand to be away from each other.  We are going to have coffee, all of us, and we are going to discuss this like mature adults.  No insults, no off hand comments about Sophie’s hair or the clothes she wears.  She is going to be our daughter-in-law Michelle.  The mother of our grandchild.  You don’t have to like her, but you’re damn well going to respect her.  You will lose Riley if you don’t.  I personally am not going to let that happen.  Even if you refuse to accept her, I already have; long ago.  I am going to continue to be a part of our son’s life and I will be a part of our grandchild’s.”

Michelle sighed.  “If he had to get a girl pregnant why did it have to be her Brent?  Why couldn’t it have been that nice Paula from down the block?”

Brent let out an exasperated sigh.  “Because love doesn’t always go the way we’d like Chel, especially when it’s not our own.  Sophie and Carl are both wonderful kids.  We should welcome them into our family instead of thinking that they’re not good enough.  Don’t you think that Sophie’s parents and Keith and Lori think the same things sometimes?  That no one can ever be good enough for their children?”

“We love Andrea,” Keith said.

“And we love Tory too.  Since Tony has always been like a son to us.”  Lori smiled at Tory.

“Thank you Keith, Lori.  Finish your dinner Andi.  We have to go meet Sophie soon.”

“But Dad, can’t I stay here with Carl?  I already like Sophie.  I don’t care that she’s going to be my sister-in-law.  Their baby is going to be so cute.  She’s really pretty if you look past all the weird stuff Mom.”