“True, Trip is a topic I would never get tired of.” Kelly Ann laughed.
I moved away from the fridge, and Kelly Ann handed me a bowl filled with pasta salad. She grabbed another bowl and we headed out toward the patio.
The patio. The one I sat at when I told them all about Bradford while clutching a broken gnome for support. The patio where these people were more supportive of me than my parents ever were.
Maybe this will be okay. I’m going to put my trust in Kelly Ann.
“Mom, you didn’t scare her off with stories of me when I was a baby, did you?” Easton asked, kissing my nose and pulling me against him.
“Of course not. Those are more fun to tell when you are there to hear them.”
We sat down to eat, and my nerves slowly began to calm down. Robert and Kelly Ann never missed a beat and hope bloomed in my chest.
“I’m sorry, the pasta salad has bell peppers in it, Rachel,” Kelly Ann said as Robert was pulling the steaks off the grill.
Easton cocked his head to the side. “How did you know she was allergic to bell peppers?”
Kelly Ann and I shared matching deer in the headlights looks, but Robert saved the day. “You mentioned it in one of your phone calls where you gushed about the girl you were falling in love with.”
Easton frowned. My boyfriend, my observant boyfriend, was most likely reviewing every conversation he had about me with his parents. I swear the three of us collectively let out our held breaths when Easton shrugged his shoulders, not having any other explanation, and took a bite of his steak.
Dinner was delightful. Kelly Ann and Robert were just as supportive as they were the first time I’d met them. Easton complimented me and my business, telling his parents about the JackholeS playing at Aurora’s launch party in a week.
“Oh, my god, I love the JackholeS.” Kelly Ann bounced on her chair.
“You should come. I have only talked to Faith over the phone, but she seems amazing and she’s so supportive of Aurora’s project.”
Robert rolled his eyes. “You just made my wife’s year.”
“Yes, we would love to come. Are you sure?” Kelly Ann asked.
“Of course. I’ll make sure you’re on the guest list.”
Kelly Ann got up and kissed my cheek. “I’ll go get dessert.”
“I’ll help you.” Robert followed his beaming wife to the kitchen
“I told you they’d love you,” Easton whispered in my ear.
I leaned against him. “I love you,” I whispered back. “And they are fantastic.”
“They are pretty great. We’ll just have to introduce them to your parents so they can see what it’s like to be supportive of their children.”
I shuddered at the thought of inflicting my parents on Easton’s. He chuckled. “Maybe we’ll wait until our rehearsal dinner for them to meet.”
My head snapped up, almost breaking his nose. Easton just smiled down at me, rubbing his nose where my head had clipped it.
“I hope you like chocolate cake,” Kelly Ann said, breaking me out of my Easton trance.
“I love chocolate cake,” I answered.
“Oh, honey, what happened to your nose?” Kelly Ann asked.
Easton chuckled. “Did I tell you how Rachel and I first met?”
I groaned as Easton recounted the story of me punching him in the back of the head before elbowing him in the kidney.
We all laughed, then Kelly Ann got Easton back by telling numerous stories of Easton being an unruly child.