A Date with a Turkey (The Dating 11) - Page 11

While I dress for dinner at the Jenkins, Tom lays on my bed. He fluffs his tail and lets out a long, drawn-out meow.

“Don’t look at me like that. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Meow.

“Her name is Maeve, and it’s the strangest thing. We went to school together, but I don’t remember her at all. I wish I had.”

Meow.

“I know, I know. I haven’t dated since Tessa, and you’re right, it’s time.” I sit on the edge of the bed and push my fingers over Tom’s soft coat. He purrs loudly and stands so he can come closer to me. “She has a little boy. I think you’d like him.”

Hiss.

“Or not,” I mutter as Tom jumps off my bed and saunters out into the hall. I glance at the clock and notice I have about thirty minutes to get to the Jenkins. They don’t live far, but I want to stop for some wine and a bouquet of flowers.

When I finally arrive, after one pit-stop, I’m the only car in the driveway. I find this odd but think nothing of it because maybe Maeve is running late. When I step up to the door, it swings open, and Mrs. Jenkins is there to usher me in.

“These are for you.” I hold out the bouquet.

“Oh, thank you, Kyler. They’re lovely. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Logan and Maeve will be here shortly.”

“She doesn’t live here?”

Mrs. Jenkins looks at me wide-eyed and cracks a grin. “Heavens no, she has a house a few doors away.”

Interesting.

I do as suggested and try to make myself comfortable, which means I’m snooping as much as possible. There are pictures of Maeve and Logan everywhere, but none of her ex. Part of me finds this odd since he’s the boy’s father, but whatever. I think the fact that they’ve removed any trace of him bodes well for me.

The front door swings open, and the voice of Logan fills the air. He calls out for his grandfather and goes running off. I lock eyes with Maeve, smile, and move closer.

“What the hell are you doing here?”5Maeve“What the hell are you doing here?”

Kyler’s eyes widen in shock, and my mom gasps, glaring at me like you would a toddler who won’t stop talking in church. I saw the extra car in the driveway, but I didn’t expect it to belong to Kyler.

Kyler clears his throat awkwardly, and my mom pats his shoulder. “Guess we surprised her,” she says, laughing it off. “Why don’t you open up that wine you brought? I think we could use it about now.”

He nods and looks over at me once more before hobbling off to the kitchen. Once he’s out of earshot, my mother lifts her arms in the air. “Where are your manners?”

“My manners? Did you seriously invite him to dinner?” I snap.

She lifts a finger to my lips. “Shh … he’ll hear you.” Then she moves closer. “Kyler’s a sweetheart of a man. You need to give him a chance.”

I swear the woman has gone delusional in her old age. “Hell no. You realize we graduated high school together, right? He was an ass, and so were his friends. They used to make fun of me.”

She waves me off. “That was high school, Maeve. People grow up and change.” She points over at my graduation picture on the mantle. “Look at you. You’re not the shy, introvert you used to be. It took you a while to break out of your shell. I think you’ll see that Kyler’s not the same as he was then.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass who he is now. I’m not interested. You can forget the whole matchmaking crap you have in your mind.”

“All right, girls, let’s drop it,” my father interrupts. He walks over to me and places his hands on my shoulders. “We’re going to have a good dinner tonight. By looking at Kyler’s face when you cussed at him, I have no doubt he’s already feeling uncomfortable. We don’t need to make it worse.” He squeezes my shoulders. “Try to be polite. That’s all I ask.”

“Yeah, Mom,” Logan calls out, his voice echoing from the hallway. “He likes football, and he gave me an unlimited pass for the festival.”

My parents both raise their eyebrows, and I groan. “Fine. I’ll be nice tonight. But you,” I say directly to my mother, “need to forget the whole idea of me finding a man. I’ll date when I’m good and ready.”

My father nods. “I agree.”

“And it sure as hell isn’t going to be Kyler Groff.”

He appears just as I say it, holding up the open bottle of wine. I have no doubt he heard me, and it makes me feel a little guilty. “Who wants some?”

My mother chuckles to break the silence. “I know I do. Let’s go to the kitchen and eat.”

Tags: Heidi McLaughlin The Dating Romance
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