Page 40 of Emeric

“Yes, sir. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“No need to call me sir. We’re not formal here. Let’s go inside. Dinner’s almost ready.”

Dad held the door for us. I hung back to allow Emeric and Sylvan in first.

“Very nice,” my dad whispered behind me. I had to refrain from chuckling. I should have expected him to say something.

My parents were very accepting of me being with whoever made me happy. Two men wouldn’t cause them to pause. Me smiling and enjoying life were what mattered.

“There you are,” my mom said, bustling toward us. “Dinner took longer than it should have. I was hoping it would be done by now. Ollie, it’s good to have you here.” She kissed me on the cheek, then, without missing a beat, went right to Sylvan to wrap him in a hug. It didn’t last long before she leaned back, holding him at arm’s length. “Sylvan, you’re here. Ollie finally got his head out of his ass and spoke to you instead of just teaching you how to use a gun.” She turned to glare pointedly at me.

“Thank you for having us for dinner,” Sylvan said, a smile lifting his lips.

“Of course. You can eat here every night if you’d like. The more the merrier.”

“Mom…” I warned. If she had her way, she’d give them bedrooms and invite them to stay overnight. She had rooms for Sheldon and me.

She rolled her eyes. “I’d tell you to ignore my son, but I’m not sure that’s possible. Emeric, I presume?”

“You presume correctly.”

“I don’t know if I should hug you yet. You’re a bit of a closed book.” She tapped her finger on her chin.

He laughed. “I don’t mean to be. I must have slipped into my professional mode. I tend to do that when meeting someone new.”

“Are you done then?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good, get in here.”

They hugged briefly while Sylvan and I grinned. My mom ushered us toward the dining table, then returned to the kitchen.

Mom and Dad wouldn’t hear of us helping, so we took our seats while my parents brought in the food. It was amazing as always. On the table, my dad had created an arrangement of wildflowers that he’d picked that afternoon. I knew he asked for their permission before selecting them for the table. One day, when I was visiting, I went looking for him and heard him talking to the flowers and to the earth, thanking them for what they provided.

As we ate, my mom kept glancing my way while she made conversation with Emeric and Sylvan, getting to know them. Of course, she had heard about Sylvan before. It was no secret to my parents I had feelings for him. There also wasn’t much I could hide from her.

A loud meow interrupted the conversation. I turned to find my parents’ black cat, Celeste, walking in.

“Are you done with your nap?” my mom asked her.

Celeste lifted her head to sniff the air.

“Don’t even think about it. You can eat when we’re done. I would have fed you before, but you decided sleeping was better.”

Emeric tried to hide his smile behind a napkin, but Mom caught it.

“Yes, I talk to the cat like she’s a person. Laugh if you want. She’s too smart for her own good.”

Just then, Celeste jumped onto Sylvan’s lap, startling him, causing him to drop his fork to the plate. If his chair had been pushed in a little more, she wouldn’t have fit. His eyes were wide, like he wasn’t sure if he should pet her or stay perfectly still.

“She won’t bite,” I said. “You have food in front of you that she wants. She’s going to be as nice as can be toward you.”

“That’s not comforting. I’m not good with animals. They…” He blew out a breath. “They can sense my anxiety.”

“Why do you think she jumped on you?” my mom said. “She knows where she’s needed, plus, as Ollie said, you’re a guest who has food. Emeric, you’re next.”

“She won’t mind that I’m anxious?” Sylvan asked.