My Twist of Fortune by Rayne, Piper (little red riding hood read aloud txt) 📗

“Aunt Marla is going to be your new mother.”

He rushes up the stairs while Chevelle’s mouth falls open. “Who will be my mom? I don’t want a new mom.” She kicks me in the shin and follows her brother.

“I like her. She seems nice,” Adam says with a shrug and heads into the kitchen.

I take a deep breath before leaving the house. I’ll need to talk to the kids about me dating. Because although I’ve been alone for the five years since Laurie passed away, it’s time that I get back out there, whether it’s Marla or not. They need to get used to the idea that I might have someone special in my life.

“Cade, you’re responsible!” A door slams and I escape the house into the quietness of my truck.

On the way to Marla’s, I can’t help feeling as though I’m biting off more than I can chew. Maybe Cade’s right. Maybe my time to make something happen with Marla has passed. I can’t resurrect the us from high school. Maybe those two vines weren’t ever meant to wrap around one another and become one.

If only I could stop the gut feeling that says this is right and our time is now. It’s what I trusted when I asked Laurie to marry me. I trusted that gut feeling after she died, and again when I took over my dad’s business. It can’t be steering me wrong now.

Pulling into Marla’s driveway, I find Posey sitting on the stairs up to their front door. I park and climb out of the truck. “Hey, Posey.”

She pats the spot next to her, so I sit, holding back my smile. “Mom says you two are going to dinner?”

I nod. “Yeah, we are.”

“Without any kids.” Her small eyebrows rise up into her hairline.

“Sometimes adults need adult time.”

“Uh-huh. My daddy used to take my mom on date nights. Is that what this is?”

How come I think Jeff only did it when he did something wrong or felt guilty for sleeping with someone else? “It is.”

“You like my mommy?” She turns to me and crosses her arms.

“I do.”

She nods as if that pleases her. “She smiles a lot around you.”

“I’m glad. I smile a lot around her too.”

She narrows her eyes ever so slightly. “I think she likes you.”

“Even better.”

She stands and steps up one stair so she’s eye level with me. Her long red hair is half pulled back with a few pieces escaping. Her finger juts out as she points at me. “You better not hurt her.”

I hold up my hands. “I promise.”

“My daddy hurt her.”

I frown. “I know.”

“Okay.” She rushes up the steps and opens up the door.

“Now you ring the doorbell so we can answer, and you can wait for her to make her entrance.”

Before she has a chance to shut the door, I put up my finger. “How old are you again?”

“Age is just a number,” she says, points at the doorbell, and closes the door quietly.

At least one of Marla’s kids isn’t going to give her trouble.

I ring the doorbell, and no one answers. Through the side window, I see Posey on the couch six feet away. I ring again and the blonde daughter, Nikki, answers the door.

“Can you not hear that?” she says to Posey on the couch. “Oh. You.” She leaves the door open and walks away. “She’s still getting ready.”

“Thanks.”

Nikki leaves the room, blowing on her nails, and Jed walks in through the back door, a sweaty mess.

He nods to me. “What’s up?”

“You working out?”

Two more large bodies follow him. Derek and Lincoln from the football team. Guys who are usually found hanging around my place. I blow out a breath.

“Mr. Greene!” Derek says, putting up his hand for a high five.

“Derek. Lincoln.” I nod at them both and give Derek the high five he’s looking for.

“Jed’s got a killer gym in the garage out back. Better than the school’s. We were just working out.” Lincoln thumbs in the direction of outside.

“Nice. Hope it will help. You boys really needed a win yesterday.” I mentally reprimand myself for resorting to adolescent passive-aggressive bullshit because Jed was the quarterback at last night’s game when they lost.

Although the loss wasn’t completely his fault, he helped it by throwing two interceptions, one that resulted in a pick six. But I’m the grown-up here and need to act like one.

“We still have state in the bag,” Jed says.

I nod, biting my tongue.

“Next week we play Lake Starlight!” Derek rubs his hands together. “I can’t wait to crush them.”

“Let’s just be happy they don’t have Liam Kelly anymore,” Lincoln says.

“Truth,” Derek says.

Jed can’t bring much to the conversation since he’s new to town. I’m about to fill him in about Liam Kelly when Marla comes into the room. She’s wearing dark pants, high boots, a short black sweater, and a coat swung over her arm. She’s gorgeous. Especially with her chestnut hair down and curled.

“Hey,” I say, standing.

The three boys stand there looking from Marla to me.

“You’re going out with Jed’s mom?” Lincoln asks with wide eyes.

Shit. I guess my date with Marla won’t be as on the down-low as I’d hoped. Sorry, Cade.

I ignore them and break the distance to her. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” She takes the lead, grabbing her purse from by the door. “Nikki is in charge, okay?”

Jed is still speechless. I guess Marla didn’t tell him about the date. She hugs Posey, then we’re outside with three teenage boys gawking at us through the living room window.

“I’ve never been able to get a room full of teenage boys not to say a word.” I open the truck door and she climbs in as though she’s used to pick-up trucks and not fancy sports cars that take corners on a dime.

“I didn’t tell Jed. He mentioned going out, so I thought he’d already be gone. Or out in the garage. I wanted to just enjoy this evening and save having to listen to his thoughts about it until after our date.”

I round