Dear Rosie, (Love Letters #2)

The girl next to her rolls her eyes. “We’re not supposed to fall for the charms of men. Remember, Grandma.”

The woman/grandma/Mama Ruth steps back with a chuckle. “That rule is for young people.”

Nathan holds out his fist. “To never falling for men.”

The girl bumps her fist against his. “Deal.” Then the girl reaches behind her. “Now make way. We have cold stuff out here.”

Nathan backs up, holding the door wide, and the girl drags a wagon into view.

It’s overflowing with grocery bags and has to weigh twice as much as she does, but instead of the teen crankiness one might expect, this girl is grinning.

I want to say something, maybe introduce myself, but I feel so awkward that I just stay put. Frozen in front of the couch.

Until Nathan swings the door shut behindthe girlsand gestures toward me. “Ladies, please allow me to introduce you to my girlfriend, Rosie.”

The gasp that comes out of the older woman would make me laugh if my body wasn’t too busy reacting to Nathan calling me his girlfriend.

He told me we were dating.

I agreed.

But hearing him say it…

I roll my lips together, then work on forming my mouth into a smile. “Hi.”

“Oh my gosh.”

That’s all the warning I get before the older woman is hustling across the great room toward me.

“You are so pretty.” Her voice catches, and I think she might be crying.

I freeze, completely unsure of how to react. But the woman isn’t deterred.

Sturdy arms wrap around me, trapping my arms at my sides—where I’m still clutching my crutches.

“I didn’t know our Natey Boy had a girlfriend!”

I look at Nathan over her shoulder and mouthNatey Boy.

He rolls his eyes, but the effect is lost since he’s smiling.

“Rosie, this is Ruth, Hannah’s mom.” Nathan walks toward us. “And the little gremlin setting up in your kitchen is Chelsea, Hannah’s niece.”

Still stuck in the embrace, I look over to where the young teen is putting the groceries on the counter. Now that Nathan’s introduced them, I remember seeing them both during the party at the Lovelace house.

And then my cheeks flash pink because of how I ended the night at the Lovelace house.

“Nice to officially meet you both.” I repeat their names in my head so I don’t forget.

“It’s our pleasure.” Ruth steps back and squeezes my upper arms before letting go and wiping at her eyes.

Nathan clicks his tongue as he steps up beside Ruth and puts his arm around her shoulders. “Now, now, stop acting like I was never going to find a woman.”

Ruth swats at him with a sniffle.

“There’s a difference between finding and keeping,” Chelsea points out from the kitchen.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing.