Tame the Beast : Small Beach Town, Single Mom Romance

“The floorboards?”

“Yep.”

After another five minutes, Nina and the rest of the gang are put on curfew. And banned from Alec and Hope’s house.

You see, these four ladies want as many grandchildren as they can get and are willing to go to any length to get them. Case in point.

They are not malicious, they’re just a little crazy and a lot overboard, but no matter how much Hope, Joy, or even Grace want to complain about their schemes, they did help all three of them to find their husbands and live out their happily ever afters.

Maybe I should consult the Fantastic Four?

26

Matteo

“I love you. I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. I guess maybe I’ve even loved you before I saw you.” – A Place in the Sun

The day took an interesting turn, and I must say, having my girls with me here was as best as it could go. Now, if my beastie would retract those claws and finally let me in, that would be the cherry on a cocktail, but she’s not there quite yet.

For a second there, I thought the walls were crumbling, but then when we played the game and I drank in answer to the question, the tiny crack was sealed so fast, I thought I had a whiplash.

What scared her? Did she figure out I was talking about her, and it spooked her?

Just what the hell happened to her in that past to make her run from love as fast as her feet could carry her?

I’m head over heels for this woman, yet her life prior to living in Loverly Cave is one big mystery. I’ve been with her, felt her body, seen her naked but not in the sense that matters.

I should say I won’t push her and I’ll let her tell me on her own, but nah, I’m not that big of a gentleman and Zoe needs that push. Otherwise, she’ll live in her shell forever and we can’t have that happening.

After all, I’ve already decided I’m going to marry this girl. So, she needs to get on board.

“I’m telling you, Jenny, this is the one. I’ve finally mastered that cabbage casserole.” The conversation is still alive around us with Nina sharing her new recipe.

“Oh, so that’s what that smell was? I was certain it was a dead skunk somewhere in our yard. Good for you, honey.” Jenny pats her friend’s hand with a sweet, sincere smile.

“Oh, I should bring you some,” Nina says to Zoe as Alec dips behind his mom and shakes his head in a violent no his eyes big and full of horror.

I look back at him, silently saying, “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

He understands what I’m asking and mimics an explosion and us, dead.

Okay, it’s very bad.

“Oh, um, that’s very kind of you, Nina, but there’s no need. Matteo is an excellent cook. So, I’m well taken care of in that department.”

Did she just compliment me? And here I thought we weren’t making progress.

“What about the other departments?” Fanny asks nonchalantly.

“Which ones?” My eyebrows pull together.

“The sex ones.”

“Okayyyy,” Zoe’s dad says, picking up his beer. “Rick, Sam, we will go over there into the farthest corner of this room right about now.”

“Nerds, your daughter is a grown woman. Surely you don’t think she got impregnated by the Holy Spirit.”

“Nope. But I would like to pretend that she did.”