living covenant 03 - eternal covenant by Amanda M. Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

she’ll listen to you.”
    Instead of answering I shoved more food in my mouth, causing Aric to snicker.
    “You two really are on my last nerve,” Helen said. “This is your wedding. We’re going out of our way to make sure you have the perfect day. You two are treating it as a joke.”
    “I’m sorry, Mom,” Aric said, exhaling heavily. “We don’t mean to be pains … .”
    I raised my hand to interrupt him. “I always mean to be a pain.”
    “We don’t mean to be really big pains,” Aric clarified. “It’s just … we thought this was all settled. You guys are changing things … and that’s fine. You still need to knock before coming into our bedroom. That should be a simple rule to follow.”
    “Fine,” Helen conceded, resigned. “We shouldn’t have walked in without knocking. We assumed you were up.”
    “That actually makes things worse,” I pointed out. “If we were up and the door was still shut that would generally signify we were … cuddling.”
    Mom made a dubious face. “Cuddling?”
    “Having sex,” Kelsey offered, her odd green eyes flashing.
    “Thank you, Kelsey,” Mom snapped.
    “Making the beast with two backs,” Kelsey added. “Rolling in the hay.”
    “Oh, this week just keeps getting worse and worse,” Mom muttered.
    “And the wedding coordinator hasn’t even arrived to start picking apart the house yet,” I added.
    “I think I need a nap,” Aric said.
    “I will kill you, Aric,” Helen seethed.
    “Ah, it feels like I’m home again,” Paris said, her face breaking into a wide grin. “I love you guys.”

6
    Six
    “ How are things with your moms?” Paris asked an hour later as we walked the back property line. “They seem … tense.”
    “That’s putting it mildly,” Aric said, bending over to pick up a stray piece of paper. We told our mothers we needed to catch up with Kelsey and Paris in private so they okayed a walk, but only if we promised not to leave the yard. To make sure we kept our word, they sat on the back deck watching us. Seriously, where is the trust?
    “They’re just excited,” Kelsey said. “I don’t even have a boyfriend and my mother won’t stop talking about my wedding.”
    I snickered. “You’re not an only child, though,” I pointed out. “You have a brother and a sister – both of whom are already married – and your parents don’t seem quite so … crazy.”
    “You probably shouldn’t call your future mother-in-law crazy,” Kelsey chided. “She’s going to develop a complex and pick up on bad vibes that make her dislike you.”
    “Have you been watching Dr. Phil again?” I asked.
    “I saw that on The View .”
    “That’s not any better,” I pointed out. “Helen already dislikes me because I don’t cook Aric breakfast.”
    “That’s not true,” Aric protested. “She likes you a lot. In fact, when I first brought you home, she said I couldn’t have made a better choice.”
    The information soothed my frazzled nerves, but only marginally. “That was before she found out you did all the cooking.”
    “Yes, well, you’re frightening in the kitchen,” Aric said. “I would much rather let my mother worry about me being the wife in our relationship than have you burn the house down. My ego can take it.”
    “That’s because you’re the perfect man,” I teased, sidling up to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
    “You really are the perfect man,” Kelsey said, sighing. “It makes me want to puke.”
    I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sure you’ll find your own perfect man,” I offered. “In fact, we met three at the ice cream shop yesterday.” I told Paris and Kelsey about our meet-and-greet with the wolves, not leaving anything out, including their clothing choices. When I was done, they weren’t nearly as amused as I thought they would be.
    “What does that mean?” Kelsey asked, her eyes flashing. “Will there be an attack on the wedding?”
    “No,” Aric answered, shaking his head.