“Thanks, Mom,” he muttered as he sat down next to Daniel, who looked amazing as always in a simple light blue blouse and flowing tan slacks, with a light scarf for color tied just so around his neck. “You look lovely,” he whispered to Daniel and lightly bumped his shoulder.
Daniel smiled at him as he sipped his coffee, not noticing as James’s mother sat in the chair across from them. Oh god, it was too early for the Spanish Inquisition, but James recognized the determination in her eyes. He knew exactly what was coming. His exhaustion flew out the window and James was instantly awake and on his toes.
“In all the rush around the wedding, we haven’t gotten a real chance to talk. How long have the two of you been dating?” She sipped her coffee.
“A few months. Not too long,” Daniel answered.
His mother’s eyes widened. “Then why haven’t I heard about you before?” Her Medusa-like glare shifted to him, and James wished he could turn to stone. That would give him an excuse to get out of this conversation.
“Because I asked him not to make a big deal over things. I haven’t had the best luck with men.” Daniel leaned over the table as if to share a secret, and James let him take the lead. “Before I met James, I thought I had this loser magnet implanted in the girls, if you know what I mean. Any loser near or far would beat a path to my door. I dated this guy, Rodney. He seemed nice…until I found out that he was interested in me as a third for him and his wife.” She rolled her eyes. “I am not that kind of girl.” The emphasis in the voice couldn’t be faked.
His mother nearly dropped her mug as she did a damned good impression of a largemouth bass. “No!” she gasped, and Daniel nodded slowly.
“Then there was Vincent…” Daniel rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning a little closer. “Let’s just say that sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains do not excite me.” She shuddered. “I can be as kinky as the next girl, but there are definite limits.” She sat back and took another sip of her coffee, and James tried not to grin as his mother nearly choked into her mug.
“Maybe I should get those cinnamon rolls,” she said, practically jumping up from the table. Damn, that was one hell of a way to handle his mother. He needed to remember that. “You know…” She had her back to them as she pulled the rolls out of the oven, the entire kitchen filling with buttery, cinnamon heaven. He closed his eyes and was transported to the Saturday mornings of his childhood. “Phillip and I were quite adventurous when we were first married.”
Like nails on a chalkboard, he came out of his food memory haze with a bang. He did not need to hear about his parents’ sex life. “Mom…！”
“Oh, please… Your father and I were married, and we were young. You kids like to think you invented sex. Where do you think you all came from?” She dished up the cinnamon rolls and brought plates to the table.
“You always told me the stork brought me, and I’m perfectly happy with that explanation, thank you very much.” He grabbed a fork and dug into breakfast, humming with gustatory delight.
“That’s the exact sound your father used to make when—” his mom continued, and James dropped his fork on the plate.
He started to choke and cough, and Daniel patted him on the back. “Breathe and take it easy, honey. It’s just fine. Slow and steady breaths…in and out.” He rubbed his back as James wiped the water from his eyes.
“Can we please change the subject?”
“Fine, I still want to know why you didn’t tell me you were dating someone. You talk to me every few weeks and you don’t think I know that you don’t really tell me anything about your life?” She leveled another glare at him.
Daniel leaned close to his ear. “I guess you blew the ‘call your mother’ commandment.” He took a dainty bite of cinnamon roll. “You have to give me this recipe. The girls I work with would die for these.” He continued eating and sipping his coffee, talking cinnamon rolls and baking with James’s mother while James tried to get this small part of his worldview back on kilter.
Margot breezed in, snagging a roll on a plate, and started back to her room. “Thanks, Mom. These are awesome. I’m going out with some friends in a few hours and I’ll be gone most of the day.”
“Did you get your dress fitted?”
“Ages ago.”
“Well, don’t eat too many of those or you won’t be able to fit into it,” his mother warned.