“But you’ll be with Jamie the entire time. There won’t be room for weirdness if you and Jamie are always together. Let this one go, Lane. Focus on Jamie. He is right for you. I’m feeling it.”

I smiled. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”

“Now tell me again about the concert,” she said. “Oh my word—I have to find something to wear.”

Jamie: Birthday date was a success.

Simon: I’m glad.

Jamie: Yeah, I owe you one. Things are feeling pretty serious.

Simon: That’s great, man. I’m happy for you.

Jamie: When are you headed home? Want to ride up with me and Lane?

Simon: Cooper asked if he could haul some of his stuff in my car, so I’m driving. Thanks though. I’ll be there by Friday night.

Jamie: We’re riding the Creeper on Saturday. Did Mom tell you? You want to throw your bike on the back of the jeep? The rack will hold one more.

Simon: That works. Thanks, man.

Chapter 15

Lynette Hamilton was a hugger. Big hugs. Squeezing hugs. Hugs followed by more hugs. By the end of dinner our first night in Bristol, any insecurities I might have felt about meeting Jamie’s parents had been hugged right into oblivion.

Katie dropped onto the living room sofa beside me. “I promise she eases up with the hugging once she gets to know you.”

I laughed. “I don’t mind. It’s nice feeling so accepted.”

“True,” Katie said. “As far as in-laws go, I think we’ve gotten really lucky. Oh, I mean, sorry. I just totally presumed. Things are headed that way though, right? It seems like they are.”

Good question. Things had been good in the weeks since our birthday date. Better than ever before. But as quickly as my doubt had dissipated, as soon as we were back at home and into our regular routine, they popped right back up again. I really wanted our relationship to feel right. But it was like there was a tiny sliver of wrong I couldn’t ignore. A splinter in my foot that I couldn’t necessarily see but could definitely feel.

“How quickly did you know with Dave?” I asked.

She scrunched her eyebrows. “I don’t know. Dave didn’t propose until our one-year anniversary, which is probably a little longer than I needed to know, but he wanted to be sure.”

“A year? My parents were engaged in three weeks.”

“Wow. I was nowhere near sure three weeks in. Funny how couples are all different.”

Yeah. Funny but also encouraging. Because I didn’t have to be sure right now. It made it a lot easier to feel okay about ignoring a splinter.

Jamie’s mom stuck her head into the living room. “We’re cutting the cake. You girls want to come have a slice?”

“Lane wants cake,” Jamie called from the kitchen. “Always offer the cake!”