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Wincing, I catch it as the heavy metal panel bounces off my foot, draw my leg the rest of the way in then look back at her.

“And you’ll have to tell me what your favorite meal is, Violet. I love to cook”—my mom rotates in her chair, practically crawling over the back of it—“what do you like to eat?”

“Mom,” I begin.

Violet grabs my thigh again, shaking her head slightly when I meet her eyes. Then she smiles at my mom. “I like it all. What’s your favorite thing to cook?”

Lex, on Violet’s other side, snorts.

I narrow my eyes at him.

My mom, happily oblivious, starts chattering about sourdough bread and cherry pie.

“Oh,” Violet says. “I love a cherry pie.”

Lex snorts again.

I smack him on the back of the head, glad my mom has turned around so she doesn’t see it and read me the riot act. Instead, she’s now focused on my dad in the driver’s seat…and directing him when he definitely doesn’t need to be told to “Turn here! Right here! I mean left!”

Violet looks up at me, her eyes as soft as I’ve seen them.

I shrug, mouth, “What?”

She just shakes her head slightly again, and crosses her legs…

Which leads me to smacking Lex on the back of the head again.

This time not just because he’s being an asshole, but because he’s an asshole who’s looking at my fiancée’s legs.

“Ow,” he mutters.

“Hands to yourselves, children,” my mom says absentmindedly, not missing a beat as she gives my dad a break on the directions and starts scrolling on her phone, listing off menu ideas for Violet to comment on.

Lex glares at me.

“All of that sounds amazing,” Vi murmurs.

My eyes catch on my dad’s in the rearview, and for once, I know that we’re both thinking the exact same thing.

This is hell.

And I have three full weeks of it ahead of me.

* * *

“Mom,” I finally interrupt, hours later, after much consumption of rolls has commenced and everyone’s bellies are full of lasagna.

Not a summer meal.

But still definitely my favorite.

“Yeah, honey?” she says, wine glass in hand, cheeks high in color.

I love her.

But, man, she has no fucking chill.

“It’s been a long day,” I say. “I’m going to take Vi upstairs.”