Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

Chapter Forty
Hallie
Given my new, tentative acceptance of this absolutely ludicrous engagement, Calvin decides it’s
time for us to meet each other’s families.
Because he is the human embodiment of “go big or go home,” he also makes plans to accomplish
all of that in the same weekend.
Both of our families live within day trip distance, but we book my mom first because I suspect
she will be easier. I’m not sure how she will feel when I tell her—surprise!—I’m engaged and
pregnant by a man she has never even heard of, but because Calvin’s idea of a bouquet of hostess
flowers is the deed to her house, I’m expecting her to love him.
Calvin said it would be simplest to put the house in my name instead of hers. Since I’ll be his
wife soon and New York is a community property state, what’s his is mine.
“Does that mean I’m rich now?” I joke.
“Yes,” he says, not joking.
I’m still not so sure about that. I’m still not so sure about him, but the last thing I want is for my
mom to doubt that I’m happy, so I don’t entertain thoughts like those on the way to her house.
Calvin sits beside me in the limo. We probably should have traveled in something less
obnoxious given how far away it is, but Calvin likes to make an impression.
I get all the phone time I want this weekend since we’re playing the parts of a totally normal
couple for our parents. While we’re riding to her house, I play my mobile game since I haven’t been
able to do much of that lately.
“Did you tell your mom we’re about a half hour away?”
“Not yet,” I say, my eyes glued to my screen as I consider whether I want to purchase coffee
beans or potatoes.
“Is there anything special we could stop and pick up in town? Something she considers a
splurge. Maybe a dessert from a bakery, something like that?”
I finally glance up from my screen to look at him. “Calvin, you’re buying her a house. You don’t
have to also bring pie.”
Shrugging without shame, he says, “I want her to like me.”
“She will,” I assure him. Then, more teasingly, I add, “And I thought you didn’t care what people
thought of you.”