Free An American Love Story by C. S. Moore

my hand as we walked to the front door. The closer we got the more nervous I became. His mom never liked any of his girlfriends, and I wasn't exactly dressed to impress. I was wearing jeans and high-top sneakers. I hadn't known that I was going to be meeting his parents and wished I'd dressed more formally. But what could I do? When he had shown up this morning, I came out to meet him in heels, but he sent me back in to change. Apparently, whatever he had in mind couldn't be done in a dress and heels.
    Garrett opened the door and led me into his parents' beautiful home. His mother was a great decorator; there were warm natural tones on the walls and some beautiful pieces of artwork hanging up. In the far corner was a book-lined reading nook. His mother was pulling a thick book off a shelf when we came in. She had her light grey hair pulled up in a bun and wore a flowing cotton dress. I guessed her to be older than my parents, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
    "Garrett!" she said as she walked across the room to greet us. "And this must be Tessa." Her warm brown eyes were so like her son's.
    "Hi, it's nice to meet you…"
    "Lynn," she said.
    "It's nice to meet you, Lynn," I said extending my hand.
    She ignored my hand and pulled me into a hug. "It's nice to meet you too!"
    When she released me, I looked at Garrett, who stood mouth agape looking at us. Yeah, his Mom was a real bear. "You have a beautiful home," I said trying to give him a moment to recover.
    "Thanks," she said, then turned to Garrett. "You go get everything ready to go, me and Tessa will stay here."
    "Okay," he said still looking confused. "I'll be back in a bit." He squeezed my hand and turned to go back outside, leaving me alone with his mom.
    "Have a seat, Tessa," she said, gesturing to a set of arm chairs upholstered in burgundy leather.
    I sat in the one nearest me. "Do you have any idea what he has planned?" I asked.
    "Yes, you'll have a good time…" She trailed off and looked out the window. "Do you mind if I talk frankly?" she asked.
    My pulse increased slightly, and I took a breath. This must be where she tried to chase me off of her son. "Sure," I said trying to keep my voice even.
    "When Garrett came home from Iraq almost a week ago, I barely recognized the person he had become. He was still the handsome boy that he had always been — but he was hollow, a shadow of the man I had raised," she said, biting her lip. "I won't even mention the language he was throwing around."
    "I haven't heard Garrett swear," I said defending him.
    "That's just the thing, Tessa. When I came down to have breakfast with him the morning after your first date… he was back. My son was back. You gave him something that the war took away. It's like you revived him," she said.
    I shook my head; no he had done that to me, not the other way around. "Why are you telling me this?"
    She studied me for a moment before speaking. "I think you're good for him," she said.
    "I know that I enjoy being around him, and he likes to be around me — I don't know," I said. Was I good for Garrett? I didn't know if I was good for anyone.
    Lynn nodded her head, still assessing me. "I think you're good for him, and maybe he's good for you too."
    Garrett stepped into the house; he was wearing a black cowboy hat and boots. He looked amazingly sexy. His smile was guarded when he looked between Lynn and me. "You girls aren't talking about me, I hope," he said.
    "All good things, my boy," Lynn assured. "Go have fun and take care of her. Those things can be dangerous."
    I hopped out of my chair. "What things?" I asked as Garrett pulled me outside.
    "Those," he said pointing at two large horses tied to the fence.
    I froze in place. Horses. I hadn't been on a horse for years. "We're going horseback riding?" I asked.
    "Yes, I've got a picnic basket made up. But don't worry, my mom made everything, so it will be edible." He grinned at me from under his hat.
    "I haven't been on a