Marla Kensington had always known that no girl would ever be good enough for her son. She had spent years fending off the desperate little things who thought they could sink their claws into her precious Ethan—her perfect boy. She called them distractions. Clingy. Gold diggers. Not that Ethan ever seemed particularly interested. He was always too busy with school, sports, and, of course, spending time with her.

So when he walked through the front door that evening, his arm slung casually around someone else's shoulders, Marla felt her stomach clench.

Not a girl.

A boy.

Dark-haired, sharp-eyed, with a knowing smirk that sent every maternal instinct Marla had into full-blown panic.

"Mom," Ethan said, his voice carrying that warm, easy tone she cherished. "This is Jordan. My boyfriend."

The world seemed to tilt. Marla barely registered the word—boyfriend. It rang in her ears, foreign and wrong. She had spent so long preparing to fight off some wide-eyed girl with a soft giggle and manicured nails. She had not prepared for this.

Jordan met her stare with something like amusement, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Marla forced a smile, sharp as broken glass.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said, her fingers tightening on the counter. "What a surprise."