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Authors: K.F. Breene
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Roger.
“No, you go. Enjoy your dinner. I’ll hold her.” Roger kept hold of the baby and drifted into the dining room.
Peter sighed, his posture returning to normal for a moment of alone time. “Good. Fine. You’ve lifted all the pressure.”
“How long do they think we’ve been together?”
“Six months. Sorry, should’ve told you that. Not long enough to ask you to marry me, but long enough to be more of a set thing. They’ll hint, though, that you’re marriage material. Just know that that is coming. They’ll ask you about it. All the married people want to get the single people tied up.”
“C’mon you two,” Demetri called.
“Give them a minute,” came Becky’s hushed voice.
Peter rolled his eyes. “See? They like you, though. Think you’re a lady.”
“Joke’s on them.”
Peter smiled. “I told you that your loveliness would be perfect. I am never wrong, honey.”
“There’s the Peter I know and love.” She looped her arm through his as they slowly walked toward the crazy family, both enjoying a moment of quiet.
Before they reached the dining room, Peter said, “It was Jace, wasn’t it? In the grocery store. You guys brought the same wine.”
“Yup.”
“You flirted with him? You think he’s hot?”
Taken aback, she stopped in their meander and looked hard at her friend. Worry lined his features, his eyes round and haunted. “Are you jealous, or something? I mean, don’t worry—I’m not going to seduce the guy or anything. He’s got a woman. But, I mean, the guy is hot. Surely you must know that. All you guys are—all your brothers. And your dad definitely seems like he was a looker in his youth, and your mom is still pretty…”
He shook his head adamantly. “It’s not that. Sorry, I’m not in my element here. I want to relax and have fun with everyone else, like we always used to, but I just feel like if I do, they’ll all know. Anyway, I was just wondering. ”
Cassie patted his arm as Rachel bustled through. “Hurry up, you guys. Dinner’s getting cold. C’mon Michael, John—where’s Lesley?”
Cassie saw a little head peek around the corner of the doorway. Rachel saw it, too, but had her boys by the hands with a harried look to her face.
“I’ll get her,” Cassie volunteered.
“Ah, godsend. C’mon you guys.” She gave her wily sons a jerk to stop them trying to break free and go running. “Peter, let’s go. Get a move on.”
“I’m not one of your kids,” he replied without conviction, swept into the other room.
Cassie hurried after the little girl, who’d taken off at the first sign someone would chase her. Cassie followed the girl into the next room only to realize she had disappeared. Slipping out of her too tall heels, Cassie stalked closer to the couch, hearing the loud breathing of a child. She ducked and slipped around the side, hiding as quietly as she could. Lesley peeked up, looking for her pursuer.
“ Rrrraaaaarrrr!” Cassie burst around the couch and captured the squealing little girl. “Time for dinner, you.”
Lesley wrapped her arms around Cassie’s neck, content to be carried to the dining room. As they entered the kitchen, she heard Jenn’s voice floating across into the kitchen, saying, “Jason, can you help? The baby just spit up on your father and Nick is useless.”
“Hear that, Jace? I’m useless. Go do my fatherly duties,” answered Nick.
“Useless picture!” Jace shouted.
Cassie chuckled as Jace’s large form filled out the opposite doorway, his shoulders nearly taking up the whole of the opening. “Everything okay?” he asked in his customary rumble. “I’ve been sent to rescue you if it isn’t.”
“No problem.” She stopped in front of him. “Thanks for earlier. I probably should’ve owned up.”
“Nah.” He tickled Lesley’s neck, making the little girl erupt in delighted laughter. “But now you’re out of chocolate. What will you do?”
“Have a grumpy morning, most likely.
“No, you go. Enjoy your dinner. I’ll hold her.” Roger kept hold of the baby and drifted into the dining room.
Peter sighed, his posture returning to normal for a moment of alone time. “Good. Fine. You’ve lifted all the pressure.”
“How long do they think we’ve been together?”
“Six months. Sorry, should’ve told you that. Not long enough to ask you to marry me, but long enough to be more of a set thing. They’ll hint, though, that you’re marriage material. Just know that that is coming. They’ll ask you about it. All the married people want to get the single people tied up.”
“C’mon you two,” Demetri called.
“Give them a minute,” came Becky’s hushed voice.
Peter rolled his eyes. “See? They like you, though. Think you’re a lady.”
“Joke’s on them.”
Peter smiled. “I told you that your loveliness would be perfect. I am never wrong, honey.”
“There’s the Peter I know and love.” She looped her arm through his as they slowly walked toward the crazy family, both enjoying a moment of quiet.
Before they reached the dining room, Peter said, “It was Jace, wasn’t it? In the grocery store. You guys brought the same wine.”
“Yup.”
“You flirted with him? You think he’s hot?”
Taken aback, she stopped in their meander and looked hard at her friend. Worry lined his features, his eyes round and haunted. “Are you jealous, or something? I mean, don’t worry—I’m not going to seduce the guy or anything. He’s got a woman. But, I mean, the guy is hot. Surely you must know that. All you guys are—all your brothers. And your dad definitely seems like he was a looker in his youth, and your mom is still pretty…”
He shook his head adamantly. “It’s not that. Sorry, I’m not in my element here. I want to relax and have fun with everyone else, like we always used to, but I just feel like if I do, they’ll all know. Anyway, I was just wondering. ”
Cassie patted his arm as Rachel bustled through. “Hurry up, you guys. Dinner’s getting cold. C’mon Michael, John—where’s Lesley?”
Cassie saw a little head peek around the corner of the doorway. Rachel saw it, too, but had her boys by the hands with a harried look to her face.
“I’ll get her,” Cassie volunteered.
“Ah, godsend. C’mon you guys.” She gave her wily sons a jerk to stop them trying to break free and go running. “Peter, let’s go. Get a move on.”
“I’m not one of your kids,” he replied without conviction, swept into the other room.
Cassie hurried after the little girl, who’d taken off at the first sign someone would chase her. Cassie followed the girl into the next room only to realize she had disappeared. Slipping out of her too tall heels, Cassie stalked closer to the couch, hearing the loud breathing of a child. She ducked and slipped around the side, hiding as quietly as she could. Lesley peeked up, looking for her pursuer.
“ Rrrraaaaarrrr!” Cassie burst around the couch and captured the squealing little girl. “Time for dinner, you.”
Lesley wrapped her arms around Cassie’s neck, content to be carried to the dining room. As they entered the kitchen, she heard Jenn’s voice floating across into the kitchen, saying, “Jason, can you help? The baby just spit up on your father and Nick is useless.”
“Hear that, Jace? I’m useless. Go do my fatherly duties,” answered Nick.
“Useless picture!” Jace shouted.
Cassie chuckled as Jace’s large form filled out the opposite doorway, his shoulders nearly taking up the whole of the opening. “Everything okay?” he asked in his customary rumble. “I’ve been sent to rescue you if it isn’t.”
“No problem.” She stopped in front of him. “Thanks for earlier. I probably should’ve owned up.”
“Nah.” He tickled Lesley’s neck, making the little girl erupt in delighted laughter. “But now you’re out of chocolate. What will you do?”
“Have a grumpy morning, most likely.
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