by Melody Anne
Before Declan had come to California to rescue her, it hadn’t been so bad back at home. There had been comments about the looks Declan and she had exchanged over the years, and some quips about the chemistry between them. But the girls hadn’t pushed her too hard.
But now that Roxie had caught the scent of something actually going on between her and Declan, they were pushing hard for information—and doing their best at matchmaking.
The men seemed to be clueless while the women were better interrogators than the CIA. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could avoid it. So far she’d spent the day with Timothy glued to her side so they couldn’t ask her the difficult questions. That wasn’t going to last. The fishing trip was over with a bucket full of future dinners.
They’d returned to Declan’s home and now it was time for the family dinner that seemed to be growing by leaps and bounds. Declan’s father, Lucian, had talked them all into going to his good friend, Joseph Anderson’s, place. Angela hadn’t met the man yet, but she knew a lot about Joseph. How could anyone not know about the man? He owned half of Seattle, half the state of Washington, for that matter. She was afraid to meet him.
But with so many people around she wouldn’t be of much interest to someone like Joseph. However, with the size of his property, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep enough people around her to avoid being carried away by her friends.
She’d insisted on bringing something to the dinner. They’d told her not to worry about is as it was a party welcoming her and Timothy back, but she’d insisted on it being called a family gathering. She didn’t like to be in the spotlight. And they couldn’t have a dinner honoring her at a house where she hadn’t even met the owner. She wanted to be just another guest, and guests brought food.
She was a good cook, and took a lot of pride in that fact. She was also intimidated to be cooking for this crowd. But it was better than showing up empty-handed. She already was leaning too heavily on the Forbes family. She wasn’t going to be a total freeloader.
She stood in Declan’s dream kitchen with cookies cooling on the counter while she put together a macaroni salad and stuffed mushrooms. She felt as if she’d forgotten how to use a mixing spoon. She was a hot mess and it didn’t appear to be getting better anytime soon.
“Mom, we’re ready to go,” Timothy said as he came skidding into the kitchen. She hated how jumpy she was. It was her son for goodness sake, and she was jumping as if a snake had crawled out of the sink drain.
“I’m almost finished, sweetie. Is Declan done in the office?”
“He said it wasn’t a workday. He shut it all down and we threw the ball for a while. I’m definitely going to play baseball next year,” he said as he jumped up on the barstool and grabbed a cookie off the platter.
“Really?” she said, her tension fading. “I thought you didn’t like it.”
“That was until Declan said he’d make me the best player on the team,” Timothy said proudly. “I was throwing really hard.”
“Declan’s a busy person, Timothy. He might not be able to teach you very often. But I used to play softball. I could play catch with you,” she assured him. She didn’t want him growing too attached to Declan. This was all so complicated.
Her son was such a great kid. He was friendly and polite and loved life. He was eager to learn, and he wanted a male figure to look up to so badly. She hoped she wasn’t utterly messing up his life by not giving him a father. She tried to make up for it. But there were some things a boy just wanted to do with a dad. She understood.
“I’m never too busy to throw a ball,” Declan said as he joined them, sitting in the chair next to Timothy and grabbing his own cookie. “Where’s the milk?” he asked with a wink at her son.
“I’ll get it,” Timothy said with hero worship in his eyes as he jumped up and grabbed a couple of glasses and poured them milk. He didn’t spill a drop.
“My brothers and I used to toss a ball daily, either a baseball, football, or basketball. If it wasn’t raining we were outside doing something. If the rain drove us in we’d find a gym to work off energy,” Declan said as he ruffled Timothy’s head and thanked him for the milk. He finished a cookie in three bites.
“I loved being outdoors as a kid. I need to get out more now,” she said.
“Boys tend to have more energy to burn,” Declan told her.
“That sounds slightly sexist,” she said.
“Not at all. It goes back to caveman days when men hunted all day to feed their families. We’re supposed to be outside using our skill and muscles,” he said.
“These aren’t caveman days anymore,” she said.
“No, but if some huge natural disaster happens how many people do you think could survive without modern electricity and all the luxuries of home?” he asked.
She looked around his kitchen and raised her brows. He chuckled.
“I’m not saying I don’t love a convenient life. I’m just saying if we get too lazy we won’t know what to do without all those conveniences. Look at the uproar over plastic straws. I have to admit I was irritated with the ban at first. Then I realized we survived a long time without them and we can survive without them now. Do I like them? Yes, I do. Are they essential to my happiness? Not at all. Will I use them if they’re around? Yep, I will. But I can drink from a cup and be just fine. I might spill some ice on me now and then, but I’ll adjust. Humans adjust. We adapt. But if we get too lazy, we won’t. So that’s why I like throwing the ball and burning excess energy. I want to use my energy and not lose it.”
“Wow, that’s a good way to shut down an argument,” she said with a chuckle. “I agree it’s easy to get lazy. There are days when I don’t have anything pressing so I’ll curl up in front of the fire with a blanket and book and not move for a solid ten hours unless I need a drink or a bathroom. Those are few and far between, but they are absolute heaven.”
“I can’t say that’s my idea of heaven,” he said. “But when I’m sick I move less.”
“There’s nothing wrong with rest days. Even God took a day of rest,” she pointed out.
“Nah, I just think that’s the day he went fishing,” Declan said. “He is a great fisherman.”
“That’s a very good point. I don’t remember one of the six days of creation mentioning fishing. But there is a lot of sitting while fishing.”
“If you’re doing it wrong. I like the big fish that fight me,” he told her.
“Of course you do. I’ve never caught one of those.”
“What?” He jumped up, making both her and Timothy look at him with concern. “That’s an absolute tragedy. We’re going to have to fix that as soon as possible. Once you catch an eighty pound halibut you’ll never be able to trout fish again.”
“I guess we’ll find out,” she said.
“I want to catch an eighty pound halibut,” Timothy said.
“That weighs more than you,” Angela told him. “The fish might be fishing you.”
“That would be so cool,” Timothy said with a grin.
“Boys,” she said with an affectionate smile.
“Yep, boys, can’t live with us or without us,” Declan told her.
“How many cookies have you guys eaten?” she asked as she looked at her depleted platter.
“I don’t know. I wasn’t paying attention,” Declan said with a shrug. “They are good though.”
“I can’t take this tray now. There’s hardly anything on it.”
“Good. Then we’ll have them when we get back home.”
She liked her food being appreciated so she couldn’t be too upset they were eating all the cookies, but she wasn’t letting them touch her salad or mushrooms. The oven timer went off and she moved over to pull the pan out.
“Oh, those smell good,” Declan said, suddenly at her side.
“Nope. Hands off. These are making it to the dinner,” she said as she swatted him away.
“I just need to make sure they won’t poison anyo
ne,” he said with pleading eyes as he gazed at the appetizer. She was so pleased he looked enamored with her food that she caved and placed two of them on a plate for him.
He wolfed them down. “Damn. These are the best mushrooms I’ve ever had,” he said. “Come on, let me have a few more.”
“No way,” she said. “I found these warming plate things in your kitchen that you place in a bag to keep the food heated. These puppies are getting packed right now.”
“Fine, let me go change real quick and we’ll hit the road.”
“Smart man,” she said.
She was still smiling when Timothy and Declan rushed from the kitchen. She realized when she was alone again that she could get very used to their little domestic scene. She might get more used to it than she should.
For now, though, this was her life, and she was determined to enjoy every moment of it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Angela was grateful that Timothy kept the conversation going on the way to the Anderson mansion. She was nervous about going to this huge family event, and even more nervous about how she’d been feeling in the kitchen.
She’d already spent the afternoon with Declan’s siblings, and she couldn’t help but love it. She had a great time with them, enjoying the music and laughter and conversation. There was never a dull moment when the four brothers were together. They had an extremely tight bond.
Her first impression of the Anderson driveway was awe. It stretched on for about a half-mile, lined on either side with giant evergreen trees. The driveway itself was impressive. She couldn’t believe she was about to see the famous Anderson mansion—that she was being invited to spend the evening there.
When they turned the corner and the massive house appeared as if it was reaching for the sky, she actually gasped. Even Timothy went silent.
“Is that a castle, Mom?” he finally asked.
Declan chuckled. “It’s pretty dang close to a castle,” he told him. “Mr. Joseph doesn’t do anything on a small scale.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that,” Timothy said.
“Yeah, a lot of us haven’t.”
Angela had to fight rolling her eyes as Declan said that. She’d seen his parents’ home, and though it wasn’t as huge as the Anderson mansion, because that was their choice. The Forbes’s could certainly hold their own with the Andersons. They were used to money and didn’t know life without it. She didn’t know if that would be a good thing or not.
Declan parked the car and rushed to open her door before she could. “This way,” he said. Timothy jumped out and turned his head in all directions.
Declan grabbed their food, making Angela feel really silly about it now. She was sure there were chefs preparing the best of the best. Her food would be nothing. Hopefully they could tuck it away and no one would know where it came from.
They followed the sound of laughter to the side of the house and she had to fight not to gasp again as they neared a giant pool and an outdoor kitchen near huge tents set up with lanterns and heat lamps for when the sun went down.
This wasn’t a typical backyard barbeque. That was for dang sure. She felt utterly out of place. A huge part of her wanted to turn and run, but she wouldn’t do that to her son who’d already spotted a gaggle of kids.
“Can I go play?” Timothy asked. Declan nodded at her.
“Yes, just check in with me every once in a while,” she called to his back as he jetted off.
There were at least a hundred people all laughing, talking, and dancing to the band set up in the corner playing a mix of country and rock.
“Wasn’t this a last minute thing?” she asked. “This looks like it was planned.”
“They decided to do it when I said we were on our way home. We do a lot of get-togethers. Family time is important,” Declan said.
“This looks like a wedding reception. I can’t believe they put it together in a couple of days.”
“Joseph does a lot of events. He can be ready in minutes. It helps that he has a staff who are capable and move quickly.”
“We should put this food back in the car,” she said, wishing she wouldn’t have insisted on bringing something.
“As much as I want to keep it to myself, that’s not going to happen. You worked hard on it. There’s the food table.” He spotted a long, long table where dozens of dishes were sitting and he took the food over there. A couple of staff members smiled and thanked them, then set it out with all the other items.
Angela felt slightly better about it when Owen and Eden stepped up beside them and handed over a dish. “That’s my favorite, Texas caviar,” Eden said. “There’s no cooking involved and it always wows the crowd.”
“Looks like we got here about the same time,” Angela said, wanting to cling to Eden’s side.
“Yep, Owen took forever to get ready,” she said.
“Mmm hmm, except it was the opposite. My wife decided she wanted to try on a dozen dresses, then tried to trap me into telling her which looked the best.”
“Well you look beautiful,” Angela told her. “But you always do.”
“Ah, thank you, darling. See, Owen? That’s all it takes,” Eden said with a grin.
“You look beautiful in everything you wear, especially sweats and a sports bra,” he said. “So I really can’t give fashion advice.”
She leaned into and gave him a kiss. “And I love that you think so.”
“I’m an expert,” he said.
She laughed with delight. “You’re an expert at putting out fires . . . in more ways than one,” she told him with a wink.
“That’s just wrong,” Declan said with a roll of his eyes. “I need a beer.”
“I’ll join you.”
Angela and Eden followed the two men to where a huge open bar was set up. Eden grabbed a glass of wine for Angela and something sparkling for herself while the guys each took an ice-cold beer.
“It’s good to see you, Declan,” a man said as he approached with a beautiful woman at his side. “Who’s the lovely lady you talked into coming?”
“Lucas, this is Angela Lincoln. Her son, Timothy, is running around here somewhere in the mob of children causing as much chaos as possible. Angela, this is Joseph’s oldest son, Lucas Anderson, and his wife, Amy.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Amy said. “We were told we’re having a homecoming dinner for you tonight. I love any excuse for all of us to gather. Not that we really need an excuse.”
“I can’t believe how much effort went into this. When Declan said we were having a family dinner, I was thinking hot dogs and beer,” Angela said with a nervous laugh. “I definitely like this better.”
“Yes, the Andersons don’t do anything simple, and since Joseph and Lucian are such great friends when the two of them get together a dinner becomes a gala event,” Amy said.
“Well I’m glad I get to experience it. I might not find my son for awhile, but he’ll have some stories to tell, I’m sure,” Angela said.
“Oh, if you want stories, I’ve got plenty for you. This family has all sorts of secrets.”
“Darling, I thought we didn’t share the secrets,” Lucas said with an adoring look at his wife.
“Now that wouldn’t be any fun at all, would it?” she asked as she leaned up on tiptoe to kiss her husband. They were obviously infatuated with each other. It was refreshing to see.
“You can tell it all. I’ve nothing to hide,” Lucas said.
The band switched into a lively version of Friends in Low Places, and several people started to sing. Angela was overwhelmed with it all.
“Don’t be intimidated by any of this. I know it can be a bit much. When I first met Lucas I wanted to go running and screaming in the opposite direction. But then I got pregnant and, well, the rest is history. But after I got over my initial fear I realized that, yes, they have a lot of money, but their hearts are even bigger than their wallets. Enjoy yourself tonight. You’re going to be meeting a lot o
f new faces. There will be a quiz later.”
Angela smiled at Amy. She instantly liked the woman. She’d love to know her story and how she met Lucas. Maybe they’d have time to chat more as the night went on. Or maybe she’d just read about it.
“We’ll talk with you soon. I see my father, and I have a bone to pick with him,” Lucas said.
“Uh, oh, looks like Joseph’s in trouble again,” Owen said with a laugh.
“That’s nothing new. Dad’s at his side. I bet the two of them are up to something as we speak,” Declan said.
“They sure do love to meddle. I don’t know how you got out of it,” Owen said.
“I don’t think I did,” Declan said with a laugh. Angela had no idea what they were talking about. Owen clapped Declan on the back.
“Yeah, I don’t think you did, either,” he said with a wink.
“I’m not upset about it, though. That’s the strange thing.”
“Ah, if I could get a tear in my eye, I just might. That’s about the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a decade.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Declan said.
“Even the hardest of them fall.”
“What in the world are you guys talking about?” Angela asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
“You’ll find out,” Owen told her before he took Eden’s hand and pulled her away to the beautiful wooden dance floor.
“Want to dance?” Declan asked.
“No,” she said a bit too loudly. “I can’t dance, and there are so many people around.”
“I could drag you,” he said, leaning in close and making her heart skip a beat.
“But you won’t,” she said, only about seventy percent sure of that.
“No, I won’t. I want you to have a good time. But my other two siblings are approaching so that might be impossible. Do you want to make a break for it?”
“Yes, but I’ll be brave,” she said. The glass of wine was half gone, and she was realizing she might need several more to get through this night.
Kian and Arden approached with Roxie and Keera. “You guys beat us here,” Keera said. “But it looks like most of the Anderson clan did as well. I guess we were taking too long.”