Rules of Contact

by Jaci Burton

  She stared at him. "You're joking, right?"

  At a stop sign, he turned to her. "Of course I'm joking. Sort of."

  She rolled her eyes. She never knew when he was kidding. Having grown up without siblings put her at a disadvantage regarding how siblings behaved toward one another. For all she knew, they beat up on each other every day. Then again, she'd seen him with his brother Grant, and his sister, Mia. Though there was a lot of teasing, there was also genuine affection between them all.

  She was looking forward to observing the family dynamic. And when Flynn reached the gates of the ranch, her eyes widened. The dark iron double Cs affixed above the huge metal gate looked imposing. Flynn rolled down the window, punched in a code and the gates opened.

  They drove down a dirt road for quite a ways until Amelia spotted the house, a beautiful two-story home with bright shutters next to all those windows, plus an amazing wraparound porch. Dogs came running as soon as Flynn pulled in front. Like . . . a lot of dogs.

  Amelia inhaled and let it out.

  Flynn turned to her and smiled. "Ready for this?"

  She managed a smile. "Sure."

  She got out at the same time he did. Dogs surrounded them as they came around to the front of the vehicle.

  "Dogs, meet Amelia. Amelia, meet the dogs."

  There were at least five of them, but surprisingly they were all well behaved. She kneeled down and loved on all of them until a short whistle sent them all scurrying away. Amelia stood and saw a man who looked an awful lot like an older version of Flynn standing on the porch. He hugged Flynn, then came over to her with a smile on his face.

  "Scoundrels love the attention. They'll let you pet them all day. I'm Easton Cassidy, Flynn's dad."

  Amelia held out her hand. "I'm Amelia Lawrence. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Cassidy."

  "Call me Easton. Welcome to the Double C ranch. Come on in out of the hot sun. Flynn, grab the bags."

  Flynn cracked a smile. "Sure, Dad."

  Amelia looked back at Flynn, who made a motion with his hands for her to follow his dad, so she headed up the steps and walked inside when Easton held the door for her.

  Easton was right. It was hot outside, so it felt supremely cooler indoors. And the house was lovely, with its mix of rustic and modern decor.

  "Lydia is in town getting groceries with Aubry and Harmony," Easton said.

  "Aubry is my brother Tucker's fiancee and Harmony is Barrett's girlfriend," Flynn said after he set their luggage inside the front door.

  Amelia nodded. "Got it." For the past couple of weeks, she had received the full rundown from Flynn on all of the Cassidy family members. She already knew Mia, but she'd wanted to have a general idea of who everyone else was before the family gathering. Flynn was the oldest brother. Grant, who she'd already met, was next, and Grant was engaged to supermodel Katrina Korsova. Katrina had custody of her teen siblings, Anya and Leo. The twins, Tucker and Barrett, were the youngest Cassidy brothers. Tucker was engaged to Aubry Ross, a doctor, and Barrett's girlfriend was Harmony Evans, an interior designer. Of course, Mia was the youngest Cassidy sibling. And Flynn's parents were Easton and Lydia. Now she just needed to meet them all. She was both excited and terrified.

  "Thought we heard you pull up."

  They walked into the kitchen at the same time an absolutely stunning man came through the back door.

  Flynn put his arm around Amelia's waist. "Amelia, this is my brother Tucker. This is Amelia Lawrence."

  Another guy came through the back door. He looked eerily similar to Tucker, though he was broader and more muscular.

  "And that one is Barrett."

  She knew they were the twins, so the similarity between them made sense.

  "Hi, it's nice to meet both of you," Amelia said, recalling that Flynn had told her Tucker wore dark glasses that did absolutely nothing to distract from his stunning good looks.

  "Great to meet you, Amelia," Tucker said with a smile as he stepped forward to shake her hand.

  "Good to meet you, Amelia," Barrett said. "Sorry to hear you're dating our brother. We'll try to talk you out of that over the next few days."

  "Nice try," Flynn said. "Won't happen. She's overcome with adoration for me."

  Amelia coughed. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say that."

  Tucker grinned. "I like her already."

  "Where's Grant?" Flynn asked.

  "He's out in one of the pastures with Elijah fixing fencing," his dad said.

  Amelia knew Elijah was one of Easton's brothers, so Flynn's uncle.

  Flynn's lips curved. "Didn't take long for you to put him to work."

  "Put us to work," Tucker said. "We've already replaced tires and changed oil in Dad's old junker of a tractor."

  "Not a junker," Easton said. "That baby will trudge on another twenty years."

  Amelia noticed the look that passed between Flynn and his brother.

  "Sure it will, Dad," Flynn said.

  And the guys were off, talking farm equipment, giving Amelia time to take a mental step back and watch Flynn engage with his father and his brothers. It was quite the sight, especially when Grant walked in. Amelia waved at Grant, who came over to hug her.

  "Hey, good to see you again, Amelia," Grant said.

  "Likewise, Grant."

  That was all she got before Grant entered the argument.

  It was awesome. She pulled up a seat at the oversized kitchen island and watched the interplay between father and sons, each one convinced they were right. If it weren't rude, she'd love to get this on video.

  "It's been like this my entire life."

  Amelia turned to see a grinning Mia walk in, followed by a very attractive older woman who had to be Mia's mother, Lydia.

  "Are they arguing again?" Lydia asked as she set down a bag of groceries. "Hey, all of you, knock that off. There's food in the car. Go bring it in."

  And just like that, the disagreement stopped and all the men walked outside. Lydia had to be a miracle worker.

  Mia grinned. "It's so nice to see you again." She came over to hug her.

  "You, too."

  "This is my mom, Lydia. Mom, this is Amelia Lawrence."

  Amelia held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Lydia."

  Lydia folded her into a hug instead. "I'm very happy to meet you, too, Amelia. Mia has told me a lot about you."

  "And judging by what I just witnessed, I'm already a big fan of yours."

  Lydia frowned, then her eyes widened and she offered up a wry smile. "Oh, that?" She waved her hand. "They're all like little boys."

  "And they know she means business when she tells them to do something. Even Dad knows not to mess with her."

  Amelia's mouth ticked up. She could well imagine this petite woman running this household with iron fists. She'd have to with four boys.

  Two more women entered the kitchen carrying grocery bags. After depositing them on the counter, they both turned to Amelia. The gorgeous blonde leaned forward to shake Amelia's hand. "I'm Aubry Ross, Tucker's fiancee."

  "Hi, Aubry. Great to meet you."

  The other woman, a beautiful dark-haired woman with a stunning smile, stepped forward and hugged her. "I'm Harmony Evans, Barrett's girlfriend."

  Wow. The Cassidy men sure had gotten lucky in landing such amazingly beautiful women. Starting with Lydia, who was so beautiful with her soft brown hair and amazing blue eyes.

  "It's so great to meet you, Harmony. Honestly, it's nice to meet all of you. Flynn has told me so much about everyone in the Cassidy family that I feel like I know all of you already."

  "This family can be imposing," Harmony said with a smile. "You just have to dive right in because they're the nicest people I've ever met."

  "How was your flight, Amelia?" Lydia asked as Mia began emptying grocery bags and putting things away.

  "It was great, thank you. And thank you for letting me spend Thanksgiving in your home."

  "One of the things I love the most is
when the family is home for the holidays. And extra family is always welcome."

  "Thank you for that."

  The men all came in bearing the rest of the groceries, so she moved out of the way while everything was put away in a matter of minutes.

  Aubry had pulled lemonade out of the refrigerator and filled glasses.

  "Lemonade?" she asked her.

  "I'd love some."

  Within the next few minutes, the front door opened and she also met the striking Katrina, Grant's fiancee, along with her younger siblings, Anya and Leo. Then Easton's three brothers appeared, along with their wives, and she was overwhelmed by people. Flynn must have sensed her trepidation though. While she sat in the dining room getting to know everyone, he sat next to her rubbing her back. She was glad he wasn't shy about being familiar with her in front of his family.

  "How's the restaurant going, Flynn?" his mother asked.

  "Great, actually. Amelia takes good care of the customers."

  She warmed at the compliment. "Did Flynn mention that he prepared a signature dish for the restaurant?"

  Lydia looked over at him. "He did not. Tell us about it."

  Flynn explained the dish he'd created, and Amelia was happy that the focus was off of her and on Flynn, as it should be.

  "So now you're the chef in the family, huh?" Easton asked. "And all this time I thought it was your mom."

  "Oh, it's still Mom," Flynn said. "Always will be. I would never have learned to cook if it hadn't been for her."

  "Mom will always be the best," Grant said.

  "I don't think we'll talk about my cooking when we have a professional chef in our midst," Lydia said, smiling over at Amelia.

  "Home cooking for your family always trumps restaurant food," Amelia said.

  "I'm glad you think that. Now I won't feel so pressured to come up with five-star meals the entire time you're here."

  Amelia laughed. "Even I don't make five-star meals, Lydia. Please, don't feel any pressure just because cooking is my job. I'm really looking forward to spending time with your family. And, of course, I'd be delighted to help with the cooking."

  "I'd be delighted to let you help with the cooking."

  "That's our mom," Mia said. "Always willing to corral bodies to help slice and dice in the kitchen."

  Amelia laughed. "I'm always in the kitchen. Even though I work at a restaurant, when I'm home, I'm usually trying out new recipes. So trust me when I tell you I'll be happy to hang out in the kitchen with you."

  Lydia looked over at Flynn. "I like her."

  Flynn's lips ticked up. "Knew you would."

  It wasn't long before Lydia got up and moved into the kitchen. Mia followed, as did Aubry, Harmony, Katrina and Anya, so Amelia naturally went with them. Lydia started pulling things from the refrigerator, and without knowing what they were going to fix, Amelia dived in to assist.

  Then it was a melee of cooking and conversation. Amelia felt right at home talking with the women as she diced onions and tomatoes while conversing about Aubry's medical residency, Harmony's interior design firm and Katrina's modeling career. It was equal parts bizarre and utterly fascinating, but she enjoyed every moment of fixing dinner with this unique family. Eventually some of the guys made their way into the kitchen, including Flynn, who created a rub for the ribs and carried those out back to be grilled.

  "How did you decide to become a chef, Amelia?" Lydia asked her.

  She spent some time explaining her love of food and her background to Lydia and the rest of the women.

  "My plan is to go to culinary school and become a chef," Anya said. "First I have to get my undergraduate degree, because Katrina and Grant won't allow me to do it any other way."

  "You've got that right," Katrina said.

  Amelia laughed and nodded. "It's the smart road to take, Anya. And I'll be happy to recommend some wonderful cooking schools for you if you'd like."

  "I would definitely like that."

  She'd found a kindred spirit in the young Anya, who was in her first year of college. Obviously Grant and Katrina were looking out for Katrina's siblings in the best way.

  She ended up working side by side with Anya. Together, they made salsa and guacamole, along with hummus and baked beans to go with the ribs. Lydia also made potato and green salads. There was a Caprese salad, and Mia had prepped corn on the cob for the guys to roast on the grill. Amelia had found time to whip up a dessert, too.

  By the time dinner was ready, her stomach was gnawing with hunger. Katrina had baked bread and Amelia was ready to tear into the food. Aubry had made margaritas, and Harmony had squeezed lemons for another round of lemonade and sliced limes to go with the margaritas. Lydia had opened some wine, the guys had beers, and the spread at the dining room table was to die for.

  Amelia had a margarita in hand and had already had a few sips. It was delicious.

  "Let's eat, everyone," Lydia said after Easton had placed a huge plate of ribs in the center of the table.

  Dinner was loud, with several conversations going on at once. Flynn placed his hand at the small of her back.

  "Everything going okay?" he asked, his voice low so only she could hear.

  She smiled up at him. "It's perfect. You have an amazing family."

  He grinned. "Thanks. I think so, too."

  The food was wonderful. Amelia tried a little bit of everything, and it was all delicious. By the time they'd finished, she was full.

  "Amelia made dessert," Lydia said.

  Flynn looked over at her and raised a brow.

  "Nothing fancy. Just a raspberry ricotta cake and an apple pie."

  "While we were outside cooking you made two desserts?" he asked.

  "I told you they weren't fancy."

  "I don't care if they're fancy or not," Easton said. "They both sound good. Let's have at them."

  "Then I guess you boys better clear off dinner so we can have dessert," Lydia said.

  The guys cleared the table, and Amelia went into the kitchen to bring out desserts, while Anya and Leo brought out plates and utensils.

  "I made coffee, too," Lydia said, "for anyone who wants some."

  They all sat and cut into the desserts and doled them out. Amelia was too full to eat, but she did help herself to another margarita and waited for the verdict.

  "Damn, woman," Easton said after he tasted the apple pie. "This is fine."

  "I'll say," his brother Elijah said. "I love raspberries, and this cake is really good."

  They all loved the desserts, which made her happy.

  "This raspberry cake is delicious, Amelia," Lydia said. "You'll have to share your recipe with me."

  She couldn't hold back her smile. "I will definitely do that."

  "I'm putting you on pie-making duty tomorrow, Amelia," Lydia said. "How are you with pecan pie?"

  Amelia laughed. "I can definitely handle pies. And pecan is my specialty. Or it will be by tomorrow."

  Lydia smiled and nodded. "Just what I needed to hear."

  "Oh, let's do a cherry pie, too, Amelia," Anya said. "I love cherry pies."

  "Me, too, Anya," Amelia said.

  "Don't forget pumpkin or it won't be Thanksgiving." Flynn shot Amelia a hopeful smile.

  "Pumpkin pie is his weakness," Barrett said. "He'll eat an entire pumpkin pie by himself."

  "Yes, I will, so don't even think about stealing a slice."

  "I don't intend to now that Anya suggested cherry pie."

  Amelia loved the conversations about food, and made mental notes about some of Flynn's favorites.

  After everyone finished dessert, she was surprised when all the guys got up to clean up the kitchen, leaving the women to savor their coffee and drinks in the dining room.

  "You have them well trained, Lydia," Amelia said.

  She shrugged and sipped her coffee. "For a while I did all the cooking. Then I decided if I was going to cook for these hordes of men, they were going to do the cleanup. To be honest, I got no complaints.
And after a while the boys wanted to learn how to cook, so for some meals we all cooked together and shared in the cleanup. But I still did most of the cooking."

  "Flynn is a very good cook," Amelia said.

  Lydia's lips lifted. "I'm so happy to hear that."

  "Tucker holds his own in the kitchen as well," Aubry said.

  "Barrett is no slouch, either," Harmony said.

  "Grant cooks as well," Katrina said. "When Anya and I let him in there."

  Lydia laughed. "Yes, I imagine that's a battle with the two of you being such good cooks."

  "Anya is much better at it than I am, and honestly, she's more gracious about letting Grant cook with her."

  Anya smiled. "Grant's not bad as an assistant. At least he doesn't scorch the rice."

  "We miss your cooking now that you're away at college," Katrina said.

  Anya grinned. "Oh, but my roommates love me."

  "That's the best part about being a great cook," Amelia said. "You are very popular in college."

  Anya nodded. "I found that out very quickly, especially among the microwave-and-Top-Ramen crowd."

  Amelia laughed. "Yes, I remember those days very well. Just don't give any recipes away."

  "Hey, I'm not stupid. I've already scored concert tickets and history study notes in exchange for my awesome culinary skills."

  "That's my smart sister," Katrina said with a nod.

  After a while Lydia broke up the party, saying she was tired and was going to bed. It turned out Amelia and Flynn would be staying at the guest cottage down the road--ostensibly to give them some privacy since they were a new couple.

  It was sweet and as Flynn brought their luggage into the cottage, Amelia was in awe of what Lydia considered a "cottage." This was a house, and a fairly sizable one at that.

  "Shouldn't Grant and Katrina and the kids be staying here?" Amelia asked. "It's huge."

  "It's not as big as the other house on the property," he said as she followed him down the hall and into the main bedroom. "Grant and Katrina are staying in that house."

  She blinked. "There's another house?"

  He flipped on the light and turned to her with a smile. "There's a few. My parents have a lot of land."

  "Wow." She had no concept of owning so much land that you could build several houses on it. "That's kind of amazing."

  "Yeah. This house is on the smaller side. Just two bedrooms."

  She laughed. "Right. Just two bedrooms. And about . . . what? Fifteen hundred square feet, I'm guessing?"

  "Sixteen hundred. With a fold-out couch in the living room for extra guests. You're pretty good."