“This is so cool. You have your own cemetery.”
There are several dozen headstones placed throughout the area, starting back by the trees.
“The oldest ones are back there.” I point them out to her, and we start to wander through the graveyard. “The kids think this place is creepy, but I’ve never felt that way out here. It’s peaceful.”
“Some of these headstones go back to the late 1800s.” She stops and crosses her arms over her chest as she reads one of the headstones. “Clifford King. Born 1842. Died 1889. Loved his land, God, and family.”
I nod. “He was the first King on this property. And his initials, along with his wife’s, are on that tree.”
She slowly moves up and down the rows of gravestones, reading each of them.
“This one is newer.”
“That’s my grandpa,” I reply and stare at the gray stone.
Jeffrey King
1950-2020
Beloved
“Heart attack,” I continue. “But he didn’t suffer, and that’s the important thing.”
She slides her hand into mine and gives it a squeeze. “You were close?”
“Yeah.” I glance down at her. “He was the best.”
We walk a little farther and she points to the simple wooden cross next to my grandpa. “What’s this?”
“That’s Thor.” I smile softly. “I got him that first summer I came to the ranch. He was the best dog ever. Goofy and big and loyal. He died a few years ago, and I put him here because he was part of the family.”
“And now you have Captain,” she says with a smile. “I take it you’re a Marvel fan.”
“Isn’t everyone?”
She laughs and tugs me next to her. “Where has Cap been?”
“At the big house with the kids. He’s mine, but I share custody.”
She rests her head on my biceps and takes a long, deep breath.
“This ranch is special, Seth. Thank you for showing it to me today.”
“You’re welcome, but we didn’t even cover half of it.” I kiss her head, and we turn to walk back to the horses. “There are swimming holes and even a natural cellar out here that they used to use to dry out meat a hundred years ago.”
“You know this place like the back of your own hand, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever lived anywhere that meant as much to me as this does to your family.”
I close the gate behind us and then turn her into my arms, tipping her chin up so I can brush my lips over hers.
“You’ll find your place, Remi. It’s out there, waiting for you.”
It’s here.
I want to say it out loud, but she’s not ready for that. She’s not ready to hear that I plan to marry her. To make a life with her.
But that time will come.
“Oh, by the way,” I say as I help her up onto her horse. “It’s Sunday, and that usually means that we have dinner at the big house. Are you up for it?”
“Sure.” She smiles over at me as I settle in my own saddle. “I’ve already met them all once. It’ll be a nice, quiet evening.”
I snort. “My family isn’t quiet, sugar. Nice? Yes. And the food is out of this world. But they’re not quiet. You’ll meet my grandma. She always bakes the dessert, and she makes the best damn pie in the world.”
“I like pie.” She nods. “And, honestly, I like to cook. A lot. Mind if I borrow your kitchen one of these days?”
“Honey, you can use my kitchen anytime you like, as long as I get to eat whatever you make.”
“I make enough for an army.”
“Yeah. You’re going to fit in just fine.”
Chapter 12
~Remi~
“I’m going to meet his family.” I cradle the phone close to my mouth.
“Why are you whispering?” Annie asks on the other end of the phone, also whispering loudly.
“Because he’s in the other room, and I’m acting nonchalant in front of him, but I’m chalant as all fuck, Annie.”
She giggles, and I scowl.
“It’s not funny!”
“Of course, not,” she whispers. “Wait, why am I whispering? Okay, tell me what’s happening. Lay it all out for me.”
“He invited me to Sunday night dinner with his whole family. Even his grandma. The. Whole. Family.”
“Oh, I like Nancy so much. You’ll love her.”
“You’re not helping.”
“What do you want me to say? I mean, I’m trying to be a good friend here, Remi, but I don’t know why this is a bad thing. If you don’t want to go, just say so. Tell him you have other plans or something.”
“I don’t have other plans.” I chew on my thumbnail and will my stomach to stop roiling. “I made it seem like it’s no big deal earlier when we were out on the horses, but holy shit, Annie. He wants me to have dinner with his whole family. Isn’t that a thing? Am I ready for it to be a thing?”
Annie sighs, and I know I’m being that frustrating friend that wants to have the situation solved miraculously. But I can’t help it. This has never happened to me before.
“Remi. You spend more time with him than not. You’re sleeping with him.”
“I never said—”
“A woman knows these things. I saw the way you lit up from the inside out when he stopped into the deli on Friday. I hate to break it to you, but this is already a thing. But if you don’t want to go, don’t go.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to go.” I check to make sure Seth is still in the kitchen. “I do. Sort of. But damn it, I’m nervous. This is his whole family. His parents, siblings, and his grandmother.”
“And probably his aunt and uncle and their kids, too.”
“Holy shit, Annie.”
“I know, not helping. Okay, you need to take a deep breath, honey. I suspect you’re not close to your family the way that Seth is.”
“Totally not. Not even close. My mother can’t even remember my birthday.”
“Wait, what? Remi, when is your birthday?”
“Focus, Annie.”
“Right. Go. Enjoy it. Worry about the rest later.”
“That’s it? Those are your words of wisdom?”
“You’re overthinking,” she says with laughter in her voice. “Go enjoy that sexy man of yours. Call me if you need me.”
“Okay. Thanks. Bye.”
I hang up and turn around, running right into a very solid, very hard chest.
“Holy shit! You scared me. You can’t just sneak up on people like that, Seth. It’s rude.”
He’s quiet, so I let my eyes travel up his chest, throat, and to his face. His eyes are narrowed. His jaw tight.
“What?”
“You can just talk to me about this, you know.”
I swallow hard. “Not really.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Seth. I don’t want to turn down your invitation. I want to go with you.”
“But you have to call a friend to get up the guts? That tells me you don’t want to go. And if that’s the case, you need to say so.”
“Why do you want me there?”
There. I said it. It’s out in the universe now.
Seth licks his lips and moves in closer, nudging me back until I’m flush against the wall. His hands slide over my hips, and his nose skims my cheek.
“Because I like being with you. I want you to hang out with the people I like best. You don’t have anything to worry about, Rem. I’ll be right there with you.”
“What if they don’t like me?” I hate the shakiness in my voice.
“What’s not to like? Have you met you?”
I smile a little and feel the heat ripple through me and my nipples pucker as those magical hands of his slide up to my rib cage.
“I mean, I am pretty cool.”
“The coolest,” he agrees. “If you hate it, we’ll leave. No questions asked. No h
arm, no foul.”
“It’s easy to say that now—”
“Look at me, damn it.”
My eyes fly up to his, the hardness in his voice surprising me.
“I don’t say shit I don’t mean. We don’t have time for games. Listen to me carefully. If you’re not comfortable tonight, you just say so, and we’ll leave. I won’t be mad. I won’t punish you with the silent treatment or guilt-trip you. We’ll just go, and move on with our lives until you are comfortable. Okay?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
He kisses my forehead, takes a deep breath, and then backs away with my hand clenched in his.
“Good. Let’s go.”
His stride is purposeful as he leads me through the house and out to his truck. He’s on a mission, and it seems that mission is to take me to a family dinner.
It’s kind of sweet, really. My stomach is still tight, and I’m nervous as all hell, but he’s sweet, and in the brief moments that I met his family, they were nice.
It’s going to be fine.
The drive over to his parents’ house doesn’t take long, and before I know it, we’re pulling to a stop in front of a big, red farmhouse that has clearly been the focal point of this property for a very long time.
“How old is this house?” I ask him when he turns off the engine, and we sit staring at it.
He seems to exhale in relief, as if he’d been holding his breath, expecting me to tell him to take me back.
“The original house was built in 1870, but it’s been renovated and added on to so much over the years, I couldn’t tell you what’s original.”
“Interesting. I like old houses.”
I open my door and hop out of the truck, then meet Seth at the bottom of the steps of the porch and take his hand. I’m proud that my hand isn’t shaking.
“Let’s go have dinner,” I say with a smile.
“You sure you’re good?” he asks and looks closely at my face, checking for any sign of trepidation.
“I’m great. I mean it.” And I really do mean it. I had a few moments of insecurity, but Seth reassured me. Bolstered my confidence. I’m just nervous because I’ll be surrounded by people I don’t know. But I’ll get past it. I’ve been in these situations before.
We climb the steps of the porch, and Seth walks right through the door without knocking.
We’re greeted with big smiles and hugs, words of welcome. Seth’s mom, Jillian, wraps her arm around my waist and leads me toward the kitchen.
“Come, have a glass of wine and chat with us,” she suggests.
“I could use a glass of wine.”
“I’ll come, too,” Seth says, but his mom shakes her head.
“Your dad was looking for you a few minutes ago. He and the other guys are out trying to fix your brother’s snowmobile. Don’t worry, we won’t scare her off.”
With his mother looking on, Seth leans over and kisses my cheek, then whispers in my ear, “Don’t run. I’m right outside.”
I watch him walk off and then smile at Jillian.
“Let’s get that wine,” she suggests with a laugh.
I rarely drink. But I think I need just a little something to take the edge off.
“Red or white?” Cara asks when I walk into the kitchen.
“Surprise me,” I reply.
“We’re just going casual tonight,” Cara says as she fills some glasses with white wine and passes one to me. “We’re laying out a taco bar so everyone can pick on it all evening. We’re usually casual around here unless it’s a holiday.”
“Yeah, then we break out the linen napkins,” Jillian says with a wink. “The kids are upstairs playing video games or on their phones. Or something.”
“I’m right here.” A teenager that I recognize from my first afternoon at the deli speaks up at the sink where he’s rinsing off vegetables.
“And you’re my favorite,” Jillian assures him. “Miles, have you met Remi?”
He smiles over at me. “Yeah, we checked her out at the deli last week.”
I raise a brow. “So you didn’t just stop by for an after-school cookie?”
That cocky smile is just like his other brother’s. “The cookie was great. I could have eaten six more. But we all stopped by to see you.”
I narrow my eyes and sip my wine. “So, all of the kids you were with—?”
“My sibs and cousins,” he confirms.
“No wonder Annie laughed,” I mutter and shake my head.
“They didn’t mean any harm,” a redheaded woman says as she walks out of the pantry, carrying taco shells and cans of beans and corn. “I’m Lauren, by the way.”
“I remember,” I say. “I know they didn’t. It was just funny, especially to Annie, because I think all of Seth’s family stopped in at some point that day. She got a real kick out of it.”
“The Kings are a nosy bunch.”
I turn at the voice and see an older woman just slipping out of her jacket. Her eyes are keen on me as she takes me in.
“You must be Nancy King,” I say with a smile. “Your grandson is smitten with you, you know.”
“All of them are,” she replies with a soft smile. “And I with them. You’re a beautiful girl, Remi.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “Thanks. You’re all so pretty and nice. You’re a little overwhelming, you know that?”
“It’s just because there’s so many of us,” Jillian insists and shares a look with her mother-in-law.
Well, I can make it awkward and just stand here, or I can make it fun.
“How can I help?” I ask and set my wine aside. “I’m a good cook, and I know my way around a kitchen. This one is beautiful, by the way.”
“Thanks,” Jillian says. “We did some work on it about five years ago. You can get into that cabinet there and pull down some bowls for all of this stuff.”
For the next thirty minutes, we bustle about the kitchen, and I watch as they all fall into a rhythm that they’ve clearly perfected over the course of many years together as a family.
“How is Lauren related?” I ask when there’s a break in the conversation. “I know that Cara is married to Josh.”
“I’m married to Ty, Jillian’s brother,” Lauren says with a smile. “Our daughter is Layla. She was likely with Miles and the others last week.”
“She was,” Miles confirms and stirs the fresh salsa that he just made entirely from scratch. “We were all together.”
“So, Ty’s the only one I haven’t met then,” I reply, then look around in surprise when they all giggle. “What?”
“Ty went in that day, too,” Lauren confesses.
“Have you never met one of Seth’s girlfriends before or something?” I take a sip of my now-warm wine.
“No,” Jillian replies. “He’s never really talked with us about women. I know he’s dated, don’t get me wrong. But until you, he’s kept that part of his life relatively private. At least from us. He might talk to Zack and Josh about it more.”
I blink at her, then finish the glass of wine in two gulps.
“I suppose we’re not doing a very good job of putting you at ease,” Nancy says and pats me on the shoulder. “I told you, we’re all a nosy bunch, especially when it comes to our kids. But I like you, and I can see why Seth does, too.”
“Why?” I ask before I can stop myself, then cover my mouth with my hand and feel my eyes widen in horror. “Sorry. That’s the wine talking.”
“You’re smart,” Nancy says without blinking. “And kind. And when you smile, you light up the room. It’s no wonder that my grandson can’t take his eyes off you.”
I clear my throat and smile gratefully at Cara when she pours me just a smidge more wine.
“I’m cut off after this,” I inform her. “I’m a lightweight.”
“Me, too,” she says with a wink.
Chapter 13
~Remi~
“So, where do you see yourself in five years?”
I choke on the chip I just b
it into and then blink away the tears that formed from it and into the eyes of a very serious middle-schooler.
“Is this a job interview?” I ask him.
“Maybe.” Troy shrugs but doesn’t look away and doesn’t laugh.
“Five years is a long time.”
“Okay, where do you see yourself in one year?” he persists.
“Hmm. Probably still traveling in my van, exploring the country.”
“Not in Cunningham Falls? What will you do for work?”
I grin at him. “Maybe I’ll still be here. I like working at the deli.”
“Can you score free cookies?”
I laugh and reach for another chip. “Probably. What kind is your favorite?”
“Peanut butter,” he says. “The oatmeal is good, too.”
“What about kids?” This comes from Layla, who’s sitting to my right. Somehow, Miles talked me into coming into the living room with all of the kids after we ate dinner, and now it’s like I’m at the Spanish Inquisition.
“I like kids.”
“Do you want some?” Kimberly asks.
I’m shocked that I can remember all of their names.
“I…uh…Maybe. If I met the right guy and we decided to have kids together, I would be up for it. But I don’t know if I’d be a very good mom.”
“Why?” Miles frowns at me. “You’re nice enough.”
I laugh and shrug a shoulder. “Well, thanks. I don’t know, I think kids are a big decision, and I’m not really in a position to think about it.”
“Because you’re not married?” Sarah asks.
“Well, yeah. I live in my van. It’s not really the right place to raise a kid or two, you know?”
“Yeah, you’ll definitely have to move out of the van if you have kids,” Troy says.
“Let’s change this subject,” I suggest and look over to the dining room, where Seth is watching me with a wide grin on his impossibly handsome face. “Why aren’t you in here answering questions?”
“Because I already did that last weekend,” he informs me.
“I feel like I should have brought my resume with me tonight.”
“Oh, do you have one you can email us?” Kim asks.
“No.” I shake my head. “I won’t email you my resume.”
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