"I hope you'll take the job, and stay in this area," she said, and knew he could hear how her heart had suddenly started pounding. She added in a rush, before her courage failed her: "I'd really miss you if you left. And I'd worry about Chris. Please don't go."
She found herself unable to meet his eyes, which wasn't like her. She had never been the shy type.
Daniel's arms wrapped around her tightly.
"I'd love to get to know you a whole lot better," he murmured, and she felt him kiss her tightly-braided hair. "Especially since we've gotten off to such a good start."
Margaret felt heat rush into her face at the memories from last night. She shook her head. "It's really strange, but I already feel like I've known you a long time."
She felt a jolt of reaction run through him. "Me, too, now that you mention it. It's weird. But I like it. So, you want me to stay?"
"I do," she said, and felt another jolt from him, as if she'd just made a commitment.
"That's what I wanted to hear." Daniel put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up so that he could give her another one of those deep, delicious kisses.
When he stepped back, releasing her, Margaret instantly felt the loss of his touch.
"Let me talk to Chris, and we'll see what happens. But just so you know—my vote is that we stay here."
She couldn't stop the smile of pure joy that rose from deep inside her. They stared at each other for a few moments, the tension of unspoken emotion thick between them.
Tell him, demanded her bear.
That startled her enough to snap her out of her daze. She cleared her throat. "So, Chef Daniel, what's the menu for tonight?"
She'd been wondering since he left for his interview, and her curiosity had only grown in the intervening hours, as she washed, peeled, sliced, and chopped all of the vegetables and fruits he'd listed.
He blinked and grinned down at her with boyish charm. "Promise you'll keep it a secret from tonight's guests?"
Margaret nodded. "Cross my heart."
Daniel counted off the dishes on his fingers as he described them. "For the starter, slices of smoked duck breast with sautéed apple slices wrapped with bacon, broiled, and served with huckleberry gastrique. I'll follow that with a salad of mixed greens with sliced radishes, roasted shallots, toasted almonds, and goat cheese, tossed in a champagne vinaigrette. For the main course, I'll grill that filet of beef, and serve it with goat cheese mashed potatoes, shallot-roasted mushrooms, and a red wine reduction. I'm also planning to pan-fry steelhead fillets, top them with browned butter and sliced almonds, and serve them with roasted potatoes and steamed green beans drizzled with a hollandaise sauce. And I'm making a special treat for dessert—it's one of my favorites, and I'll be using my mémère's recipe. "
"That sounds amazing," she told him. "I'm sure you're going to wow everyone who shows up for dinner tonight. I think they were probably expecting me to make lasagna, garlic bread, and a Jell-O salad, which is what I did the last time I hosted Sunday dinner."
His grin widened.
"I loved your lasagna," he said with sincerity. "You can make that for me anytime, darlin'. But for now, let's get to work. We have a lot to do before the hungry hordes arrive."
"Hungry hordes is right," she told him. "Have you ever seen how much food a clan of bear shifters can put away?"
* * *
"Oh no," Margaret said with real dismay.
Her niece-by-marriage Annabeth stood at the front door, her arms filled with a stack of pink bakery boxes embossed with the Cinnamon + Sugar teddy bear logo in gold.
Distracted by Daniel's presence—and his deliciously arousing kisses—Margaret had completely forgotten that Annabeth always brought the desserts for Sunday dinner.
"What's wrong, Aunt Margaret?" asked the pretty redheaded baker, tilting her head in inquiry. She was wearing a long-sleeved knit top in her trademark shade of bright turquoise, and smelled pleasantly of vanilla, yeast, and cinnamon.
"I forgot to tell you that Daniel is making a special dessert for everyone tonight," Margaret confessed. "I meant to call you call this morning before you left the bakery...but I got distracted."
Her cheeks warmed at the memory of just how she'd gotten so distracted.
Then she spotted Annabeth's mate Dane striding up the gravel walk to the porch, carrying another stack of pink boxes plus a large paper sack stuffed with loaves of freshly-baked bread. Behind him stood Annabeth's beloved old blue Prius.
Fresh anxiety bubbled up from the bottom of Margaret's mind, where she had been trying to quash it since being ambushed by her daughters and Mark this morning.
I know I made the right call in offering Daniel and Chris sanctuary here, she told herself. But I really want my family to like and accept them.
Especially if he becomes our mate, said her bear.
Tonight's dinner would be a major test. The Swansons were never shy about expressing how they felt about something, good or bad.
Annabeth's gaze shot past Margaret's shoulder. The redhead's dimples deepened as Margaret heard Daniel's light step behind her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Margaret saw him wiping his hands on the dishtowel tucked into his chef's apron as he approached the front door.
"You must be Daniel. Hannah told me all about you," Annabeth said with her usual warmth.
Without a trace of self-consciousness, she handed him her stack of boxes.
"Yes, I'm Daniel," he confirmed, accepting the offering. "And I'm guessing that you're Annabeth. I've heard all about you, as well. And tasted your wonderful shortbread cookies."
Annabeth's smile turned radiant at his words. She looked Daniel up and down with unabashed interest, then gave an approving nod and winked at Margaret.
Margaret wondered if everyone in the clan now knew about her attraction to Daniel, and sighed silently. Of course they know. No secrets in a shifter family.
She sneaked a sideways glance at Daniel and saw that he looked suspiciously smug.
"Dane and Hannah both told me that you helped that poor gentleman who collapsed at Cinnamon + Sugar yesterday," Annabeth continued. "Thank you."
"Have you heard any news about how he's doing?" Daniel asked, the momentary smugness vanishing in favor of concern.
"He made it," Dane answered. "He's still hospitalized and apparently scheduled for a bypass, but thanks to you and Hannah, Dr. Jacobsen is optimistic about his chances of recovery."
The approval in her nephew's tone eased some of the tension knotting Margaret's stomach. If Daniel had managed to make a good impression on Dane, then maybe everyone else would like Daniel, too.
Maybe even Mark. Yeah, right.
"I'll keep my fingers crossed for the best possible outcome," Daniel said gravely.
Dane nodded, and Annabeth said, "Me, too. Nika told me that the clinic transferred him to Steele Memorial in Salmon this morning, because they have a cardiac surgeon on staff there." She looked apologetically at the boxes stacked in Daniel's arms, and added, "I know Aunt Margaret said that you were making a special dessert, but I heard this morning that nearly the whole clan is planning to show up for dinner tonight. If I've learned anything since marrying Dane, it's that you always need twice as much as dessert than you think you will."
Margaret glanced over at Daniel to see if he was annoyed, but saw that he looked genuinely pleased.
"Thank you, Annabeth. That's very thoughtful of you. Besides, pastry isn't really my thing, and your bakery's treats are outstanding," he said, sounding completely sincere. "And I appreciate you bringing those extra loaves of French bread. I'll need them for what I'm planning."
A minivan pulled up to the front of the house and parked behind Annabeth's Prius.
Margaret's youngest nephew Ash emerged. As usual, he was dressed in faded jeans and one of his comic book t-shirts.
He waved at Margaret and the others before walking around the front of the car to open the passenger-side door for his mate Nika. The panel do
ors on both sides of the van slid open and disgorged all of the kids who had spent the night playing video games.
"Hey, Aunt Margaret, I know we're early," Ash said cheerfully as he and Nika approached the house. "But I heard that there was a big crowd coming tonight and I figured that you might need some help. So, I brought reinforcements." He gestured at the small mob of youngsters emerging from the van.
"Yeah, can I help with anything, Uncle Dan?" Chris asked eagerly, as he followed Ash and Nika up the gravel path.
"Just tell us what to do, Auntie Margaret," Matt added quickly, with a glance over at his new friend...and possibly rival.
Margaret hadn't missed how carefully the two boys were flanking Sophie, who walked between them.
All three of them looked paler than usual and had dark rings under their eyes. Margaret wondered how much sleep—if any—they'd gotten, or if they'd played video games all night.
"I know how to cook a few things," Sophie announced.
The cluster of younger kids, who were following close behind, began volunteering suggestions.
"You're all very sweet, and I appreciate the extra help," Margaret said, smiling at all the eager faces. "And I know exactly what you can do for me. With everyone coming, we're going to have to set up a kids' table, just like at Thanksgiving at the big house." She pointed in the direction of the breakfast nook. "The breakfast table has leaves folded up underneath. I'd like someone, maybe Sophie, to crawl under the table, unlatch the leaves, and then I'd like Matt and Chris to pull the table out and swing the leaves into place. You'll need to latch them into place again." She turned her attention to Young Mitya and his cousins Maggie, Ellie, Edward, Rob, and Liz. "Do you remember where I keep my tablecloths?"
Mark's daughter Ellie and son Edward both nodded.
"Good," said Margaret. "You six are in charge of setting the table for dinner." She turned her attention back to Matt, Chris, and Sophie. "When you finish putting the leaves in the breakfast nook table, could you please do the same for the big antique table in the formal dining room? I keep the leaves and the extra chairs in my office." The three older kids nodded, and she continued, "Then, I'd appreciate it if you set the table with the china and glasses I keep in the big china cabinet in the dining room."
"Uncle Dan, do you need any help with cooking?" Chris asked.
"Glad you asked, Junior. I'll need Hollandaise sauce for my green bean dish," Daniel told him.
Chris's face lit up. "I'd love to make some!" he said enthusiastically.
Daniel continued. "Great! When you finish setting the table, why don't you ask Mrs. Swanson if you can borrow her blender?"
"In the tall cabinet under the island," Margaret informed Chris, and stepped aside to let the group of her eager young helpers enter the house. They stampeded in the direction of the breakfast nook.
Ash and Nika arrived at the front door and Margaret greeted them both with a kiss and a hug.
"It's nice to see you again, Daniel," Nika said, smiling. As usual, she was wearing vivid red lipstick that emphasized her pale, perfect complexion and black hair. "How's your arm feeling? Any swelling or redness?"
"Hey there, Dr. Nika. It's nearly all healed up," Daniel assured her. "Just a little sore. I'd peel off my Band-Aid to show you, but I don't want to drop dessert." He hefted the boxes he held to display his sinewy tattooed forearm, exposed by the rolled-up sleeve of the button-down shirt he'd worn to his interview.
He'd removed the big bandage that Margaret remembered from last night, and replaced it with a regular Band-Aid bandage.
"Yeah, dropping dessert gets you an instant red card penalty in this family," Ash said dryly. "I'm Ash Swanson, by the way." He grinned at Daniel. "Chris did a great job as one of my alpha testers last night. I'd love to invite him over for future testing sessions."
"Please, Uncle Dan, can I?" Chris called from the breakfast nook.
"That would be so cool!" Matt added. "It's nice to have some real competition around here."
"Hey!" Sophie protested. "I beat you by a lot of points last weekend!"
"I meant, some more real competition around here," Matt quickly amended. "Sorry, Sophie."
She shook her head, her glossy brown hair swinging. "It's okay. I had fun playing against Chris, too."
"You guys are awesome," Chris chimed in. "And that game is really cool!"
"I appreciate the invitation," Daniel told Ash. "It's nice for Chris to have the opportunity to hang out with shifter kids his own age. There weren't really any back home—sabertooth families don't seem to be having many kids these days."
"So I've heard. And they're not the only ones," Ash said, his expression grave. "My sister-in-law Cassandra is a scientist working in the Denver area. She's spent the past few years researching declining birth rates in some of the older shifter lineages. She's a sabertooth shifter herself," he added.
Margaret saw a subtle tension loosen from the set of Daniel's shoulder, and realized that despite his easy-going, confident manner, he was probably a little worried about meeting the rest of the clan
So far, so good, she thought. Now, if only Kayla and Mark behave themselves.
Chapter Twenty-Two – Hard Questions
As predicted, an unusually-large number of Swansons and their mates arrived at Margaret's place over the next couple of hours, clearly driven by curiosity about the newcomers who had been granted sanctuary.
After Ash and Nika had been welcomed, Daniel politely excused himself, retreated to the kitchen, and began cooking in earnest.
Soon thereafter, a variety of savory, mouth-watering scents began to drift through the living room and foyer.
To Margaret's relief, most of the arriving family members were highly curious about the circumstances of Daniel's arrival at the ranch, but no one seemed particularly hostile. Nearly everyone stopped by the kitchen to introduce themselves to Daniel before heading for the living room for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Dane took charge of bar-tending duties as he usually did when Elle hosted these dinners, which freed up Margaret to answer everyone's questions about Daniel and Chris.
Hannah arrived, and Margaret put her in charge of greeting the steady stream of arriving dinner guests. Then she went to the kitchen to take up her duties as sous-chef.
As Margaret walked away, she overheard Hannah telling her cousin Tyler and his mate Mary the story of how Daniel had helped to save the life of one of the bakery's customers yesterday.
Good. Despite the awkward confrontation this morning, it seemed that her younger daughter actually liked Daniel.
Margaret found her large kitchen a noisy scene of organized chaos. Chris was perched on one of the island's stools, painstakingly pouring a steady stream of melted butter from a large glass measuring cup into a whirling blender filled with a mixture of bright yellow egg yolks, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Ash, clad in one of Margaret's rose-colored Cinnamon + Sugar aprons, had apparently volunteered as an assistant cook, and was standing at the big gas range, busily frying fish fillets in a pair of Margaret's largest skillets. Daniel was working at the island, quickly but carefully lifting small bacon-and-apple wrapped bundles of smoked duck from a baking sheet onto bread plates and garnishing them with artistically-arranged sprinkles of dark purple gastrique spooned from a small saucepan.
As Margaret watched, Tyler's twin terrors, Rob and Lizzie, scuttled into the kitchen, grabbed the finished plates, and carried them off in the direction of the dining room. As they left the kitchen, Young Mitya and Ellie entered and took their places at the island, clearly waiting for Daniel for finish the next set of appetizers.
Daniel caught sight of Margaret, and stopped what he was doing long enough to shoot her a heart-stopping smile and make a shooing gesture. "Go, go, spend some time with your guests."
"But I thought you needed a sous-chef," she protested, feeling pleased and guilty at the same time. "And I'm not going to make you cook a meal for twenty-five people by yourself."
Daniel grinned at her,
and made a gesture that encompassed Ash standing at the stove, as well as the kids. "As you can see, I've press-ganged the cream of your crop here."
Young Mitya flushed at the compliment, grabbed a pair of finished plates, and made his escape.
"But—" Margaret protested.
"You've already done your part by prepping everything for me this afternoon," Daniel interrupted her firmly. "Let me and the crew here take care of everything else. I think I have everything under control here. Go," he wiggled his fingers at her again in a shooing motion. "And if you want to be helpful, please round up your guests and get them seated. I'm almost done plating the appetizers."
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