by K. M. Scott
Then she smiles and my stress melts away for the moment. “You are just the cutest couple I’ve ever seen. You have beautiful blue eyes, Hailey, and I’ve always been partial to blue eyes since two of my sons have them from my late husband. It’s so wonderful to have you here with my grandson. He’s probably told you he’s my favorite hasn’t he?”
Leaning in toward us, she whispers, “He is, but don’t tell anyone. Their feelings would be hurt, but how could he not be my favorite? Just look at him.”
Not surprising since my father always has been her favorite son. She probably just favors us because we take after her in the looks department.
“So everyone is here already and out back on the porch. They can’t wait to meet you, Hailey, but let me give you a little piece of advice. If you just say ‘I don’t know’ to any question they throw at you, they give up relatively soon.”
My grandmother turns to look at me and winks. “Isn’t that right, Cade?”
“I told her always go with I don’t know. It drives them crazy and you don’t have to tell them anything.”
She nods and gives us a wicked smile. “He learned that from me, you know. A big family means lots of people wanting to know every tiny tidbit of your life. I don’t tell them everything, though. You need to keep them in the dark about some things, don’t you think?”
Hailey chuckles and looks over at me. “I think your grandson here takes after you. He prefers the idea of remaining a mystery too.”
“It’s the only way to be,” I say with a shrug. “Once you start giving them details, forget it. Then people start having opinions about your life, and the next thing you know, there’s someone explaining how you can’t do what you want while you’re trying to eat a hot dog and enjoy a cold beer.”
My grandmother laughs at that little bit of truth. “Always remain a mystery. It’s the secret to how I get away with all I do in this world. Now let’s go in, and remember, no matter what we all seem, we love each other in this family.”
She turns on her heel and walks into the house before I look over at Hailey and ask, “Ready?”
“I am, and your grandmother is as wonderful as you said she was. I don’t know how old she is, but she’s sassy, and I love that. I can see her putting someone in their place and smiling the whole time.”
We walk inside and I say, “She can tell someone to go to hell and make them thankful she bothered to take the time to mention it.”
The sound of my family having a good time outside filters through the house, but all I feel is dread. We can be a lot to handle. I hope it wasn’t a mistake bringing Hailey here today.
She gives my hand a squeeze, and I turn to see her smiling. “This is going to be fun. Try to look like you want to be here, Cade.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hailey
Cade’s grip on my hand tightens as we walk through his grandmother’s house, and by the time we reach the back door to the porch, I worry he might spin the two of us around and bolt before I even get the chance to see another member of his family. I’m starting to worry there really might be a reason I wouldn’t want to meet the entire March and Jackson clan.
I lean over and kiss his cheek as he looks out toward the group of people assembled outside. “There’s nothing anyone can tell me that would make me love you any less, okay?”
He turns to look at me, and I see genuine concern in his dark eyes. “I hope you mean that because it’s about to get tested this afternoon.”
“Don’t worry. I love you, and I have a feeling after today, I’m going to love you even more. By the way, I think I saw Wilder out there. Can we make a deal that you won’t fight him today? I think your grandmother might hate that.”
That breaks the tension, and Cade rolls his eyes. “Okay. I promise. Time to meet the family.”
“Who’s first?” I ask as I glance out and see a blond woman standing next to a redhead with expressions that say they’re dying to meet me.
Cade looks out the door and smiles. “My aunts Abbi and Olivia. The blonde is Abbi, and she’s married to Kane. Olivia is Alex’s mother. I want to say they’re both cool, but by the looks of it, they’re about to burst from about a million questions. Last chance to leave. You say the word and we’re out of here. My grandmother won’t care. She’ll think it’s mysterious.”
“It’s going to be great. I know the drill. Lots of I don’t knows and smiles.”
“Brace yourself for so many stories about when I was little from Olivia. I spent a lot of time at their house with Alex.”
The dread in his voice is clear, so I kiss him again and whisper in his ear, “It’s okay. I don’t think she could tell me anything more embarrassing than the story you told me about when you and Alex peed in your sleeping bags because his brother stuck your hands in warm water.”
A nervous laugh explodes out of him, and he shakes his head. “You have no idea. Pissing in sleeping bags might be the least disgusting thing Alex and I did as boys. Just remember you love me, okay?”
Before I can tell him I would never forget, I hear a man’s voice call out, “Cade, you can’t hide in there forever. Come on out and let us meet your girlfriend.”
He pushes the door open as he explains, “That’s Cassian. He’s married to the redhead. He used to be my favorite uncle until about five seconds ago.”
We step out onto the porch and Alex greets us with a beer for Cade. “I didn’t know what to get you, Hailey, but considering that you two are all my mother and Abbi have talked about all day, I figured a drink would be in order.”
“I think I better stay sober today,” I joke as Cade tilts the bottle up to his mouth and takes a gulp of beer. “I tend to get a little dopey when I drink.”
Alex smiles and reaches over toward the porch railing for a bottle of lemonade. “Understood. Hey, what did you think of the kitchen over at the bakery? Cade said he was going to show you before you came over.”
I open my mouth to tell him how much I love all the cool things he insisted should be included in the kitchen, but before I can say a word, Cade’s aunts hurry over to say hello. Both beautiful women, I instantly can tell that Olivia is the chatty one and Abbi is a little more reserved.
And like Cade warned, they immediately begin to ask questions about how we met, how long we’ve been dating, and a dozen other topics, but I’ve got a plan ready. Standing next to me, Cade tries to interject answers to save me, and he succeeds for a few seconds.
“Abbi and Olivia, Hailey’s going to be around for a long time, so trust me, you’ll get to know her,” he says when they begin to ask about our plans for the future.
Time to change the subject.
While I search my purse for my phone, I ask them, “Did you know Cade bought me a bakery? Want to see pictures?”
And just like that, his two aunts fall silent, their mouths open in shock.
I hold up my phone in front of them and smile at Cade. “Alex helped him decide on what machines he should buy and how it should be set up. Now when I’m making my desserts, I have a brand new kitchen to make them in.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Stefan walk up the stairs and take a peek at the picture of the bakery. Leaning in, he kisses me on the cheek and whispers in my ear, “That’s how you do it in this family. Congratulations on the new business.”
As Abbi and Olivia watch Cade scroll through the dozens of pictures I took earlier, I give his father a smile. “I’ll make sure one of the first things I do is whip up a batch of those lace cookies you love.”
His eyes roll back in his head, and he sighs. “Oh, I do love those. Just tell me when and I’ll be there.”
“Is Shay here?” I ask before scanning the faces below in the yard.
“She will be later, I hope. Her research has her tied up the last couple days.”
Disappointed she isn’t here to chat with, I nod. “I wanted to show her the new bakery pics.”
Even more, I hoped she would help me with her si
sters-in-law.
“It looks like you’ll be tied up for a while with these two,” he says with a smile, pointing at Olivia and Abbi.
“Ladies, ladies, let Hailey have some breathing room,” Cade’s grandmother announces a few moments later, probably after her son said something to her on his way inside the house. “She’s going to be here with us all day, so let her enjoy her lemonade and relax for a few minutes.”
Cade takes the opportunity to whisk me down to the beach as his aunts and uncles talk amongst themselves about the new bakery. Alex follows behind, and we join two men who look very much like the uncles we just walked away from on the porch.
“Hailey, I’d like you to meet my cousin Cash and my cousin Liam. Cash is the redhead’s son, and Liam is the blonde’s.”
The two of them look so much like their fathers that there’d be no way I couldn’t figure out they were related. “You guys really do only have two looks going on in this family, don’t you?”
Laughing, Cade nods. “You either look like my father or their fathers. Nothing in between.”
“Not true,” Cash says. “Ava looks like your mother more than Stefan.”
They all agree, and I can’t help but wonder why Olivia and Abbi’s traits don’t appear to have moved to the next generation. “So not a single redhead or blonde in the bunch here?”
Liam shakes his head. “Strange, isn’t it? I guess red and blond hair are recessive genes, and they were no match for the brown hair with brown eyes on one side and the black hair and blue eyes on the other.”
“Maybe it skips a generation,” Cade suggests as we all sit down on beach chairs arranged in a circle in the sand.
Alex elbows him, and with a sly smile whispers far too loudly, “I guess we’re going to see with you soon, huh?”
And here I thought the aunts would be the ones asking the uncomfortable questions.
Cade looks at me and rolls his eyes before elbowing Alex in return. “First of all, dude, where did you learn to whisper? That kitchen of yours? And second, any redheads will be coming from you and Cash here, not me, and Liam will have the chance at a blond kid. I come from two people with dark hair, remember?”
“I definitely didn’t expect to have a conversation about genetics today,” I say with a chuckle, leaning back to close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of the sun on my face.
“Just wait,” Alex says. “A few more beers and we’ll be having all kinds of conversations.”
“And Cash will have us betting on who’s going to have the redheaded kid,” Cade jokes. “I forgot to mention to you that these family get-togethers always end up with him offering some kind of bet.”
I open my eyes to see Cash smiling. I can definitely see him being able to charm women with that grin.
“It’s all in fun. Right, guys?”
Alex and Cade nod, but when I look to my left at Liam, I see he’s checking his phone. His expression grows serious before he looks up at us and smiles.
“My luck is changing for the better, it seems. I got that job as a bodyguard I was waiting to hear about for the past couple weeks. Looks like today’s my last day of real freedom, so we better make it good,” Liam says.
Like his father Kane, he’s not as outgoing as his cousins, but I sense he’s got a kind heart under that gruff exterior. Cade mentioned he’s been hoping to get this job, so I’m not surprised when the other three men toast their congratulations.
“Hey, everyone, Liam’s got good news!” Cade yells up to the rest of the family on the porch. “Tomorrow he becomes a bodyguard to the stars!”
“Don’t be an asshole,” Liam mumbles. “Now I’m going to have to deal with the million questions from my mother and Olivia.”
I can barely stifle a smile when Cade laughs and says, “Exactly! Thank God for you and that girl you’ll be guarding because now Hailey and I don’t have to be under the microscope today.”
As the three of them laugh, Liam turns to me and scowls. “He’s a son of a bitch, but I’ll let him go on it today since you benefit from my good news.”
“Thank you, and congratulations. It sounds like a great job.”
He nods and gives me a shy smile. I get the feeling he’s got a gentle giant thing going on. Only an inch or two bigger than the rest of his cousins, Liam seems bigger and the perfect bodyguard for whoever he’s going to be protecting.
“Is the person you’ll be working for famous?”
“Not the way Cade said, but to some people she is. She’s a pianist. Her name is Mia.”
“Classical pianist? That’s impressive.”
“Even more impressive is she’s young. Not even twenty yet, and she’s about to set out on a tour that might end up taking her around the world,” he explains.
“Then we need to get this party started,” Alex announces as he stands up from his chair. “Refills for everyone, and Hailey, still sticking with lemonade?”
“Maybe I’ll have one beer now that the pressure’s off.”
Alex slaps Cade on the back as he starts to walk away. “She fits in perfectly with us. By day’s end, we’ll have her playing a game of poker with us.”
He turns to look at his brother and smiles. “You brought the chips, right?”
Cash looks surprised at that question. “Do I ever not come ready to play a game of poker?”
Leaning over toward me, Cade kisses my cheek. “Sorry I was so stressed out before. I should have known you’d be great.”
“So I fit in, huh?” I ask with a smile.
“Of course. That trick you pulled with the bakery pictures was perfect, by the way. Bold move. I was going to save that news for later, but you shocked everyone right out of the gate.”
“Your father gave me that idea. He said he’s always found deflection to work best. After the classic I don’t know, of course.”
Cade’s smile lights up his face. “So now that you’ve won over the entire March and Jackson clan, what’s next?”
I glance at Liam and Cash sitting around us before I kiss him. “Well, I hear there’s going to be a poker game sometime today, so I need to keep my wits about me for that. There’s always the friend of mine who’s crazy about your best friend, so I’d like to see if I can help her case with him today. And I’m more than a little curious to know about this young pianist your cousin is going to be doing bodyguard duty for.”
“Well, we like to keep things interesting in this family, for sure.”
Taking his hand in mine, I bring it to my lips and press a kiss to his fingers. “Then, there’s my favorite March, of course, the infamous Cade March, who deserves something incredible after today’s surprise. Got any ideas for what that should be for later?”
He thinks for a few moments and then gets a wicked look in his eyes. “Read any great books lately? Maybe we could try something from one of them.”
LOOK FOR THE THIRD BOOK IN THE NeXt SERIES, RAVENOUS, THE FIRST BOOK IN CASH MARCH’S DUET!
INFAMOUS EXTRAS
WANT TO READ A BONUS SCENE FROM INFAMOUS AND GET THE RECIPES HAILEY USED FOR HER DESSERTS?
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About the Author
K.M. Scott writes contemporary romance stories of sexy, intense, and unforgettable love. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she's been in love with romance since reading her first romance novel in junior high (she was a very curious girl!). Under her Gabrielle Bisset name, she write paranormal and historical romance. She lives in Pennsylvania with a herd of animals and when she's not writing can be found reading or feeding her TV addiction.
Be sure to visit K.M.'s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kmscottauthor for all the latest on her books, along with giveaways and other goodies! And to hear all the news on K.M. Scott books first, sign up for her newsletter today and be sure to visit her website at http://www.kmscottbooks.com
Books by K.M. Scott:
Crash Into Me (Heart of Stone #1)
Fall Into Me (Heart of Stone #2)
Give In To Me (Heart of Stone #3)
Heart of Stone Volume One
Ever After (Heart of Stone #4)
A Heart of Stone Christmas (Heart of Stone #5)
Return To Me (Heart of Stone #6)
Forever With Me (Heart of Stone #7)
Heart of Stone Volume Two
Hard As Stone (Heart of Stone #8)
Set In Stone (Heart of Stone #9)
Silent As A Stone (Heart of Stone #10)
Heart of Stone Volume Three
All of Me (Heart of Stone #11)
Temptation (Club X #1)
Surrender (Club X #2)
Possession (Club X #3)
Satisfaction (Club X #4)
Acceptance (Club X #5)
Complete Club X Series Box Set
Notorious (NeXt #1)
Infamous (NeXt #2)
If I Dream (Corrupted Love #1)
If You Fight (Corrupted Love #2)
If We Fall (Corrupted Love #3)
Corrupted Love Trilogy Box Set
Crave (Addicted To You #1)
Adore (Addicted To You #2)
Shatter (Addicted To You #3)
Claim (Addicted To You #4)
Addicted To You Series Box Set
In The Darkness (Project Artemis #1)
After The Storm (Project Artemis #2)
Behind The Scenes (Project Artemis #3)
Project Artemis Box Set
Hard Work (Finding The One #1)
Big Love (Finding The One #2)
Sweet Things
Private Secretary
K.M.'S BOOKS ARE IN AUDIOBOOK TOO!