“But, if we're being honest and upfront, I’m only getting married so I don’t lose my inheritance or the family business to my cousin Bradley. He is a wastrel who has nothing else going on in his life besides seducing women. Speaking of which, if he comes for the holidays, do not be alone with him. He likes married women. I don't trust him and I don't even want him in my home. However, my grandfather and him are both coming for the wedding, so do me a favor and try to avoid my cousin when he's here and I'll breathe easier.”
Misty blinked at him and was not sure if she was offended or not at the idea that his cousin would make a move on her. “He’d do that to you? Go after your wife?”
“Bradley is the black sheep of the family, and yes, he would do that to me if he got half a chance. We tolerate him because he was the only child of my mom’s brother. But he’s definitely not our favorite family member.” Jonas told her shrugging. “I can’t trust him, but I’m hoping I can trust you.”
“Well, I guess you’ll have to get to know me, but I think I’m pretty trustworthy. I promise I have no interest in your cousin, I'm here for your Jonas, and I hope you spend time getting to know me so you know you won't have to worry.” Misty told him and then stood there awkwardly for a moment. She took a step toward him and looked up at him. She didn't know what to do so she just looked at him.
The two of them just looked at each other and then Jonas finally cleared his throat and gave her a grin that did not quite touch his eyes. Giving her a nod he took a step back towards the door as if he was trying to escape the room.
“Would you like to meet the kids? I always tuck them into bed every night, and it's getting late. I read them a story, we have a routine. I don't always have time for the little things, but I always make time for their bedtime and to tell them I love them. I'd be happy to introduce you to them tonight,” he finally asked her. He looked uncomfortable and she felt bad. She wanted to ease this situation for him; it was making her nervous, too. Seeing it on his face had her wanting to reassure him that they were doing the right thing, for everyone involved. Her family needed this, and his children needed a loving family with a mother figure around. She knew it was good for all of them, but it didn't make meeting a stranger any less weird.
“I would love that. You sound like a wonderful father. I don't want to interfere though, so don't feel obligated if it will ruin your routine, otherwise yes, I'd love to meet them.” She said and waited for him to nod at her. Walking over to him she linked her arm through his trying to move forward in the situation and, startling him.
Frowning for a second, she wondered if she had just made a mistake by touching him and blinked up at him. He tensed, and then forced himself to relax.
“Uhm, sorry?” She said freezing, worried she'd offended him. “Should I not have touched you?”
“No, no it’s fine. It’s just been a while since I’ve had a woman touch me in any capacity over the age of five.” Jonas told her and was shocked at how nice just having a woman’s smell next to him was. He did not count his housekeeper. He had grown up with her and thought of her like a sister. Her oldest son helped quite a bit around the house and out in the barns with the animals. She had two other sons, one of which was six like his oldest boy, and the eldest had gone off to learn a trade in blacksmithing. They walked down the hall and he kept looking down at her small fingers curled around his arm and he wondered what it would be like to have her touch on other parts of his body. What it would be like to kiss her. She had such soft, kissable looking lips and the way her eyes got all wide and big when she looked at him. She reminded him slightly of deer frozen when it realized it had been spotted by the dogs and was debating on what direction it should run.
Misty kept sending him shy glances up at him and her lips curled slightly when their eyes met and he could feel the chemistry between them. He just wasn't sure how he felt about it. He hadn't loved his first wife the way some people described passion, but he had loved her, cared for her deeply, she'd mothered his children and had been his best friend.
Misty here represented everything he wasn't sure he wanted. She was young, innocent looking, eager to please him and jump into the situation head first without knowing entirely what she was getting herself into and he wanted her. The way her hair curled around her ears had him wanting to touch the strands, the way her lips parted had him wondering what it would be like to lick her lips with his tongue and kiss her.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and saw her glancing at him from the corner of her eyes giving him a funny look. He looked ahead and opened a door to the stairs where the kids were getting ready for bed.
Walking upstairs, he took her to meet the kids who were playing in the attic. The housekeeper was there with them and looked relieved to see him. She had bags under her eyes. He had a surge of guilt, his housekeeper did so much for him and she really deserved a break. Planning on talking with her tomorrow about using Misty to get more of a break since she'd offered was on his list of things in his head. He had a habit of making mental lists. It kept him more organized. While it seemed she had unlimited patience with the children, she did seem to be getting a little old to be sitting here with them for long periods of time along with the rest of her duties.
Feeling bad for her, Misty decided she would offer to help with the children again, the poor lady was looking a little ragged and she was young and had energy. She was used to it, had the time to do it, and it was better to do something helpful than sit idle and not know what to do with herself.
Needlepoint and shopping for clothes weren't big on her list of fun activities, but she liked the idea of sitting around playing with the children. She had wonderful memories from the years growing up of playing tag with her sisters, reading books to them and teaching them how to do both simple games, and things like sewing, and cooking. She wondered if these kids needed to learn those kind of life skills that she had to teach her sister, or if being privileged they had to learn completely different kind of skills for life. She would have to ask Jonas later, what he wanted them to learn, what she was supposed to teach them.
“There you are!” The housekeeper smiled at him and looked relieved to see Jonas. She gave Misty a curious look, seeming shocked that Jonas would bring her up to introduce her to the children at their bedtime routine. “Children, your father is back!”
Jonas introduced Misty to everyone, including the children. Misty nodded at each one and shook their hands. They all looked so serious as they shook her hand it melted her heart a little bit. She was not sure, if they were sizing her up to chase her off, or if they were sizing her up to keep her. The expression on their face was innocent but had just enough mischief she wondered if she should watch her back. She did not mind children's antics, but she had enough younger siblings to recognize a look of plotting. It actually made her feel good to see it.
She had not realized how much she was missing her family until just now, seeing them staring up at her with their sweet, but intelligent faces. She winked at the oldest boy when he raised a brow at her and gripped her hand really hard and she just smiled. She pretended to seem impressed with how strong he was which made him giggle. She'd win them over, she just needed patience. These kids had been through a lot, and she could relate. She'd lost her mom, she knew what that felt like.
“The oldest is my son, Lucas. Then there’s Ginger, Kelly, Sophie and Mary.” He touched the head of each child as he listed them off and ruffled their hair. His gaze softened as he looked at his children and it made Misty's heart melt a little watching him with them. It made her wonder what it would be like to hold his baby in her arms down the road, startled by where her thoughts went, she realized they hadn't even discussed the possibility of having more children. He already had a brood, there was a real possibility he might not want anymore.
Worried, she chewed her lip for a second and then cleared her face to talk to the children who were looking up at her waiting for to do more than shake their hands.
> “Nice to meet you children.” Misty told them quietly and got down to kneel at their level. “My name is Misty Sue. But, you can just call me Misty, if you want.”
Lucas looked at her for a moment and then asked the one question that would be hard for Misty to answer. He meant no harm, and Misty felt bad when she heart it, realizing that for such a young child to be asking such a question, he must be very intelligent and have a grasp of what was going on around him.
“Are you here to be our new mother?” His eyes were wide and he looked at her with an innocent expression, just slightly too innocent. He had put her on the spot to see how she would react. She could respect that. She smiled at him. He wanted to see if she was good enough for his father. Misty had a lot of respect for the boy, he was watching out for his family, that would be an admirable trait as he grew older. Especially the oldest of all sisters.
“I’m here to marry your father, but I can’t ever replace your mother. But, I would like the chance to get to know you and have a place in your life too, if you'll let me.” Misty told him, hoping to reassure him that if he had any memories of their mother that she was not here to take them away. She remembered how her sister had felt when their mother had died when they were little. She knew that answer would be important to them, especially to the oldest who had clear memories of his mother.
Jonas sat with the children for a while then took Misty downstairs to give her a tour of the rest of the household, when they finished, he took her back to her room so she could refresh before dinner.
“You were good with them.” He told her. “The kids I mean.”
“They seem sweet. I lost my mom when my sisters were young, so I understand how they might be feeling. I always worried my dad would get remarried and our new mom would hate us, but he never found anyone he liked enough after Mother died.” Misty shrugged. “I ended up acting as the mother to most of them, kissing ouchies, holding hands, and tucking them in. I got good at it, so I do not mind spending time with your children. They seem like good kids.”
Jonas stopped her in the doorway, and looked at her for a second and then took in a breath. “I’d like to kiss you.”
“Okay.” Misty said and blinked up at him. She waited for a second, unsure of what to expect. This was her first kiss, ever. She was expecting something sloppy and wet. When his mouth pressed gently over hers, the stirring in her stomach and the heat of his tongue teasing her lips was a surprise. She felt her knees go weak as he deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth slightly and his tongue touched hers. She leaned against him, pressing herself closer. She closed her eyes and could smell him. He was musky, and it made her want more. She didn't know exactly what that meant in her head, but she started to ache between her legs and the pit of her stomach tightened into a knot.
When he finally broke the kiss and cleared his throat, he looked down at her. His cheeks looking slightly flushed and his eyes were heavy looking.
“Well, as much as I wasn’t sure I wanted a wife; I do think the two of us will be compatible in that area at least.” He gave her a half smile. “I’ll see you downstairs for dinner in about thirty minutes.”
Misty watched him walk away and then shut the door. Leaning against it, her heart beating in her chest like it was going to fly out. She touched her fingers to her lips and was not sure what just happened, but she hoped he would do it again. The kiss he'd given her, was nothing like the kiss that man had forced on her in an alleyway.
With Jonas, she felt it would be different, she wasn't afraid. She felt disappointed he'd stopped. She didn't know why he hadn't continued, they were to be married in a few days, it didn't seem like it mattered if they explored each other before the wedding. But she could respect his self control. He could be the type of man to force himself on a woman but he wasn't. She wasn't sure how she got so lucky to fall into a family like this, but so far, it seemed magical.
When she went down for dinner, it was loud and chaotic which made her smile. This reminded her of home. Of course, Jonas's dining room was larger, had nicer furniture, and they had a housekeeper serving all their food to them. She was not used to being served, and asked if she could help with anything.
The housekeeper finally introduced herself as Mary. The children called her Mrs. Mary, and she'd apparently been a part of their family since Jonas's was a boy. He'd grown up with her, though she'd been older. Her mother had served his parents before they'd died.
“Appreciate it girl, but I have it under control. I prefer not to have people in my kitchen.” The housekeeper, Mary, told her while nodding her thanks. She liked the girl, but thought she was young and wasn't sure she was going to be the right fit for Jonas. But she kept her mouth shut.
Jonas was a grown man who could make his own decisions, and the girl seemed pleasant enough. She just seemed a little timid and meek, and she wasn't sure that would be good enough around here. If you didn't have a backbone in this family, you'd get forgotten. Not to mention the way his grandfather treated people. He was a dictator, and Jonas had been the only one over the years strong enough to tell him what he really thought and stand up to him. Jonas was the only person the old man seemed to respect.
Mary was worried that Misty would get chewed up and spit out by his grandfather, but kept the observations to herself. There was always a chance she could be wrong.
Misty understood that as the new person in the household no one really trusted her yet while they tried to be polite, she could feel the vibe that she was the odd man out. It would be a struggle to adjust to a new way of doing things in her life, she just needed a chance to learn and adapt. Not just raising children or being a wife, but not expected to do dishes, cook, or handle basic chores like mending. She would need to find her place in this family. She ate dinner and contemplated all the changes to herself that she would likely need to change in order to make this work out.
“This was a good meal, thank you Mary, if there's anything else I can help with?” She asked at the end of the night, waiting for Mary to answer her.
“I have it, but thank you. We need to get you a suitable wardrobe, the rags you brought here are not suitable as a wife to Jonas. You'll be required to attend business functions and be seen by partners and investors, you cannot wear the clothes you came with. You'll need to fit in fittings for an entirely new wardrobe along with your wedding gown, so don't plan on getting too busy over the next couple weeks before the wedding,” Mary told her.
“Alright, I can do that,” Misty told her, cringing inside. The idea of being poked and prodded to be fitting for new clothes had her wishing she could run outside and hide in the barn, but she plastered a fake smile on her face instead.
“Oh, one other thing, we go all out to celebrate Christmas around here, I can expect your participation, can't I?” Mary said, raising a brow. She saw that Misty had been good with the children, and had noticed the glances Jonas and Misty had given each other when they thought the other person wasn't looking, but Christmas was a special holiday to the family.
“Yes, anything you need me to do, I'm game,” Misty said, nodding.
“Good, I will see you in the morning. We will be stringing popcorn and other things,” Mary told her and then waved her off for the night. “Sleep well Misty.”
Misty walked up to the room and had trouble falling asleep for the night. She tossed and turned, her mind filled with pictures of Jonas's lips, and his strong hands. She wondered what it would be like to have him touching her, his mouth pressing kisses against hers, his body pressing into hers. She had a pretty good clue what the marriage bed would entail and she wasn't afraid of it.
She wondered if it would upset him that she actually looked forward to seeing it. If it was anything like his kisses, she didn't think she'd be disappointed.
Hugging her pillow tight to her chest, she eventually fell into a sleep, dreaming of Jonas.
Chapter 3
Holidays Are Exciting
Misty had never celebrated the holiday
s the way this family did. They went all out, decorating every room with dolls and pictures and popcorn strings. It was a lot of fun doing it, but it was something she had to learn as she went.
The kids enjoyed showing her the proper way to decorate. She went along and let the children teach her. She enjoyed their company and they slowly seemed to be warming up to them.
Between the decorating, she had to go to fittings for clothes and to prepare for the wedding. Mary was polite to her, civil, but didn't seem to go out of her way to be friends. It made Misty feel a little alone and isolated and because of it, she focused on trying to bond with the children. At least they didn't judge or seem to care as long as she was nice to them. They were sweet children, easy to love, and Lucas was definitely the ringleader who was getting into mischief if you didn't watch him closely.
She got the housekeeper to allow them to make hot chocolate before serving biscuits and jam. They would sit around and have snack time before Christmas, talking about the point of the holidays and what it meant to have Christmas Spirit. They also attended church and Misty got to see the children in a play acting out the night Mary gave birth to Jesus. She enjoyed it as her church back home had never had time for this, and in the winter months families often got snowed in for long periods of time making it hard to get to church or town.
ROMANCE: Badass Boss (Billionaire Alpha Bad Boy Romance) (Western Mail Order Bride Calendar Contemporary) Page 20