Family Forever

by Valerie J. Clarizio

Dylan heard a car door shut and glanced out the window to find his Aunt Mitzi and her family had arrived. He yelled up the stairs, telling his brothers to come down. It sounded like a herd of cattle beating against the steps as they quickly bounded into the kitchen.

  Jessica and Bianca set the pecan and pumpkin pies they carried onto the countertop, each had a duffle bag slung over their shoulder. His Uncle Bob wheeled a larger suitcase behind him, and his Aunt Mitzi carried a grocery sack in her hand. If Dylan was a betting man, he’d bet that sack was filled with wine bottles.

  With the table spread as long as could be and everyone standing in the kitchen, the large kitchen suddenly seemed very small. Dylan took the sack of wine from his aunt and set it on the counter, then turned, kissed her on the cheek, and hugged her. She was a hugger, but he didn’t mind, he always welcomed her reassuring hugs, especially since his parents died.

  “I’m so glad you guys are here.”

  She placed her cold hand on his cheek, her loving gaze held his. “We are too.”

  She turned and glanced around the room, scanning over her nephews, smiling warmly. “This bunch gets handsomer every year.”

  Each of his brothers took their turn greeting their aunt and cousins with hugs, and handshakes for Uncle Bob.

  After a while of visiting, Dylan glanced at his watch, then swung his gaze around the room. “Dinner will be ready shortly, why don’t you guys go ahead and get settled in. Uncle Bob and Aunt Mitzi, as usual, you guys are in my room. Aric, why don’t you help your cousins with their bags.”

  His aunt hung back in the kitchen to help him and Marissa finish up with dinner as everyone else disappeared.

  She cracked open a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass, and offered Marissa a glass as well. Marissa’s nervous gaze landed on him and she looked as though she was waiting for direction from him before answering his aunt.

  He glanced toward his eccentric aunt.

  Though her sly, teasing wink said enough she spoke anyhow. “It’s a holiday, Dylan, loosen up.” Without missing another beat, she poured a short glass of wine and handed it to Marissa.

  * * * *

  Marissa took the wine from the tall, thick lady who leaned back against the counter. The woman’s gaze studied her intently from over the rim of her glass as she sipped on her white wine.

  A nervous shiver sifted through her. What was the woman thinking? Did she wonder what the heck she was doing here with her nephews? Marissa wondered that very same thing herself sometimes. How had she come to end up in this house full of men who were nothing more than neighbors, strangers at one time, but were now very much her family?

  “I’m glad to finally meet you, Marissa. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “You have?”

  The woman’s sincere smile spread across her plump cheeks. “I talk to my nephews, and they’ve done nothing but rave about you.” The woman took another sip of her wine, but kept her gaze fixed on her as if waiting for some sort of response.

  Marissa returned the woman’s soft smile with one of her own and assumed most of her information came from Braden and Nate. “I’m very fond of them as well. Braden and Nate are quite the little chatterboxes on the phone, aren’t they? Even Luke is starting to talk more.”

  Mitzi’s warm smile turned wicked, matching the sassy look emitting from her gaze. “Yeah, they are, but I get most of my information from Dylan.”

  Heat instantly flamed in Marissa’s cheeks, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught Dylan freeze in place as he set the two pans of stuffing on the stovetop. His shoulders tensed. He looked stiff as a board. Excitement rippled through her. What has the honorable Dylan Jacobs been telling his aunt about her?

  A few beats of uncomfortable silence filled the kitchen before Mitzi left her and Dylan off the hook. “Marissa, why don’t you and I fill the serving dishes as Dylan carves the turkey.”

  Marissa mustered a nod.

  When Dylan was finished carving up the turkey, he called the masses into the kitchen for dinner. Dylan and Bob sat at the short ends of the table and everyone else filtered in as if they knew exactly which seat was theirs, leaving the spot to Dylan’s left for Marissa. Cole sat to her left. How had she come to be sitting at this table, with this family, between two of the kindest, most handsome men she’d ever met?

  The boys settled down quickly, she supposed they were hungry and ready to get on with the feast. She nearly chuckled out loud. Dylan probably hadn’t allowed them to raid the fridge for the past several hours which would be a long stretch for them, especially Aric.

  Dylan clasped his hands together and looked across the table. “Uncle Bob, would you like to do the honors.”

  “Absolutely,” Bob replied as he lowered his head for prayer.

  “Wait!” Mitzi exclaimed. She glanced around the table. “Let’s all hold hands this year.”

  Braden and Nate glanced at each other, and then looked at their aunt in horror as if she’d just asked them to hold hands with the devil himself.

  “It won’t kill you guys, hands, now.” Her voice held both a tinge of tease and command.

  Cole held his hand out to Marissa. She hesitated, her palms were already sweaty. Not because of his gesture but she knew Dylan’s hand would be waiting for her on the other side. And once she grabbed hold of his hand she wasn’t sure she’d be able to let go. All eyes were on her, they were waiting. She took hold of Cole’s hand, then slowly turned her head toward Dylan. He held his hand, palm up. Her heart hammered in her chest and the second her skin touched his an electric shock snapped through her like a whip, nearly knocking her off her chair.

  They bowed their heads and Bob began speaking. His words faded into the back of her brain. All she could think about was her tingly fingers resting in Dylan’s large, warm hand. His hold was firm, but not too firm. Cole’s long, slim fingers held her other hand looser, and his skin was softer than Dylan’s, likely a direct result of the nature of work he did versus the farm work Dylan so loved.

  At the clang of dishes, Marissa snapped out of her reverie. She’d already released Cole’s hand, or he released hers, she didn’t know which, but what she did know was her other hand still rested in Dylan’s. Staring at their hands she realized he’d loosened his grip and it was she that continued to hold his. She yanked her hand back and swung her gaze away from him only for it to be caught by Mitzi’s whose knowing stare read her like a book.

  Everyone began passing food around the table—turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls, and Jell-O. There was enough food to feed an army, and Dylan had prepared everything, probably without breaking a sweat. If she’d been asked to prepare a meal this large she would have probably failed miserably, kind of like she did the first time she prepared dinner for just him and his brothers.

  Marissa listened as the boys told their aunt, uncle, and cousins all about what they were studying in school, and about Cub Scouts, band, and basketball. It always amazed her how Dylan could keep all his brothers’ activities straight, especially again now that he was going at it alone without her help.

  Jessica and Bianca talked about the school musical in which they had both just performed. Jessica had landed the leading role, and Bianca was involved in the small group of kids that played the music. Marissa wasn’t surprised to hear of the girls’ talent. She knew from what little she’d heard about Mitzi in the past that the entire family was talented in art and music. Even Dylan, Aric and Nate who took more to athletics showed an artsy side on occasion.

  Marissa wasn’t sure which was more plentiful, the food at the table or the conversation, and she was thrilled to be a part of it. Large family holiday dinners had not been something she was accustomed to in the past but had longed for on several occasions.

  Though everyone groaned about being stuffed, they all willingly accepted a piece of pie when Mitzi offered it; in fact, Dylan, Cole, and Aric took two, one of each kind. Marissa opted for the pecan, and a bite of Luke’s pumpkin pie topped
with extra whipped cream.

  Dylan stood and started clearing the table. Marissa sprang to her feet to help.

  Mitzi rose as well. “Seriously, Dylan, you made this wonderful meal for us, I don’t think you need to clean up as well. The girls and I will take care of this. Go in the living room with your uncle and brothers and watch football or something.”

  Dylan’s near frantic gaze bounced between her and his aunt. Was poor Dylan afraid of what Mitzi might tell her about him?

  “Yeah, Dylan, we got this,” Marissa reassured. She wanted to hear what Mitzi had to say about things, Dylan in particular.

  “Go,” Mitzi added as she shooed him out of the kitchen.

  Nobody had to tell the other males twice, they were already gone.

  The ladies chatted as they tackled the mound of dishes and stowed the leftovers. Marissa had thought Mitzi and the girls would do a bit of prying about her private life but they didn’t dig too deep. The conversation stayed light. Perhaps the ladies were tired from their travels. The routine family banter was actually music to Marissa's ears. What she would give to stand in a kitchen with her mother, cleaning up after a large holiday meal. Unfortunately, since losing her mother at a young age, she was never afforded that pleasurable opportunity.

  By the time Marissa and the others joined the men in the living room, Bob was snoring in the recliner, Cole’s head was leaned back onto the backrest of the couch, his eyes were shut and his mouth was open. Luke was sprawled over him. Dylan and the rest of the boys were watching a football game.

  Mitzi shook Bob’s shoulder. “Hey, let’s go to bed.” She glanced at her girls. “Why don’t you guys turn in as well, and give Dylan his bedroom here. He’s got to get up early to hunt.”

  Bob moaned, climbed out of the recliner and followed his wife to Dylan’s room. Jessica and Bianca headed up the stairs.

  Mitzi threw a glance over her shoulder. “Good luck hunting in the morning.”

  Cole straightened up on the couch and looked at Dylan. “Is all my stuff ready or do I need to get it together?”

  “It’s ready. Your orange hunting clothes are hanging in the basement and your gun is on the workbench. I’ve packed your backpack, so you should be good to go. Nate will sit with one of us.”

  Cole zoned in on Nate, who was still too young to get a hunting license but liked to go along. “If you sit with me, you’d better not make any noise, and you better find a quiet way to wake me up if a deer comes by.”

  Marissa laughed. “You sleep out there when you’re supposed to be hunting?”

  “That’s why he never gets a deer,” Aric teasingly interjected.

  A sly smile spanned Cole’s face. “Should we place a bet right now on who will get a bigger deer this weekend, say twenty dollars?”

  “I’ll take that bet,” Aric replied.

  Luke rubbed his fists against his eyes. “When can I go hunting with you, Dylan?”

  “I think we better give it a couple more years, buddy.”

  Marissa held her arms open toward Luke. “Hey Luke, maybe you can spend some time with me tomorrow morning. I haven’t seen you in so long, and I’ve missed you.”

  She scooped him up and kissed his warm cheek. “Should we get your bed made up?”

  He nodded.

  Cole and Dylan rose from the couch and Dylan pulled the cushions off and tossed them to the side before he retrieved a set of sheets and a blanket from the hall closet.

  Braden, Aric, Nate and Cole disappeared up the stairway, as Marissa helped Dylan make up the sofa sleeper for him and Luke.

  Luke climbed in and Marissa crouched down and tucked the blankets in around him. “I love you, Luke.”

  “Love you, too.” Her heart swelled, she’d never tire of hearing those words from him. Though the older brothers would probably never say it to each other, this house was so full of love, to a degree she’d never known existed in a family until recently.

  The little boy’s eyes drifted shut before she even had the chance to stand up.

  She glanced up to find Dylan’s intense gaze fixed on her from the opposite side of the bed.

  “He really missed you.”

  She looked down at Luke and then back at Dylan. “I’ve missed him too. I’ve missed all of you.”

  She missed Dylan most of all, and it took every bit of strength she had to stay away from him for as long as she did. When he dropped her off at school she was ready to run home the first weekend but Cole talked her out of it, telling her Dylan would just keep sending her back until she was finished. So she chose to stay away, knowing it was easier to stay away versus go home and then have to leave. Why couldn’t she have both, Dylan and school? Why was he being so difficult about this? She saw the way he looked at her sometimes, and Cole confirmed it for her on several occasions when her wild imagination let her believe differently.

  Several beats of silence passed before Dylan’s lips parted as if he were going to say something but he pinched them into a thin line before any words could escape. He looked perplexed, and she wondered what he was thinking.

  “Well, I suppose I should let you get to bed since you have to get up so early to go hunting.” Marissa turned and took a step in the direction of her room.

  “Wait.”

  She spun. “What?”

  “I’m going to have a nightcap. Want to join me? I’d like to hear about how school is going for you?”

  Surprisingly, Dylan poured her a glass of wine before he cracked open a beer for himself, then they sat at the kitchen table.

  Nerves rattled her fingers. Why now? Yes, her feelings for Dylan caused her to feel a bit nervous around him, especially when they were alone, but suddenly her nervousness seemed to intensify. She sipped her wine hoping that would calm her but all she managed to do with that maneuver was cause more heat to penetrate her already warm cheeks.

  Dylan took a swig from his beer bottle and then set it on the table. “So, how are your classes going?”

  “Good.”

  He stared at her as if expecting her to expand on her answer but she was too mesmerized by his dark eyes to formulate any more of a response.

  “By the time you get back, you’ll be needing to gear up for finals.”

  “I know, I can hardly believe I’ll have a semester completed already. The time went by so quickly. Taking two extra classes really made it go by quickly.”

  Both surprise and concern flashed in his gaze, making her wish she hadn’t told him that information.

  “Two extra classes? That’s a lot of work, and must make it difficult to keep up and maintain your grades.”

  There she did it, she pushed him right into concerned father mode. Any ground she had gained in getting him to look at her like a woman versus a child or sister had probably just been lost.

  “Actually it hasn’t been so bad, and so far I’m doing pretty well in all of them.” A tinge of guilt passed through her as the second the lie escaped her lips. Though she was doing well in all her classes, it was hard. She was spending nearly every waking moment studying, but she did manage to squeeze out a little time to spend with her roommate who she absolutely loved and a bit of time with her Accounting Club and Christian Club.

  He looked puzzled. “May I ask why you took extra classes?”

  She had to open her big mouth. Why? For him? The sooner she finished school the sooner she could come home and be with him. She planned on taking extra classes every semester, as long as she could afford to, in order to finish college early so she could get on with her life, hopefully with him.

  He kept studying her, making her more nervous. Did he know the answer to his question before he asked?

  Trying to make light of the conversation, she smiled. “I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.”

  From across the table, he leaned toward her, reached out, and rested his hand over the top of hers. Her heart fluttered.

  “Do you remember the promise you made to me when I dropped you off at sch
ool?”

  Knowing exactly what he was talking about, she nodded. She had promised him she’d embrace and enjoy college life, and not worry about him and his brothers.

  “College was so fun for me. It is for Cole as well.” He paused and swallowed audibly. “I would very much like for you to enjoy yourself, these years. You’re young, you deserve this chance, this opportunity to be carefree.”

  Tears stung the back of her eyes. Deep down she knew he would keep rejecting her until this phase of her life was completed. But she simply didn’t understand why she couldn’t have both—him and school. Heck with it, maybe I should embrace it and party next semester. That would show him.

  She thought back to some things Cole had mentioned to her on a couple occasions, one of those things being his suggestion that she actually satisfy Dylan’s request and live a normal college life, and make sure to report back to Dylan all she was doing, including any dating. And then see where things took them afterward. When she shot down that idea Cole suggested she go on a date or two with Jake. Cole was certain that would be enough to push Dylan over the edge. Knowing Jake really liked her, she didn’t want to use him like that and squelched that idea as well. Truth be told, she didn’t want to push Dylan like that either. She wanted him to come to her on his own.

  Marissa nodded in response to Dylan and racked her brain for a change of subject. “I had a nice time tonight, meeting your aunt, uncle, and cousins. They seem really nice.”

  Dylan smiled, took a swig of his beer and appeared to lose himself in his thoughts for a brief moment as he stared forward, blankly.

  “Your Aunt Mitzi sure thinks a lot of you.”

  “She’s pretty great herself. She’s helped me out a lot over the past couple years.” He drained his beer bottle. “She reminds me so much of my dad, yet, she’s very different from him in some respects.”

  Every time Dylan spoke of his parents the pain in his eyes was enough to crack her heart in half.

  Chapter Ten

  Marissa heard Dylan and his brothers stirring about in the kitchen. She rolled over and glanced at the clock, it read 4:30 AM. They were crazy, getting up this early to forge out into the cold to go hunting.