Michael grinned as Layla plucked the flowers out of his hand and went around the counter to grab a small vase. She filled the vase with water and gently placed each flower in the perfect position. She then took the vase of bright blue and sat it next to the gigantic bouquet of Amazonian yellow roses.
“Eclectic,” she said tilting her head to the side. “You’re the artist Kit, what do you say?”
Kit looked at the flowers with soft eyes. “I say it’s incredibly sweet and I’m very jealous.”
Layla kissed her sister on the cheek and then walked around the counter to grab Michael’s hand. “Tell Jane I said good bye. I’ll see you later,” she said and they were on their way.
When they got to Michael’s house, he walked her up the front steps to his home, opening the door for her.
“Where’s Stella? She didn’t stay here all by herself, did she?” she said, looking at him askance.
Michael looked at her out of the side of his eyes. “Social worker,” he whispered and then pulled her into the kitchen where a man and a woman in their fifties were hard at work putting the finishing touches on a brightly colored salad. Stella was sitting on a high stool trying to fold a napkin in half. Layla immediately went to her and gave her a quick hug.
“Hi Layla! Do you like my dress?” Stella asked, trying to fold her napkin again just right.
Layla nodded and smoothed her hand down Stella’s hair. “I’m so excited you invited me to dinner Stella and I think you look gorgeous. I love the green color. It matches your eyes.”
Stella beamed at the compliment and smiled at her dad. “Did you like the flowers Daddy got you? I helped pick out the orange ones.”
“I love the orange roses. Your dad went crazy and gave me a rainbow,” she said grinning at Michael.
Michael’s eyes glinted at her mischievously as he turned to the people he’d hired to prepare their meal.
“Hey Mom and Dad. Dinner ready?”
Layla felt her heart stop as her eyes went wide. She took back every nice thing she’d just been thinking about Michael. The snake never even warned her. Total surprise attack.
She turned and smiled at Michael with cold, wide eyes. “What a pleasant surprise Michael. You never mentioned your parents were making us dinner.”
Michael stepped closer, grinning down into her eyes. “Remember the blue carnations?” he whispered in her ear.
Layla winced and then laughed softly before allowing herself to be led first to Michael’s mom Carrie and then to his dad, Nathaniel. Carrie was a fit, compact woman with a sharp, geometrical light brown bob and the same blue eyes as her son. Nathaniel looked like a typical Northwestern man. Silver goatee, fit, muscular build and an easy going attitude. Layla liked them on the spot.
“I hope you like stuffed mushrooms?” Nathaniel said, pulling a fragrant tray of sizzling mushrooms out of the oven.
Layla walked over to the stove and closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply. “Hmmm, is that pancetta and maybe cilantro?”
Nathaniel smiled at her, looking so like his son she caught her breath. “Wow, you’re good.”
Layla helped them carry covered dishes and trays to the dining room table and then sat down between Michael and Stella with Nathaniel and Carrie facing her. This was a completely new and alien experience for her. If she was guessing right, this was where Michael’s parents now grilled her to see if she would make the cut. She spread her napkin over her lap and then turned and helped Stella do the same. Michael’s mother said a quick prayer and then Michael began passing the bowls her way.
Layla sliced a stuffed mushroom in half and took a good size bite. She chewed slowly, closing her eyes, not wanting the experience to end too soon.
“Well, what do you think?” Carried asked, looking at her with a smile.
Layla shook her head. “This is amazing! It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. No lie,” she swore emphatically.
Carrie blushed with pleasure and then looked at her son. “I like her Mike. Mess this up and you’re dead.”
The table burst out into laughter and Michael grabbed her hand under the table. “I already messed it up once. I’m going to be very careful from here on out.”
Nathaniel glanced at his granddaughter with a sad smile for a moment before turning to Layla. “Michael’s filled us in on everything that’s been going on. That’s why Carrie and I insisted on meeting you. Anyone willing to give Mike a second chance in spite of everything is a woman we need to know.”
Layla was touched and looked at Michael. “That’s so sweet Nathaniel. But I’m sure Michael has completely exaggerated everything. He probably left out the part where I told him over and over to leave me alone and fix . . . um, fix the situation.”
Carrie nodded her head. “No he told us that. That’s what intrigued us. Anyone that would put our granddaughter’s welfare above her own is someone incredibly special. Layla, we’re grateful and we’re also very glad that things have turned out the way they have. Michael’s right. You are beautiful, kind, and intelligent.”
Layla had to look at her lap for a moment as she covered her mouth with her napkin. It had almost felt for just a moment as if her own mom had been sitting there in front of her telling her those things. When she could talk she said, “Thank you Carrie. That means a lot to me.”
Michael put his arm around the back of Layla’s chair and leaned forward. “Now cool it guys. She’s told me she’s going to think about being in a relationship with me for a week. I’m not supposed to pressure her. We have to give her space.”
Nathaniel snorted and Carrie shook her head at her son. “Good luck with that Layla. If there’s something Michael wants, nothing and nobody stops him. He takes after his mother that way,” Nathaniel said.
Carrie agreed with a grin as she slid a few more mushrooms onto her plate. “It’s true.”
Layla laughed and looked to Stella who was watching all the adults with an interested expression on her face. “Layla, Grandma and Grandpa want you to marry my daddy. Do you want to marry Daddy?”
Layla gasped and covered her heart with her hand as she stared at Stella with wide eyes. Michael leaned over his plate and covered his face in with his hands. Carrie laughed in embarrassment and cleared her throat guiltily. Nathaniel decided to jump in and save everyone.
“Now Stella, nobody’s talking about marriage right now honey. We’re just getting to know Layla. No pressure,” he said with a wink.
Stella frowned and looked at her plate. “But she’s my friend,” she said with a pout on her face.
Layla leaned toward the little girl and took her hand in hers. “Stella, nothing could stop me from being your friend.”
Stella looked up at her with curious eyes. “Well, if you promise you won’t stop being my friend then I guess it’s okay if you love Daddy. But you have to promise to love me too. Grandma said she thinks you’ll make a good mommy.”
Layla winced and looked at Carrie who was now hiding her face in her husband’s shoulder. Nathaniel whispered Sorry, across the table and Michael just gave her a half smile.
Layla bit her lip. “Stella I don’t know if I’ll make a good mommy. I’ve always wanted to be someone’s mommy someday.”
Stella nodded in a grown up way that had Layla’s mouth tugging up at the corner.
“Would you want to be my mommy? I’m a really good girl. Daddy always says so. I brush my teeth every night and I help Daddy pick up toys all the time,” she said so earnestly that Layla felt her heart burst.
Layla couldn’t resist and rubbed her hand over Stella’s little back. “Stella, you are the most amazing little girl in the world. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to be your mommy, but if I do, I’ll be the luckiest person in the world,” she said, looking deeply into Stella’s eyes and seeing the hurt and confusion that were still there.
Stella smiled brightly and picked up her fork, “I hope you’re lucky.”
Layla laughed and touched Stella�
�s cheek before turning back to her own dinner. She picked up her fork and realized how quiet it was all of a sudden. Carrie held her husband’s hand tightly in hers as she wiped a tear. Nathaniel looked a little choked up himself and was blinking quickly. She winced and turned to look at Michael, but he was looking down at his lap too, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried to control some strong emotion.
“Michael?” she whispered, touching his knee.
Michael shook his head. “Mom, Dad, Stella, will you please excuse us for a moment?”
Everyone nodded and Michael pulled out her seat for her. He led her into the kitchen and then pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he hid his face in her neck. Layla sighed, feeling the left over pain from a broken and damaged relationship. “Michael, it will get easier as time goes by. I know you and Stella have had it hard, but I know with time that you both will be able to heal,” she said, rubbing his back soothingly.
Michael leaned back and stared at her, his eyes bright and glistening with emotion. “I’m not emotional over Ashley. I’m emotional because you’re so sweet to my daughter. The moment you met her, you got down on your knees and connected with her and let her know she was important to you. You do that every single time. I love you,” he whispered and then tightened his arms around her before bending down and kissing her.
Layla’s mind went blank at first at the sudden shock of warmth and passion. She kissed Michael back, trying to tell him how she felt about him without saying the words. He was so good at expressing love, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it yet. She wasn’t ready. She ran her hands through his hair and then reluctantly pulled back ending the kiss.
“Honey, we’ve got to get back to dinner. Your parents are probably wondering what we’re doing in here,” she said stepping back.
Michael’s face broke out into a bright happy smile. “I doubt it, they’re pretty smart. You know, you just called me honey. I think I’m starting to wear you down.”
Layla laughed and kissed him quickly on the cheek. “You’ve been wearing me down from the first second I laid eyes on you,” she said rubbing some lipstick off his lower lip.
Michael moved in again, nuzzling her neck. “So you were intrigued from the very first second, huh?”
Layla groaned, caught. “Intrigued is such a strong word. Maybe I just looked at you for a brief second and thought, wow, hot, before I thought, player, womanizer.”
Michael looked offended. “Player and womanizer? How could you make that assumption with one glance?”
Layla sighed, “Because any man as gorgeous as you must have hundreds of women fighting for his attention.”
Michael tilted his head back and laughed. “How embarrassing to be so wrong.”
Layla grinned. “Well, that was the first reaction. Then I saw how you reacted to Kit and Jane smiling at you and I thought, okay, maybe not a pig.”
Michael led her back into the dining room with a shake of his head. “You’re thinking I might or might not be a pig and all I can think is, wow, beautiful.”
Layla felt her heart melt and she smiled up at him as he pulled her chair out for her. The rest of the dinner went by without any further blunt or embarrassing revelations from Stella. When Michael opened the front door for her to take her home, Carrie and Nathaniel hugged her tightly and promised to come by the bakery that week.
Michael drove her home and they both sat silently, holding hands and smiling. Michael held her face in his hands as he stared down into her eyes, looking at her as if he was trying to memorize every feature.
“Thanks for being a good sport about meeting my parents. You handled it very well. And since they like you almost as much as I do, I believe you’re going to experience something called the full court press. I’m going to go home and tell them that you’re not sure if you want to give me another chance. I might wring my hands a little and sound desperate. There’s honestly no telling what my parents will do if that happens Layla. I don’t think they’re above kidnapping to be honest. You should probably be scared.”
Layla laughed as Michael kissed her cheek softly. “You are incorrigible. Now behave Michael. I asked for some time to think about our relationship. I know you can’t control your parents or Stella, but this isn’t exactly giving me space. This is a full court press.”
Michael grinned unrepentantly. “Did Wesley give up on Buttercup? Did he even back off a little? Never.”
Layla had to sigh and looked over Michael’s shoulder. She frowned as she noticed a man lurking across the street staring at them from the shadows. Her whole body went tense as she leaned up to whisper into Michael’s ear.
“There’s a man across the street, just staring at us from the shadows.”
Michael nodded and turned around, pulling her by the hand as he moved to stand by the porch railing. “Isn’t the sunset beautiful Layla?” he asked as he scanned the other street quickly.
Layla nodded and put her arm around Michael’s waist. “It’s perfect. I love the red and gold tones,” she said quietly.
Michael squeezed her shoulder. “Hey do you mind if I take a cookie home to Stella? She’s been dying for one.”
Layla nodded and went and unlocked the front door, motioning Michael inside. Michael shut the door firmly, locking it and then dialed 911. He spoke firmly to the police officer for a few minutes before hanging up. “They’re on the way,” he assured her.
Layla ran her hand through her hair. “First someone steals our recipes and now this,” she whispered.
Michael’s eyes turned hard and his dark eyebrow snapped together. “What did you just say?”
Layla closed her eyes with a grimace. She hadn’t told Michael anything about the sabotage. She filled him in quickly while he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring. But when she was done talking he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “I can’t believe you didn’t call me.”
Layla decided not to point out the fact that at the time, he was with Ashley and there was no reason to. He rubbed her back as they watched out the window for the police.
“I’m getting my buddy Jeff who does security systems for a living over here tomorrow. I won’t be able to sleep at night thinking of you here unprotected,” he said sounding worried.
Just then a squad car pulled up beside the man. The man attempted to run off down the street, but the police officer jumped out and started pursuing him at a run. The officer took a running leap and tackled the man, bringing him down hard on the sidewalk.
Layla moved to go outside, but Michael held her back. “Not yet.”
Layla nodded but pushed her nose against the window, trying to see everything. The officer was taking out his handcuffs as his partner walked up beside them and took the man by his arm. The first officer motioned for his partner to follow him to the car where they began questioning the man.
Kit and Jane burst into the room from the kitchen door and walked up to stand at the window next to Layla and Michael.
“And why are we watching an arrest?” Kit asked curiously.
Layla glanced at her sisters. “Michael called the police. That man they’re talking to now was just standing in the shadows watching our bakery. When the police drove up, he ran for it. The cop sitting down now is the man who tackled him.”
Jane pushed her nose against the glass. “I bet it was Tate. The guy never had a chance,” she said loyally.
Layla frowned as they put the man in the back of the squad car and shut the door. “I can’t believe it. They’re just going to take off.”
Michael opened the door, looking back at her. “I’m going to go talk to the police officer. I’ll be right back,” he promised before shutting the door firmly.
Kit and Jane raised an eyebrow at Layla. “You’ve worked with police officers your whole career. Stay here little lady while I handle this,” Kit said in an exaggerated John Wayne accent.
Layla blushed and let out a soft laugh. “Sometimes it’s nice to step back and not h
ave to deal with every horrible thing out there just because I can.”
Kit frowned and nodded. Jane smiled sadly at Layla and put her arm around her. “I’m glad Michael was here.”
They watched as Michael talked to the police officer for a few minutes and then started walking back to the bakery. Layla wondered why Michael looked so grim.
She opened the door before he’d even reached the top step. “Well?” she demanded.
Michael stepped through the door and took out his cell phone. “First, let me call my parents. They were expecting me back by now,” he said, using his smart phone to dial his parents. “Hey Mom, listen I’m going to be a little longer here, do you mind staying with Stella until I’m done?” he said and then paused for a second before he shook his head slightly. “Mom, no. It’s not like that. Something serious has come up.”
Layla, Kit and Jane looked at him curiously as he stared at them, looking grim but hesitant.
“Michael, what is it?” Layla demanded, starting to get irritated.
Michael shoved his hands in his suit pants pockets as he continued to stare at the sisters. “Do you mind if we all go into the kitchen and sit down at the counter?”
Jane’s eyes widened and she looked worriedly at Layla. “You’re starting to freak me out Michael. What’s the big deal? Is he a stalker or something?”
Michael motioned with his arm toward the kitchen and all three sisters trudged into the warm room, still filled with the scents of baking from this morning.
As soon as all the women were seated, Michael rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Ladies, do you know a man named Landon?”
Layla and Jane nodded their heads quickly. “That’s the name of the man who talked to me at the park and who showed up this morning and stayed forever. He was super creepy and stared at us the whole time,” Layla said.
Michael nodded his head and sighed. “Sounds like the same guy. Layla, the man’s last name is Kendall. Is it possible that Landon Kendall is your father?”
Kit gasped and Jane looked intrigued, but Layla’s face turned shuttered and still. Being the oldest daughter, she remembered their father the best.
You Belong With Me (Book 1 in The Love and Dessert Trilogy) Page 18