by Rae, Alicia
I raised my eyebrow in question at him. “Is there any specific reason you picked this car? Or do I already know the answer?” I teased.
Kyle revealed a mischievous grin. “I figured I’d test-drive one, other than my sister’s. That way, I could push it to the limits without Abbey kicking my ass.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Then, I can give her my honest opinion about her recent splurge.”
I threw my head back as waves of laughter rocked my body. I practically had tears in my eyes by the time I met his gaze. “Oh, Kyle, you are such a guy! I can’t wait to tell Abbey that. I’m sure she’ll appreciate you romping on someone else’s Camaro and not hers.”
“Oh, she will,” he said while his eyes roamed up and down the hood of the car. His eagerness to get behind the wheel was radiating off of him. He looked back at me with a boyish grin. “Especially by the time I’m done with this one.”
He winked before we both took our seats in the car. He turned the key forward, and the engine purred to life. Kyle backed out of the parking space carefully, and then he slowly drove out of the lot.
My eyes took in the little details of the inside of the car. “Abbey surely added some fancy upgrades,” I said while looking at the stock seats.
Kyle chortled. “One thing about Abbey is that if she buys something, she goes all out.”
“Yeah, she does.” I smiled warmly. “Have you ever shopped with her?”
“Nope,” he stated, shifting gears to turn out onto the main road in the direction of my aunt’s house. “But I’ve seen her apartment, and I’ve watched her during lunch breaks with her out-of-control one-clicking, as she calls it, on Amazon,” Kyle said with a caring voice. “I’d be terrified to go to the mall with her.”
I chuckled. “Do you remember that day you insisted on going with Brooke and me?”
“Yes,” he replied cautiously as if he was pondering where I was going with this. He stopped at a red light and turned to face me.
“That was nothing.” I laughed, watching his eyes widen in shock. “On Friday, I walked out of the store with six outfits, three pairs of shoes, and a purse,” I said, shaking my head. “That shopping disease is contagious.”
“Why didn’t you just put something back?” Kyle asked with humor as he hit the gas, pushing me back in my seat.
Like it would be such an easy decision to put one item back. I chuckled to myself.
“Because I liked them all, and so did Abbey.” I hesitated, trying to figure out how to explain this right—to a man, nonetheless. Here goes… “She wasn’t supposed to like them all. I thought she’d only like maybe half. That way, I could put the others back.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “My plan backfired—big time.”
“I’ll say,” Kyle said with amusement rich in his tone. “You know how messed-up that sounds, right? In fact, words can’t even describe how much that doesn’t make any damn sense.” He chortled while shaking his head from side to side.
“I know,” I sighed. “That’s why I said it was a disease.” I shrugged. “We can’t control it.”
“Uh-huh. Keep tellin’ yourself that, beautiful,” he said while turning onto my aunt’s street. Her house came into view seconds later. “Whatever makes you feel better.”
“Shush,” I said teasingly, tapping his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ve already seen your garage filled with your own weaknesses.”
Kyle laughed loudly as he slipped the car into park in Lucie and Dan’s driveway, and then he shifted to face me. “I think we share that weakness, beautiful.” He hunched over the console to kiss me softly.
“You two aren’t even out of the damn car yet, and you’re already kissing!” Jason said while banging on the car window.
I nearly jumped into Kyle’s lap at being startled. My heart was pumping ferociously in my chest. I turned to glare at my not-so-cute-at-the-moment cousin, who was laughing hysterically.
“Hello, Jason,” I practically growled.
He opened the door for me, and I pried myself off of Kyle’s body to pivot and step out of the car.
“There’s my favorite girl.” Jason beamed with his arms wide open. “Where’s my hug?”
I crossed my arms over my chest as Kyle joined me with our bags in hand.
“Your bear hug was vetoed when you scared the living daylights out of me.” I smirked.
“Ah, come on, Lily,” he teased sweetly.
His tone made me remember how good he was at talking his way out of almost anything. I had always been a sucker for it. I dropped my arms, and letting out a deep breath, I took a small step his way.
“That’s right,” Jason replied while beaming down at me with a grin.
Kyle chuckled in the background.
“You know you love me,” Jason added.
“Sometimes,” I clarified.
Jason squeezed me firmly. “Missed you,” he said while shifting to drape his arm around my shoulder as we walked to the front door.
“Already?” I smiled.
“Yep,” Jason replied.
I let out a small laugh as we reached my Aunt Lucie, who was standing on the front steps.
“Hi, Lily!” Aunt Lucie said warmly with her arms open wide. “You look lovely as always, dear,” she added.
I embraced her. “Thank you. It’s good to see you again, Aunt Lucie,” I said, pulling back. “And I appreciate you letting us stay here.”
“Of course you’ll stay at our home. You’re family.” She shifted her attention to Kyle. “You, too, dear,” she said, hugging him.
“Great to see you, Lucie,” Kyle said as they parted.
“We are so happy the two of you could visit us again. Please, come inside,” she said while gesturing us into the foyer.
I strode inside first, and Kyle lowered his hand to the small of my back while his other hand carried our luggage. Jason shut the door behind us. We took off our shoes on the rug, and Kyle set our belongings down next to the wall.
“You guys must be starving after your flight. I don’t even think they give you peanuts anymore, do they?” Lucie laughed.
“No, we had some pretzels though,” I answered.
“I made some hot lunches, and they’re ready in the kitchen if you’d like to eat.”
“Lunch sounds wonderful. Thank you.” I smiled kindly at her.
I made my way to the kitchen with two hungry men right on my heels. I wanted to laugh at the fast-paced footsteps behind me. The four of us took our seats at the table, and we immediately dug in to pulled pork sandwiches.
After swallowing a divine bite, I glanced around, noticing we were missing others. “Where are Uncle Dan and Damon?”
“They are still at work.” Aunt Lucie tilted her head at Jason. “I was only able to talk this one into taking off early, so he could help me arrange the upstairs bedroom for you and Kyle.”
“Thank you, Aunt Lucie and Jason,” I responded sincerely. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Oh yeah, we did,” Jason chortled. “The whole room was full of Mom’s sewing stuff.”
“I’m making new curtains for all the bedrooms,” she said with excitement. “I can’t wait to show them to you.”
“I’d love to see them when we finish eating.”
I smiled as I recalled how much Aunt Lucie loved to sew and redecorate. She was very talented and took great pride in her work.
“Sure! I was so relieved to finally find fabric that matched our furniture and paint.” She paused, taking a sip of her drink. “Uncle Dan said the ones we had were fine, but I think we needed some color to brighten up the place.”
“I bet he’ll come around when he sees them completed,” I said in support.
“He will.” She smiled. “So, how are you liking California? Are you unpacked yet?”
“I absolutely love it so far,” I said, meaning every word. “I finished unloading my heaps of boxes last Friday. It feels great to finally be rid of them.”
“I can imagine, dear,” she said in
understanding. “Have you started working again?”
“Very little,” I confessed. “But I’m hoping now that moving is out of the way, I can get back into my groove.”
“Make sure you give yourself a break to get settled in to your new home. Those things don’t happen overnight. You need to have time for you and Kyle, too,” she said.
Her motherly way made me smile. I glanced over at Kyle to see the same expression on his features.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Jason cut in. “They spend lots of quality time together.”
If he were within reach, I would have smacked him. Kyle covered his mouth and coughed to hide his chuckle. Of course, my face flushed beet red as I narrowed my eyes at my charming cousin.
“It’s wonderful, Lily, that the two of you make the effort to spend quality time with one another,” Aunt Lucie said, thankfully not catching Jason’s double meaning. “Lord knows are schedules are busier nowadays. I’m so happy that your Uncle Dan finally decided to retire this fall.”
“That’s great news, Aunt Lucie,” I said, feeling excited for them. “What do you guys plan on doing once he stops working?”
“We are hoping to do some traveling. I have always wanted to visit an island, maybe in the Caribbean or something, and then I’d like to go to a few states we have never been to,” she said dreamily.
“Make sure you add California to the list.” I grinned. “Kyle and I would love to have you.”
Kyle chimed in, smiling at Lucie, “We have plenty of room, too.”
“Thank you. I’ll have to start chatting with Dan about possible dates,” she said, glancing between the two of us with a smile that radiated across every inch of her face.
I suddenly felt a pang of nervousness, realizing I had yet to tell Aunt Lucie of our engagement. I silently prayed she would be as excited as I felt. Just then, someone walked in through the front door. Assuming it was her husband, Aunt Lucie called out to let him know we were in the kitchen. Sure enough, Uncle Dan emerged in the room.
I rose to greet him, and so did Kyle.
“Lily! What a pleasant surprise!” Uncle Dan greeted me. “I’m so glad you decided to stay with us while you are in town,” he said while embracing me. After letting me go, he then shook hands with Kyle.
“Of course. I’ll always come to visit my favorite aunt and uncle,” I teased good-naturedly.
Dan kissed Lucie on top of her head. “Hello, wife of mine.” He paused to inhale the scent coming from the Crock-Pot on the counter. “Mmm, I could smell that fresh pork as soon as I walked in the door.”
“Hello, dear,” she said while rising to her feet. She kissed her husband quickly on the cheek. “I’ll make you a plate.”
Dan nodded and then took the empty seat to my left. “So, I heard the house has been sold,” he said to me.
“Yes, we are closing on it tomorrow morning,” I responded.
“That must be a nice weight off your shoulders,” he said.
Lucie set down his plate in front of him, and it was filled with two big sandwiches. I wondered how he could eat so much food in one sitting.
“It is. I’m relieved to know that a family will get use out of it again. It’s sat empty for far too long.”
Dan agreed with a simple nod. “I’m proud of you, Lily, for making the right decision and letting it go,” he said before changing the topic of conversation. “Kyle, so I hear you and two of my boys have some big plans in California?”
“Yes, sir,” Kyle answered. “We made an offer to purchase a corporate building not far from my home. The three of us plan to have it remodeled and opened by next spring.”
“That’s a mighty fast turnaround,” Dan replied. “I’m sure you boys will be busy.”
“That’s the only way to work.” Kyle smiled.
“You got that right. Go big, or go home.” Dan chuckled. He tilted his head in my direction. “You sure did pick yourself a winner.”
He winked at me, and Aunt Lucie snickered. I let out an anxious laugh as I gathered the strength to announce my engagement. I knew I wanted to tell Aunt Lucie before she saw the ring, which would only be a matter of time.
I looked up at Kyle and cleared my throat, swallowing my nerves, before I turned to face my aunt and uncle. “So…” I started, redirecting everyone’s attention.
Jason gave me a small smirk that told me he knew what my intentions were.
“I wanted to be the first to tell you both,” I said, looking between Aunt Lucie and Uncle Dan, “that Kyle and I are engaged.”
Lucie’s and Dan’s eyes widened for a split second with shock, and then they both smiled affectionately.
“Oh my gosh, Lily!” Aunt Lucie jumped out of her seat to hug me. “Dan! Did you hear that? Lily is getting married!”
“Yes, Lucie.” Dan chuckled at his wife’s reaction as he rose to embrace me. “Congratulations, sweetie. We couldn’t be more happy for you,” he said in my ear before pulling back.
Dan walked over to Kyle and shook his hand for the second time today. “Welcome to the family, Kyle. Take care of our Lily now, won’t you?” he said, lifting a brow.
“Thank you, sir. Your blessing means a lot to us,” Kyle said to Dan. “And of course I will.”
“Good man,” Dan said in acceptance before returning to his seat.
Lucie’s eyes shimmered with utter bliss. “We have to start planning right away,” she muttered more to herself. Then, she shifted her eyes to me. “What dates do you have in mind, dear?” She paused for a fraction of a second.
As I opened my mouth to answer, she continued, on a roll, “How about a spring wedding? You always did love flowers in bloom. However, summer is your favorite season. How about next June?”
All the men at the table laughed fondly. Kyle’s eyes never left mine as he gave me one of his handsome smiles. His eyes emitted sheer happiness and increased my already over-the-moon expression.
“Um, Aunt Lucie…” I stalled, wondering the best way to break a one-month countdown to her. “We are getting married on August thirty-first—”
Before I could say the year, she cut in, unable to contain her enthusiasm. “I love it! That gives us plenty of time to plan a beautiful wedding!”
“Of this year,” I finished.
Aunt Lucie’s face was priceless. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was gaping open. “As in thirty days from now?” she asked with bewilderment. “How in heaven’s name are we going to plan a wedding so quickly? There is so much to do!”
“Actually, Aunt Lucie, I was thinking of something small,” I said while letting myself dream of it for the first time. As images flashed through my mind, one after another, I barely heard when Aunt Lucie asked me her question.
“Small?” she said quietly with a hint of disappointment.
“Yes.” Knowing this is what I wanted, I smiled shyly between her and Kyle. I had not even had the chance to tell Kyle of my thoughts yet. “I was thinking of only inviting my family, just you five, and Kyle’s family of five, plus the baby,” I added, remembering Kate’s round belly, and hoping that she would be comfortable in a bridesmaid dress and low heels while still pregnant. “And maybe a few close friends. But I don’t want a big wedding…I’m want it to be small and romantic.”
“Plus the baby?” Aunt Lucie exclaimed with a smile that was ten zillion miles wide. She was nearly having a heart attack right in front of my eyes.
“No! No! No!” I shook my head. “Not me! Kyle’s sister-in-law is pregnant with a baby girl, but she isn’t due until September,” I said, clearing the air.
I carefully kept my eyes off of Kyle. I was too terrified to see his expression. We had not talked about babies. I was surely not ready for that since I was still adjusting to the weight on my left finger.
“Oh!” Aunt Lucie laughed. “I was going to say…I think it’s a bit soon to be thinking about expanding.”
“Definitely,” I agreed.
Then, I changed the subject to a safer topic by
congratulating my Uncle Dan on his upcoming retirement in a few months. My intentions did not go unnoticed by him, but he humored me anyway. Aunt Lucie quickly jumped on board, explaining their ideas to me in greater detail. The married couple bickered over where to travel to first. I sat back in my seat and smiled lovingly at the two exchanging words back and forth.
After visiting and catching up for another hour, Jason informed us that he needed to head on out to finish up some work for the day. We all planned to go out on the town for dinner tonight, so we could get out of the house. Jason said he would ring Damon on his way out and let him know the details.
Kyle and I went outside on the back patio for some needed fresh air. I sat down while Kyle took the seat next to me. Wearing my navy blue tank top and white shorts, I could not resist the idea of stretching out my legs in front of me on an empty chair to soak up the warm sunrays. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes while sinking deeper into my chair. It had been way too long since I’d just enjoyed the quietness of the outdoors.
Kyle picked up a newspaper off the patio table and started reading it for a whole five minutes before breaking the silence. “So…” he said, folding up the newspaper, making crinkling noises.
I slowly gazed over at him. He looked completed uninterested in the current news as he set the paper aside. I had a good idea where this conversation was leading.
His expression was somewhat neutral. “I couldn’t help but notice your reaction to the misunderstanding about us having a baby.”
I bit my lip, uncertain what to say. “What was your reaction?” I asked, suddenly realizing I did not even know his feelings on the subject. Things had been so busy since we met, and it was not a topic that had come up.
His face softened. “I was thinking about five…” he said, trailing off deep in thought. His tone was a mixture of longing and uncertainty and affection, maybe even a little fright.
My eyebrows lifted. His answer was so unlike him.
“Five?” I asked in astonishment, feeling dizzy even though I was sitting down. “My mother always said, ‘Once you outnumber yourself, you are doomed.’ ”