“Is there anything we can do to help him?”
“I’m going to talk to Caleb and Benjamin. We’ll put him on a suicide watch. At least for the next month or so. No matter how happy he seems, he’ll need to be around someone at all times.” He looked down at her for a moment. “Come with me, and I’ll introduce you to two more of my brothers.”
They made their way through the crowd to two tall men on the other side of the huge fire pit the brisket was roasting on. “Benjamin, Caleb, you both need to meet Tiffani. She’s our new fundraising coordinator.”
“Oh, the fundster. Ephraim mentioned you!” One of the brothers held his hand out to shake hers. “I’m Caleb.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Tiffani felt a little shy meeting his entire family this way, but she had to get over that.
The man who must be Benjamin smiled down at her. “So you’re going to be the ball and chain, are you?”
Tiffani felt like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming semi. “I wouldn’t say that. We only just met.”
“But Dad said…” Benjamin frowned at Adam. “She’s the one, right?”
Adam shrugged. “Maybe we could talk about this later.”
Caleb laughed. “Yeah, like when she’s not standing right there. Sorry, Tiffani. Our family believes in all these silly gifts of ours.”
Adam looked upset. “I need to call a suicide watch on Nick. I’m getting worried about him.”
Caleb nodded. “I’m feeling the same stuff. We’ve been watching him and will continue.”
“Good thanks. Now I get to go try and explain things to my girl, because she’s standing next to me quietly freaking out. Thanks, guys. You make life so much more interesting.”
“Sorry, man.” Benjamin said the words, but he looked more amused than sorry. He obviously thought throwing his brother under the bus was fun.
Adam took Tiffani’s hand and led her away from everyone to one of the picnic tables that was not yet occupied. “I guess I need to explain.”
Tiffani sat down on the bench and looked at him, waiting for a moment. “That would be really nice. I need to know what on earth your brothers were trying not to say.”
He sighed. “I told you that Dad has flashes of the future. He told me that you were the one I needed to hire and get to know. He thinks we’re destined to marry.”
She gaped at him for a moment. “Destined to marry? Do you believe in that hogwash?”
“As a matter of fact, I do believe it. I believe it with everything inside me. So I made sure that I got as close to you as I could as fast as I could. There’s nothing against you, but I do believe we’ll marry someday.”
“Would you have approached me if your father hadn’t put that bug in your ear?” She wasn’t sure if she should even believe in his interest now. What if he was only doing it because his father thought he should.
“Yes, I would have. I saw you and felt an instant connection.” He sat beside her, taking her hand in his. “I really do believe that my attraction for you is something that would have been there regardless. I’ve never felt this strongly for anyone in my entire life.”
“I can’t just date you and marry you because your father has decreed it’s going to happen.”
“Then date me because you have feelings for me, and know that I’m doing the same. Nothing that I feel has anything to do with what my dad said. It really doesn’t.”
“That’s hard to believe. If it’s true, why didn’t you tell me what he said to begin with? Then we wouldn’t be having this conversation!”
Adam fought for the words to explain. “First off, I didn’t know if you’d even believe in destined marriages, and then when you acted like you were starting to believe in my family’s powers, I didn’t want you to feel forced to date me because of something he’d said. I wanted you to like me for me, not because there was a destiny between us.”
She frowned. “I guess that makes sense. I just feel like I’ve been kept in the dark, and that’s very frustrating.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cheek. “I’ll try not to keep anything from you again.”
“Try not to?”
“I’m a psychiatrist. I can tell you about the boys, because you work here too. If someone comes to me with another kind of issue, I can’t just run around blabbing about it. I have to keep things confidential.”
Tiffani thought about what he’d said for a moment before nodding. “I can understand that. But if there are any more prophecies concerning me, then I want to know about them immediately.”
Adam nodded. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t dream of keeping anything else from you.”
“I’m glad.” She leaned into him for a moment, thinking about being destined to marry him. If it was true, she would spend forever with him. How strange to think she might be sitting next to the man she would spend her life with.
“Are you angry with me?”
She shrugged. “Not if you’re never going to do it again. I never thought to tell you when we started a relationship that if there were any prophecies about us, I needed to know all about them immediately.”
“It’s just not something you say when you start dating someone, is it?” He grinned, thrilled to have that out of the way. “Do you want to just go ahead and marry me now?”
She laughed. “That’s not a proposal. I will not just marry you because your dad has decreed it.”
“It was worth a try, wasn’t it?”
“No, not at all.”
Adam grinned. “I’m one of those guys…give me an inch and I’ll take a mile!”
“I see that now.”
They were interrupted by a loud whistle from his father. “Gather round for prayer, and then we’ll eat!”
After a prayer by the family’s patriarch, they all got into a line and served their own food. The excitement around them was palpable. “The boys really like this tradition, don’t they?”
Adam nodded. “They love it! This has been going on since before I was born. My grandmother did it when she was alive. She’d make a huge meal for all the boys every Friday night. When my mom took over, she was thrilled to be able to carry on the tradition.”
“That’s really cool!” She looked over at Lillian, who was wearing an apron and serving potato salad with a serving spoon. Beside her was Peter, who was cutting off pieces of brisket for everyone.
The spread of food was absolutely amazing. There were fresh baked buns to make the brisket into a sandwich. There were baked beans and a salad. The whole meal looked delicious.
When it was her turn, Tiffani filled her plate. “Thank you for cooking, Lillian. The food smells absolutely delicious.”
“It’s my job. When you’re blessed with a big, wonderful family as I’ve been, you do what you need to do for the people around you.”
When they were seated a few minutes later, one of his brothers and Brittany both joined them. Brittany looked at the other man. “Are you still following me around? You’ve been doing this since first grade.”
“I seem to remember you following me around in kindergarten. Trying to catch the boys and kiss them.”
“That was just a phase I went through for a month or two.”
“A month or two? You mean nine months. That’s long enough to have a baby, little missy!”
“Gideon, you’re more than a little crazy.”
“Oh! You’re Gideon!” Tiffani was thrilled to finally meet the seventh son. “It’s so good to meet you. I’m Tiffani.”
“You’re the girl who’s destined to marry Adam!”
“Does everyone but me know this?” Tiffani shook her head with disgust.
Brittany grinned. “No one came right out and told me, but I knew. I’ve watched you two together.”
Adam reached over and squeezed Tiffani’s hand. “We are pretty obvious.”
“I don’t know about that!” Tiffani protested.
Brittany shrugged. “I think you ar
e. But I like to watch people for signs of relationships. I’m a romantic at heart.”
Gideon grinned at Brittany. “You want romance? I’ll show you romance!”
“You are crazy. You have no interest in me other than flirting. Go away, Gideon. Maybe one of your sane brothers will ask me out.”
Gideon attacked his food, but Adam could feel the hurt washing off him. He gave his youngest brother a commiserating smile. “If anyone looks for me tomorrow, I’m driving to San Antonio with Tiffani. Her mother wants to meet me.”
“Oh wow! Meeting the mama already? Does Tiffani know what that means?” Gideon asked.
Tiffani wrinkled her nose. “I met his mama on Tuesday, before anything even started between us, so it can’t mean that much.”
“It does.” Gideon winked at Tiffani. “Big brother is awfully interested in you.”
After the meal, they all sang a few campfire songs, then made s’mores. Tiffani sat close beside Adam the whole while. Why did she feel so out of place without him beside her, but so comfortable with him there? It was strange just how much she cared about him after such a short time. Maybe his dad was right and they really were destined to marry. She had no way of knowing.
“Is your dad ever wrong about this destiny thing?” she asked, leaning close to him after she’d finished her s’more.
“He never has been. I suppose it’s possible that he could be someday in the future, but for now, no he hasn’t been.” He shrugged. “He knew he was supposed to marry Mom the second they met. He’d had a vision about her.”
“Well, that’s silly. Is nothing left to chance in your family?”
“A lot is left to chance in my family. But we do believe that you’re not complete without your mate. The one you’re meant to have, not just any random person. So when Dad has a vision that someone should marry, they actually focus on that person to see if they’re right. And they always are.”
“Doesn’t that take some of the fun out of life?”
“I don’t think so. I have a lot of fun, anyway.” Adam didn’t want her to think her life would be devoid of fun if she married him.
Chapter Eight
By the time the cookout was over and Adam was driving Tiffani back to her home, she was exhausted. It was a good tired, though, that came from a busy week of working hard and unpacking. “I think I’m going to love it here. The ranch already feels like home.”
His hand covered hers where it rested on the seat between them. “I’m really glad. Now that I’ve met you, I can’t really imagine letting you go.”
She looked over at him, her cheek resting against the back of the seat. “Is that your father’s vision talking, or is that you?”
“They’re one and the same at this point. I wish I could differentiate.” He knew why his father had told him he would be married to her, because it made it so he’d hired her. But he wished he hadn’t known.
“Me too.” She watched him drive through the ranch toward her little cabin. Her first real home she didn’t have to share.
When he’d parked in front of it, he turned to her. “I’m not going to come in tonight.”
“I don’t recall inviting you,” she said, grinning at him.
“I worry about being alone with you when my feelings are so strong.” He sighed. “What time should I be here in the morning for our drive to San Antonio?”
“I’d say nine. I need to get the truck back to my uncle, and then we’re having lunch with Mom.”
“I’ll be here then.” He opened the door of his truck and got out, surprising her. Hadn’t he just said he wasn’t going to stay?
She got out and met him next to her front door. “I thought you weren’t coming in.”
“I’m not. I’m going to be a responsible escort, walk you to your door, and kiss you goodnight.” He reached out and removed her cowboy hat. “I can’t kiss you if our hats are bumping together.”
“So why not remove your hat instead of mine?” Her heart was beating faster at the mere idea of kissing him. How did he affect her senses so much?
“Because I wanted to be able to touch your hair when I kissed you.” He stroked a tendril out of her face and behind her shoulder.
“What if I want to touch your hair?”
“Are you just trying to be contrary?” He reached up and removed his hat, setting it on the top of his truck. “There, happy now?”
She nodded, her eyes meeting his. “I think I am. But I’ll be a lot happier after you kiss me.”
“Well, get over here, then!” He caught her by the waist and pulled her close to him, lowering his head to press his lips to hers. His hands stroked over her shoulders, smoothing her hair away from her face.
Her arms went around his neck and she held to him, feeling a tingling deep in her stomach. She could stand there and kiss him all night.
When he pulled back, his eyes were glazed. “Goodnight, Tiffani. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She watched him get into his truck and drive away, her knees weak. “G’night, Adam,” she whispered as his tail lights disappeared.
She went into the house and picked up the kitten, who was meowing at her. Snuggling him to her chest, she walked into her room and sat down at the edge of her bed. “Well, what d’ya think, Bobcat? Am I meant to marry him? Or is his daddy crazy? Or maybe a little of both?” She sighed. Answers would be fabulous.
Adam was there ten minutes before nine the following morning. Tiffani had a water bottle in her hand as she shut the door and walked to the driver’s seat. “You’re not going to let me drive?” he asked, frowning at her.
“Are you one of those macho guys who always thinks he needs to drive everywhere? If so, this does not bode well for our relationship’s future.”
“Not really. You just look tired, and I thought you’d want to be able to sleep if you got tired along the way.”
She handed him the keys without another word. “Are you always so good at talking your way out of trouble?”
“Not at all. I just tell the truth. One thing I learned from a very young age is that if your father has visions, lying is not a good idea. I have never been one to lie as a result.”
Five minutes later, they were on the road, heading toward Austin and San Antonio. “Where did you grow up?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Mom and I lived in an apartment complex. We lived in the same one for as long as I can remember. There was never a lot of money, so it was better that way.”
“And you went to college, I know. Pell Grant?”
“I had a full Pell and I also had a scholarship. I was valedictorian of my graduating class, so I had a scholarship to any public Texas university. I went to UT San Antonio, because it was close to my mom, and I could see her as often as I wanted.”
“And you majored in Business Administration?” He’d read it all on her resumé, but he wanted to hear from her how she’d decided on that as a major.
“Yeah. I started out as an English literature major, certain that I’d spend my entire life writing. It’s a lot easier to start a book than it is to finish one, so I started taking some business courses. My senior year I interned for a not-for-profit agency, and I loved it so much that I never stopped working there.”
“I think that’s great!”
She grinned. “I love it. They were having some issues with the management, and I was laid off from them right before I came here. It worked out perfectly for me.”
Adam nodded. “I never would have thought about working for a not-for-profit if my parents hadn’t run one my entire life.”
“What do your parents do now? Do they still work?”
“Dad kind of oversees everything. When Gideon marries, Dad’ll move to a small house on the other side of the ranch, and he and Mom will probably travel.”
Tiffani nodded. “Did your grandparents do that?”
“Yup. It’s always worked out that way for my family. The youngest son inherits the family business. The brothers sometimes help
him run it, but it’s up to that generation. Dad’s brothers were never interested, so it was all him and Mom. I think we’ll all be involved until the day we die.” Adam shrugged. “I feel like it’s my calling to work with the troubled youths at the ranch.”
“I love that you’re doing what’s right by those boys.”
“It’s really the only life I’ve ever known. You really need to meet Kevin sometime. He’s a minister, and he serves a congregation in Idaho at this huge resort ranch. River’s End Ranch or something like that. Maybe we can go there on our honeymoon.” He didn’t look at her as he said honeymoon, knowing that she would roll her eyes or complain.
“There can’t be a honeymoon until there’s a wedding. There can’t be a wedding until there’s a proposal. All I hear are assumptions that I’m going to marry you. No one has mentioned a proposal at all.” Tiffani looked out the window away from him, trying to hide her grin. She knew she’d shocked him even without being an empath.
“Does that mean it’s time for me to ask?”
She shrugged. “I think it’s almost a foregone conclusion we’ll marry. At least for you it is.”
“I’ll think on it.” He kept driving, but his heart felt as if it was beating a mile a minute. She was willing to consider marrying him. He hadn’t thought it would ever happen. Of course, he’d known her less than two weeks, but it still felt like it would never happen.
When they got to San Antonio, they returned the truck to her uncle and picked up her car, no worse for wear. It was an old, beat-up Ford Fiesta that she’d been driving since she’d gotten her license. It wasn’t worth much, but it still ran well, and that’s all she’d ever cared about.
He looked at it for a moment. “I don’t know how I feel about you driving this thing.”
She got behind the wheel and started the car. “It doesn’t really matter how you feel. What matters is the car is mine.”
He got into the passenger seat, scooting it all the way back. “I feel like a pretzel.”
Adam (Seven Sons Book 1) Page 7