by Natalie Ann
What he wanted to do was find out if he could stop over after dinner with his parents to tell her how it went, but she didn’t offer and he didn’t ask. He knew she had a routine during the week and he tried not to disrupt it too much.
Kara might have cracked a joke about loosening up by dating him—and though she had, it wasn’t all that much.
“Well, you’re here now. I put a roast beef on the grill a while ago. I know it’s one of your favorites.”
“It is. You know all of our favorites. How do you keep them straight?”
“When you’re a parent someday you’ll understand.”
He always knew he wanted kids. Knew he’d get married and settle down. He’d even thought he’d be there by now.
For some reason, in the past few weeks, all those thoughts of a future family were filling his head and controlling all his thoughts and actions. He had to tell himself to slow his roll more times than not with Kara.
She wasn’t one to rush. She wasn’t one to bungee jump off a building for the hell of it on a dare. She had to be talked into buying a colorful printed shirt when she went shopping with his sister.
So yeah, planning too far in the future would only cause pressure and stress that neither of them wanted or needed. It might even push her away when all he wanted to do was pull her forward.
“I guess I’ll find that out someday.”
“Your father and I are going to be old and walking with canes when that happens, I’m sure.”
It wasn’t like his mother to make comments like that. Sure, she’d bust on them all once in a while about still being single, but she never tried to set them up with anyone.
She never nagged. She never tried to control them.
Maybe it was because they always were dating in their life. They just never seemed to settle down.
“You two will never be old. And you definitely won’t be walking with a cane.”
“You’re just trying to butter me up. Come give me a kiss. What is wrong with your manners?”
He laughed at her and walked forward to kiss her cheek. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s in his office talking to Grant about something with work. He should be out shortly.”
“Can I help you with anything?” he asked.
“You can set the table if you want. I’m just going to go check on the meat. I’ve got mac and cheese in the crockpot ready to go. There’s a salad in the fridge if you want to start on that.”
His mother sure did have his ticket when it came to food. She had all of their tickets he was sure.
“Starting without me?” his father asked as he walked into the room when Drake was sitting at the table filling his plate with some salad.
“Mom said I could. You won’t eat this anyway.”
“Nope. Never did care for a salad. Rabbit food,” his father said. “Not you. You eat anything she puts in front of you. You’re the most agreeable of the family.”
He just grinned and continued to eat. When his mother walked in a minute later with the roast on a plate, she said, “I’m just going to let it rest for a few minutes. Garrett, get Drake and yourself a drink and have a seat. How was your day, Drake? Still having issues with Kara?”
He heard the bottle rattling in the fridge where his father was. “No. Kara and I are fine now.”
His father poured two beers and set one in front of Drake. “I told your mother that. Not sure why she asked.”
“I always ask the kids about their days and if they are having issues,” his mother said, shooting his father a look. The evil eye that Jade also inherited that could bring them all to their knees.
His father just grinned at his mother. He didn’t want them to get into an argument, so he figured now was the time to jump in. “Actually there is something I wanted to tell you about Kara.”
“What?” his father asked, looking nervous. “Don’t tell me she is leaving. Did you tick her off?”
“Whoa,” he said. “No. I mean yes, I seem to tick her off on a daily basis, but that isn’t what I was going to say.”
“Then what?” his mother asked.
“Kara and I are dating. We have been for a month. We—she—didn’t want anyone to know right away.”
There was silence as his parents looked at each other. A look he’d never seen passing before and had no clue what it meant. “That’s great,” his mother said.
“You sure don’t look like it. I know you’ve met her before. Do you have a problem with her?”
Was Kara right? Would his mother not like her? Would that make a difference in the relationship if she didn’t? He was afraid it might but didn’t want to put it to the test either.
“No, no,” his mother said fast. “Kara seems like a very nice young lady. I even told you that. That I thought she needed some friendship. Is that how this started?”
He laughed. “Hardly. Even Jade made a comment about wanting to know if it started when she went shopping with Kara and talked her into buying some more colorful clothing.”
“Jade knows,” his mother said. “Who else knows besides Noah?”
Oh man. Now his mother was going to get annoyed. And of course everyone assumed Noah knew. “Wyatt knows,” he admitted.
“Why are we the last to know?” his father asked. “I work with you guys. There has been no sign of it.”
“It’s supposed to be that way. And it will stay that way too,” he said. “Kara already threatened to snap my fingers if I so much as brush against her in the hall at work. She doesn’t want a bunch of people to know.”
“Smart girl,” his mother said. “I’m sure she doesn’t want to be labeled.”
“No one would label her,” his father said.
“No, they wouldn’t dare. Not to my face if they know what is good for them.” He picked his beer up and took a drink. “So what do you think of it, Dad? She works for you.”
“I think it’s wonderful. Fine. Like your mother said, she’s a fine young lady. A great employee. She will keep you on your toes.”
“She does do that. So you’re good with it?”
This was going much better than he anticipated. Not that he really thought his parents would have an issue with it. The only thing he thought was odd was that they didn’t seem happier about it.
Then again, it’d only been a month and they’d never been the type to jump up and down over one of them dating someone new.
“I’m fine. Keep work and personal lives separate. Be respectful to each other. I don’t want to lose a good employee if things don’t work out.”
“You won’t. We’ve had this conversation. It’s all good.”
***
“What do you know,” Garrett said to his wife the minute Drake was out the door. “It worked.”
She walked over and slapped his arm. “You had no idea at all? I feel like I was the only one kept in the dark. Even Jade knew. Then he admitted Wyatt did too.”
“You heard me mention to him I had no idea.” He’d said that on purpose knowing his wife was going to skin him over the news and her not being clued in.
“I guess,” she said. “He seems pretty happy. He talked a lot about her tonight too. When was the last time he talked about a girl he was dating that much?”
“Never, that I can remember,” he said. “I wanted to do a fist pump when he said they were dating but knew that would give it away.”
She burst out laughing. “I almost reached across the table and high-fived you. Could you imagine if Drake knew that we’d been planning this all along?”
“He wouldn’t believe it,” he argued.
“I don’t know. You heard him make a comment about Jade wanting to take credit over the shopping trip. Which reminds me, I have to have words with her. I had no idea the two of them went shopping. How dare Jade not tell me?”
“Jade doesn’t tell you every single thing she does,” he reminded her.
“Well, she should.”
“Talk about feisty. Now we all
know where Jade gets it from. We can breathe a sigh of relief now. Things are on the right path.”
“We need to keep them there though. You see the two of them every day, so keep an eye on them.”
“I will,” he said. “I’ll bring up Ella’s wedding and see if he’s going to ask Kara. It’s only a few weeks away.”
“Good idea. Do it soon so I can let Jolene know. Now I’ve got to call Diane and tell her the news.”
“You can’t tell her without Grant knowing. Put it on speaker and make sure he’s in the room.”
“Or better yet, let’s just go over and tell them in person,” she said.
“I’ll let my brother know we are on our way.” It’d only take them ten minutes to walk the mile or so to his brother’s house. They were never far from each other.
Family. That is what it’s always been about in his life.
A Great Catch
Drake let himself into his house, dropped his laptop on the table and made his way upstairs to change. He’d planned on coming home first after work to change, but it wasn’t just Kara he got held up talking to. Jade had come in and apologized to him.
“It’s fine,” he’d told her. “I know how you are. I was actually scared and when Kara suggested she do it, I was all over it.”
“Coward,” his sister had said.
“You’re damn straight. I know how you can get.”
She laughed at him. “I am happy for you. I like Kara. I can say I don’t like a lot of the women you’ve dated before.”
“Why is that?”
“No clue,” she said. “It’s just a feeling I’ve had. I get it with everyone in the family. But I loved Dani when I met her and the same with Payton. I hope she and Bryce last.”
“They have nothing in common,” he said of his cousin.
“Nope and yet they are so good together. Kind of like you and Kara. Heck, even Sam and Dani are opposites. Maybe that is what we all need, someone so different than who we are. Than what we always were attracted to.”
“Is that your problem?” he asked her. “You always go for a type in your head and it never works?”
“Could be. I guess I’ll have to think about it some more. Anyway, this isn’t about me. It’s about you and Kara. I don’t know much about her, but what I do I like. So try not to blow it and have her leave.”
“I don’t have any intention of blowing it. Maybe you can put in a few good words for me. Say what a great catch I am.”
She started to laugh. “You know, I think I did have something to do with you two getting together. I told her when we were shopping what I was looking for in a man. She asked if it existed and I said, ‘sure, all the men in my family are like that.’”
“You aren’t going to share what those things are, are you?”
“No way. Have a good night, Drake.” Then she walked out of his office. He’d called Kara quick to talk to her, maybe get a little moral support when he’d never needed it before talking to his parents.
Now that he was home, he was dying to tell her how well it went.
“Hello,” she said on the first ring.
“Hey there, sexy lady. What are you wearing?”
“Nothing at all sexy,” she said back.
“Everything about you is sexy,” he said back. He meant every bit of that too. Glasses or contacts, black-and-white clothing or bright colors, her hair down or back. No matter what she did with her appearance, he wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her to bed, strip her naked and just have his way with her.
“Now you are just buttering me up and it makes me wonder if it didn’t go well with your parents.”
“Is that worry in your voice?”
“Maybe just a little.”
That made him feel good. That it was more to her than dating if she was that concerned about what his parents thought.
“It went well. They seemed a bit shocked. My mother did, but she said you were a very nice young lady. My mother doesn’t gush over anyone at first, but if she wasn’t happy, she’d have no comment at all. So trust me, that is good.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it. More importantly, how was your father since he’s my boss.”
“He was shocked. Said he’d seen no signs of it at all at work. Never saw it coming.”
“Good, good. And we need to keep it that way.”
“I told him you’d threatened me over any bodily contact at work where anyone could see.”
She snorted out a laugh. “Speaking of that. How could you say that in front of Jade? Even her comment about us having sex in the office.”
“It was funny. But Jade did stop into my office to apologize to me before I left.”
“She talked to me too. Must be after she left your office.”
“What did she say?” he asked, knowing Jade could be lethal with her words if she wanted to be. Even if she said she was okay with things, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t put Kara on the spot.
“Not much. Said she liked me and hoped it worked out. That you had horrible taste in women—present company excluded—and that she’d hate to see me leave if you messed up too badly.”
His jaw dropped and he realized she couldn’t see that reaction. “She put it all on me to mess up? That’s harsh.”
And not surprising of his baby sister either. That was probably her way of getting even for being the last one to find out. Little snot.
“She laughed when she said it. I’m sure she was joking. Anyway, we are good there. So back to your father. He was shocked, but nothing else?”
“Nope. Said the same thing as my mother. He was more worried you’d leave if things went south with us. I told him you and I had that conversation. He just said to keep work and personal lives separate and be respectful to each other and it will be fine.”
“I like your father a lot.”
“That’s because he is pretty much agreeing to what you want.”
“That is a plus,” she said. “And it’s late. You’ve had a long day. We’ll see each other in the morning.”
“Maybe we can grab lunch together? I’ll be out of the office most of tomorrow and Friday,” he said, hoping that didn’t sound too much like the pleading he wanted to do.
“I think we can manage it. Night, Drake.”
“Night, Kara.”
***
Kara was at her desk bright and early on Thursday morning like normal.
Now that the Fierce family knew she and Drake were dating, she didn’t want them to think she was slacking off in the least.
“Morning,” she heard and looked up, almost expecting Garrett to come see her today. Drake had said it was fine, but she knew he’d seek her out.
“Good morning.”
“Bright and early as always. Just you and I here. Grant will be here any minute, I’m sure.”
“Old habits are hard to break, aren’t they?” she asked, wondering why they were having this mundane of a conversation.
“You did a good job with the budget project. Grant and I met afterward and talked it through. We really don’t have any changes, it was that good. If you want to send it out to a few of the key engineers that meet with clients, we can start to implement it.”
“I can do that,” she said, grabbing a pen and jotting down a note. “I’m glad you’re pleased with it.”
“We are. The same as I am with Drake’s news last night.”
She liked how he wasn’t coming right out and saying what the news actually was in the office. As she told Drake, she really liked his father.
“That’s nice to hear.”
“A little shocked that it was kept so quiet, but I completely understand that too.”
“It’s better that way. I’m here to do a job during the day anyway.”
“I told Drake you were a great employee. Not many would feel that way.” He looked around like he was checking for other staff. “Not many feel that way without dating the owner’s son. To just come in and do their job. T
hen they’d want special treatment. But not you. Carolyn and I would like to ask you to dinner on Sunday,” he said before she could respond to the special treatment comment.
She had to say yes. You just don’t say no to your boss or your boyfriend’s father when he asks. “That would be nice.”
“I’ll let Drake know and get back to him with a time.”
“He doesn’t know?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m going to tell him when he gets in that you said yes.”
“That’s sneaky,” she said.
“Yes, it is,” he said, laughing and walked out of her office.
She wasn’t working thirty minutes when her cell phone rang. She picked it up expecting it to be Drake. He was the only one that ever called her.
Instead it was a number she didn’t recognize. Rather than answer it, she sent it to voicemail figuring they’d hang up.
They didn’t and left a message.
When she played it back, she expected to hear it was a credit card company telling her about a new interest rate. Nope, it was her father again. “Kara, I really need to talk to you. Please call me back at this number.”
She deleted that message like she did the other one.
But she couldn’t let it go without knowing what might be going on. She called her mother and wasn’t surprised when she answered, snapping, “This better be important since I’m sleeping.”
“Sleeping?” Kara said. “You told me you started at the hospital really early. I thought I’d leave you a message.”
“I’m not working today,” her mother said.
She didn’t bother to ask if her mother still had that job or not. Not worth opening that can of worms. “Mom, have you talked to my father lately?”
Her mother snorted. “No, why would I?”
“Because he left me a message a few weeks ago that he was in trouble and needed my help. I deleted the message and blocked the number. He just left another one to call him back.”
“You’ve never helped me with anything, you better not help him.”
She should have known that would be her mother’s response. “I’ve got no intention of helping him or calling him back. I just wanted to know if you know what might be going on.”