by Lacey Black
“To do laundry,” she replies with a wink before practically sprinting up the stairs and into the house.
“Where is she going?” Payton asks as she approaches with Jaime.
“To do laundry,” I state, taking another sip of my champagne.
Jaime snorts. “Laundry. That’s code.”
“Definitely,” Payton agrees, looking over at her husband. He gives her a sexy little grin that makes me feel like I’m about to witness something that I can’t unsee.
“Speaking of laundry,” I mumble to Jaime, who starts laughing.
“Oh, she’s going to be doing a load the moment she steps through the door,” Jaime agrees with a laugh.
“Damn right, I am. No kids,” Payton says, clinking her glass against Jaime’s.
“No kids,” Jaime mirrors, a knowing smile on her face.
Abby and Lexi join us at that moment. “Where’s AJ?” Abby asks, glancing around the yard.
My two oldest sisters and I start to giggle. “Doing laundry,” I answer.
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Lexi asks, her own laughter bubbling to the surface.
“Apparently,” I reply with a shrug.
My sisters and I visit for a few minutes, but I have to admit, the weight of the day is starting to get to me. Even though I went with comfy flip-flops, my feet are getting tired and my muscles are starting to ache. The end of the night is drawing near, though I don’t really want it to end.
My eyes immediately seek out the man who is now my husband. He’s over with Rhenn, and the rest of the guys, all drinking something that is definitely not alcohol. Because our husbands are the best ever, they switched to non-alcoholic drinks a while ago so that everyone had a safe ride home.
His eyes meet mine from across the yard, and there’s no missing the smile that graces his handsome face. Damn, I love that smile. It’s warm and so full of love, and the best part is it’s all for me. I return the knowing grin, watching as his eyes slowly peruse my body from head to toe. I almost feel naked, and for a moment, I wish I were. Though, this probably isn’t the best time or place.
It’s probably also not the best time to mention that I haven’t had my period yet this month…
Nick turns and starts to make his way toward me, his eyes devouring me with a look of hunger and pure lust the entire way. My body starts to ignite in a slow burn, but with each step he takes toward me, it feels like he dumps a cup of gas on the blaze. By the time he reaches my side, I swear I’m going to die from desire, from wanting to be with him so badly.
“Hello, Mrs. Adams,” he whispers in my ear as he wraps his big hand around my waist, pulling me into his side. I feel his erection immediately.
“Hello yourself, Mr. Adams.” It comes out all breathy.
“Oh, you are so gonna do it the moment you get on the plane,” Lexi says.
“We’re taking a plane?” I ask, my eyes bouncing between Nick and my sisters. I suspected, but this is the first piece of information that is confirmed.
Nick laughs. “We are.”
“How long is the plane ride?” I ask, trying to swindle just a bit more info from him.
“Not telling,” he replies, kissing the side of my head.
Soon, all of the husbands are joining our little circle, and the conversations turn dirty. Apparently, everyone is a bit excited to have a childless night at home. I lean into my husband’s chest and listen to my sisters and brothers-in-law all laugh and tease each other. Rhenn is here too, along with my new sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Natalie and Stuart. They jump right in to the banter, as if they’ve been a Summer all along. It actually reminds me of my grandparents, who I haven’t seen in a while…
When I glance around the yard, I finally spot them. Grandma is talking with a woman, and my attention is drawn to their exchange. The woman appears younger, probably about my dad’s age, and she’s twisting her hands together nervously in front of her. Grandma is the same ol’ Grandma, her eyes and hands animated as she talks.
Then I notice my Grandpa. He’s sitting at the table beside where they talk, gazing up at the woman with shock and awe in his eyes. Even from across the darkened yard, I can tell he’s tense and maybe a bit apprehensive.
“Who’s that?” I ask, knowing that this woman isn’t anyone from my part of the guest list.
“Who?” Payton asks, glancing around the yard.
“The woman talking to Grandma,” I reply, nodding that way with my chin.
Everyone turns and looks. “I’m not sure,” Jaime says, which is quickly followed by similar replies from the rest of the group.
We all watch as Grandpa stands up and slowly makes his way to the woman. Before I know what hit me, he pulls her into his arms, hugging her with everything he has. The exchange brings tears to my eyes, even if I don’t know what it’s about. This woman means something to them, but what?
I grab my husband’s hand and turn to my sisters. “I say we go find out…”
Another Epilogue
Emma
I knew this moment would be one of shock and happiness. The moment I found her, I knew that it would change the course of our lives forever.
“Mary Ann?” Orval asks, standing up and approaching the beautiful young woman at my side. My heart beats wildly in my chest. I’ve fretted a lot lately over how this reunion would play out. It’s been years – too many years – and I knew it was time to change that. We’re not getting any younger, you know.
“Hi, Orval,” Mary Ann whispers, her voice tinged with nervousness.
“What are you doing here?” my husband asks.
“Emma invited me,” she answers, nodding my way. I glance to my husband, hoping to convey how sorry I am for ambushing him this way, but needing him to know that I did it out of love.
“She did?” Orval says, a slight chuckle slipping from his lips. He doesn’t say a word as he steps up to Mary Ann, his eyes locked on hers. They’re identical in shape and color.
Before I can start to defend my actions, he pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly. I don’t miss the tears swimming in Mary Ann’s eyes as she holds my husband closely, a soft smile gracing her lips. My own smile is instantaneous, and I finally know that I did a good thing.
I feel them all approach before I see them. My granddaughters. All of them, well, minus AJ who’s probably inside pretending to do laundry with the sexy former ball player she’s lucky enough to be married to.
“Hi,” Meghan says, leading the pack.
“Good evening, Meggy Pie. It’s a beautiful reception,” I say to my granddaughter, her eyes bouncing back and forth between the three of us.
“Thank you,” she replies politely.
“Oh, yes, congratulations to you,” Mary Ann says to Meghan, who politely smiles, yet I can tell she’s confused.
“Thank you,” she says. “This is Nick, my husband.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mary Ann replies, suddenly nervous again as she takes in the many other pairs of eyes all looking at her.
“And you are?” Lexi hedges with a smile. Leave it to Lexi to not beat around the bush.
“Oh,” Mary Ann chuckles uneasily. “I’m Mary Ann Grayson.”
Before she can say anymore, my husband steps forward. “My sister.”
Everyone stands perfectly still, shell-shocked and full of questions. “I invited her this evening,” I confirm.
“You have a sister? How did we not know this?” Payton asks.
Orval chuckles, and motions to the table. “Why don’t we sit down and I’ll tell you a story.”
They all follow suit, pull extra chairs from other tables until they’re all seated around the table or near it. I take a seat beside my husband, his sister on his other side. Several sets of eager eyes all gaze up at us, anxious to hear how they have family that they never knew about.
“It all started more than sixty-five years ago. I was serving in the military, my sweet Emma waiting at home for my return. We had planned t
o get married the moment I came home, which was shortly after my twenty-first birthday.” He gazes over at me, so much love still reflecting in his eyes that it still steals my breath. “We were married shortly after that, and started to plan the rest of our lives.”
He takes a deep breath. “Unfortunately, a few weeks after our wedding, my mother became gravely ill. She had cancer.” I can already tell how hard it is for him to say this. “Ovarian cancer,” he whispers, his sadness washing over him like the waves off the Bay.
Several gasps can be heard at the table, and when I glance up, I see several tear-filled eyes gazing back at us. It’s not lost on us that we lost both our daughter and Orval’s mother to the same horrible disease.
“She died when I was twenty-four, mere weeks after sharing the news that she would be a grandmother.”
I close my eyes, recalling how excited she was upon hearing our news. Even though we all knew – we knew in our hearts that she wouldn’t live to see her grandchild brought into this world.
“My father, Samuel, didn’t take her sickness so well. He became angry, and we fought. A lot. When my mother died, he drowned his sorrow the only way he knew how.”
“My mother,” Mary Ann says, her eyes full of sadness.
“My father moved on and married Mary Ann’s mother a mere three months after my mother’s death. I was still grieving, and the fact that he had so quickly replaced her with someone half his age, well, it angered me. So much so that I moved to a new town, me and my pregnant wife, to start over. My father moved his new family down to North Carolina.”
Silence fills the yard. It’s as if the party just sort of stops around us, even though I know it hasn’t.
“I knew I had a big brother growing up, but that was about it. We were never close,” Mary Ann adds.
“A twenty-five year age gap will do that,” Lexi says.
“It will,” Mary Ann agrees.
“So, you haven’t seen each other in…how long?” Abby asks, her eyes full of unshed tears.
“Forty years,” Orval replies sadly. “When my father died, his lawyer reached out to me. I saw Mary Ann and her mother, Phoebe, the day the will was read, but I didn’t stick around long enough for anything else. My anger was all for him, yet I didn’t know how to tell them. It wasn’t their fault, yet I never told them that.”
Mary Ann reaches over and grabs Orval’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. When his eyes collide with hers, I feel the shift in the air. It’s of forgiveness and hope. It’s of family and togetherness.
“Wow, I have to say, I didn’t see that one coming,” Meghan says to herself aloud.
“What’s going on?” AJ asks as she and Sawyer approach the table, her dress wrinkled and her hair thoroughly mused.
“Oh, you know. While you were sexing it up with the baseball god in your laundry room, we were here discovering that our Grandpa has a sister we didn’t know about,” Jaime tells her.
“What?” AJ hollers, dropping down to the empty seat beside me.
“It’s true,” Meghan replies with a laugh. “We might even have cousins.”
“Cousins?” Abby asks, glancing around at her sisters.
“Yes, actually you do have cousins. I have four wonderful children who are your ages. I’d love to introduce you to them sometime,” Mary Ann says with an easy smile.
“We’d love that,” Meghan agrees.
“Then we’ll make a plan,” Mary Ann says to the group before her eyes land on her brother. “I hope it’s okay if I come back sometime and bring my family.”
I can see the tears filling his eyes. “I’d love that.”
My heart pounds in my chest with elation. I wasn’t sure how this evening would pan out, but I’m so glad I discovered that website. I’m happy I followed the lead that drove me straight to my husband’s sister. And he responded the way I knew he would. Even though he was angry, I knew his anger was misplaced. I knew, if given the chance, he’d find happiness in knowing his sister.
He’s a good man.
Mary Ann’s phone starts to ring in her purse. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought I turned the ringer off before I got here,” she says as she glances down at her phone. Her face becomes slightly concerned.
“Is everything all right?” Orval asks, looking down at the phone in her hand.
“I’m not sure,” Mary Ann says uncertainly. “I have several missed calls from my daughter.”
“You should call her back,” her brother insists.
Mary Ann nods before placing the phone to her ear. She gets up from the table and takes a few steps away, giving herself a bit of privacy. My granddaughters all start to talk about this new development, anxious to meet their new family. It warms my heart that they will be able to connect with people who share their blood. Orval and I weren’t able to have more children, so being able to give them this piece of family is important to me.
To us.
“Oh no! Are you okay?” Mary Ann exclaims, her hand covering her mouth as tears start to fall. She listens to whoever is on the other end of the line and starts to shake. Orval instantly gets up and goes to her, wrapping his arm around her back in a sign of support. “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in a few hours,” Mary Ann adds before disconnecting the phone call.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, standing up. I feel everyone else stand up behind me.
“My home. My business. There’s been a fire,” she says, her voice cracking with emotion.
“A fire?” someone exclaims behind me.
“Yes, apparently, it started in my living quarters. My daughter, Marissa, was home, along with two couples who were guests, but they all made it out safely,” she gasps, breathing hard and deeply. “I’m sorry, but I need to get going!” she adds, turning on her shaky legs and looking for her purse.
“You can’t drive,” I state.
“No, you can’t,” my husband agrees.
“Guests?” Payton asks.
“Yes, I own a bed and breakfast,” Mary Ann announces, a few stray tears spilling from her eyes.
“We’ll drive you,” Orval proclaims.
“We can go too,” Levi says, everyone nodding their heads vigorously.
“No, I couldn’t ask that of you,” Mary Ann insists.
“We’re family,” Jaime maintains, stepping forward and placing a hand on Mary Ann’s forearm.
“Yes, family. Meghan and Nick, you two go on your honeymoon,” I say. The moment Meghan starts to protest, I continue, “No, you two deserve this. You can’t do anything now anyway.” My newly married granddaughter gives me a look, conceding, but I can tell she doesn’t like it. “Ryan, we could use your help on the contractor side in a few days,” I add.
“Consider it done,” Jaime’s husband states.
“And we’ll have to call an electrician. They are suspecting it was electrical,” Mary Ann adds, her voice full of stress and worry.
“I can help,” Rhenn says, stepping forward.
Nodding my head, I look at my family. “Rhenn, you and Ryan plan to come down tomorrow. Anyone else who wants to join them is welcome.” I glance around at my family, my grandchildren, all so eager to help in someone’s time of need.
Turning back to Orval, I grab his hand. “We’re going now.”
“Where?” Abby asks.
“To Rockland Falls…”
~ THE END ~
Join me in Rockland Falls, my next contemporary romance series.
Love and Pancakes, Rockland Falls, book 1, coming soon!
Acknowledgements
There are so many people who helped make this book what it is.
My editor, Kara Hildebrand; my first readers, Sandra Shipman, Carey Decevito, Holly Collins, and Kaitie Reister; my proofreader and co-plotter, Jo Thompson; my cover designer, Sara Eirew; the entire InkSlinger PR team for their tireless promotion; my formatter, Brenda Wright of Formatting Done Wright; the entire group of Lacey’s Ladies; my family and friends; and of course, all of the readers – thank y
ou, THANK YOU for your support and for loving this crazy family!
About the Author
Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and a chocolate lab. Lacey loves watching NASCAR races, shooting guns, and should only consume one mixed drink because she’s a lightweight.
Email: [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack
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https://laceyblack.wordpress.com
Table of Contents
Also by Lacey Black
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Another Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author