by J. L. Drake
His eyes frowned. “Seth giving you the cold shoulder?”
“He’s famous for that,” a voice behind me said with a giggle. I turned to see a pretty young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, with a large smile. Her blonde hair wrapped around her shoulders, and she had the same eye color as Seth. She moved gracefully toward me. “I’m Maddy.”
I smiled. I liked her already. “Hi, Maddy. I’m Emily.”
“Oh, I know.” She looked at Nicholas. “I can’t believe she’s here.”
He laughed and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “All right, let’s meet the folks.”
The bright kitchen was painted a lovely, soft yellow. A maid buzzed around the kitchen. “Hi.” I moved toward her. Nicholas stopped and watched me. The maid looked a little taken aback, but she smiled at me.
“Um, hello.”
“I’m Emily.” I extended my hand. She looked at Nicholas and then back at me. Her face softened, and she shook my hand.
“Hi, I’m Gretchen.”
“Something smells divine.” I peeked at what was simmering on the stove. “Is that cumin?”
She looked surprised, and then her lips turned up into a pretty smile. She came over next to me and gave the soup a stir. “Yes. You know your spices.” I took another deep breath of the heavenly smell. She did the same. “It’s my mother’s recipe. She loved to cook too.”
“I can’t wait to try it.”
Her eyes started to mist up. “Thank you.”
I turned back to Nicholas, who studied me closely.
“I’m sorry. I’m holding you up.”
He shook his head and gave me a half smile, then led the way down the hall.
A man who I assumed was Seth’s father stood at a cocktail cart as he poured a glass of scotch. He was tall, much like his sons, and appeared to be in very good shape. His hair was dirty blond and slicked back.
“Father.” Nicholas stood a little straighter. The man turned and met my gaze. His lips parted, but a smile never came. He crossed the room in three strides, and the ice tinkled in his glass.
“Emily McPhee, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” His handshake was firm.
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Connors.”
“Please, call me Jack.” I nodded but thought that was never going to happen. “Let me introduce you to my wife.” He turned and called out, “Martha!” A moment later, she appeared.
“Oh, Emily!” Her hands flew to her mouth. “It’s so nice to meet you.” She gave me a lovely hug. Wow. I hadn’t expected that.
“Hello, Mrs. Connors,” I said while she squeezed me one more time. She smelled wonderful, like fresh lilies.
“Call me Martha, Emily.”
“Martha,” I repeated as I felt her warmth. Her smile was beautiful, and her eyes looked just like Seth’s. I felt a twist in my stomach. Why wouldn’t he want me to meet such a lovely family?
“Mother, maybe Emily would like a drink?” Nicholas moved to my side.
She quickly shook her head, which sent her light blonde hair over her shoulders. “Forgive me. I’ve completely forgotten my manners. Emily, what can Nicholas get you to drink?” She stepped back and ran her hands through her hair just like Seth did when he was unsettled. Her wedding band sparkled in the firelight.
“Whatever is easiest,” I answered. “Oh.” I handed her the bottle of wine. “This is for you. Thank you for having me over.”
She studied the label. Then she turned it to face Jack. He grinned but it still didn’t touch his eyes. “This is one of our favorites from our honeymoon many years ago. Thank you, Emily.”
I silently thanked my father for the lessons on wine that I learned at an early age. He’d always said it would come in handy someday.
Nicholas came back and handed me a dirty martini with three olives. “It’s my job to be observant.”
I laughed slightly. “Thank you.” They motioned for me to sit on the brown leather couch. “Please, Nicholas,” I teased him, “what else have you observed about me in the few hours we’ve known each other?”
He leaned back in a chair diagonally across from me and turned to his mother. “You’ll love this one.” She perked up to show she was interested. He turned back to me. “I see that you hold your own against Seth. You don’t let him intimidate you.”
Maddy giggled as she sipped her soda from a lovely amber-colored glass. “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”
“Me too.” Jack glanced at me. He made me uncomfortable. He had a strange edge to him.
Nicholas smirked. “Seth really likes you. I’ve never seen him act so protective of a woman before.”
I felt the heat of a blush spread across my face.
“Nicholas,” Martha hissed. “Don’t embarrass her, or she won’t come back.”
“No, it’s all right.” I smiled. “I really care for him a lot too. He’s good to me, always puts me first. He’s been a little distant lately, though.”
Martha’s expression changed. She looked sad suddenly. She cleared her throat.
“Well.” She batted at her eyes with a tissue. “It’s lovely to hear you care for my son.” She made my heart melt. I could tell she loved Seth a lot. She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “I’m really happy you decided to come.”
“Me too. I just hope Seth is all right with this.” I sipped my drink nervously. I really needed a little liquid courage.
“He has to be,” Maddy added. “I like having another girl around.”
I loved how she accepted me. I heard a door close, and I flinched.
“Don’t worry, dear,” Martha said as she rose to her feet. “His bark is bigger than his bite.” She looked toward the entrance of the room. “Seth, honey, we’re in here.”
I heard his footsteps get louder, and my heartbeat matched their rhythm. I glanced at Nicholas, who had a large grin and looked very much at ease. Martha stood to shield me from his view.
Seth rounded the corner, but I couldn’t see him. “Hello, dear,” Martha said.
“Mother.” His voice was tight. He moved over to the bar and fixed himself a drink. He wore dark fitted jeans, a navy blue dress shirt, and a sports coat.
“We have a guest, dear,” Martha shifted to the side.
I rose and felt a bit faint. Seth turned, and his eyes met mine. I saw a series of emotions run across his face, and then his gaze flickered to Nicholas. He wet his lips and took a drink. Everyone waited for him to say something, except his father, who looked uninterested as he focused on his phone.
Seth slowly moved toward me, his eyes narrowed on mine. He leaned in and rested one hand on my hip as he gently kissed my cheek.
“How was your day?” His voice was smooth and sturdy.
That threw me.
“Fine, thank you,” I whispered. He nodded and motioned for me to sit. He joined me and rested his hand firmly on my bare leg.
Nicholas shifted. “You have a great girl here.”
“I know,” Seth snapped.
“Do you?” Nicholas shot right back. His mother winced at his tone. “Because you’re not acting like you do.”
“Of course I do.”
I faced him. “Seth,” I said gently and touched his hand. He let out a sigh and looked down at our fingers. He took a moment to calm down. I took the opportunity to change the topic.
“What grade are you in, Maddy?”
Martha glanced at Nicholas and smiled. I pretended not to notice.
“Eighth. I’m thirteen.” She was happy to get some attention, and I was more than happy to give it to her. “I also horseback ride. I have a pony out back. Would you like to meet her?”
“Maybe after dinner.” Martha gave me an out.
“Definitely after dinner,” I assured her. “I used to ride all the time.”
Her eyes lit up. “English or western?”
“Both.”
“Fun!” she squealed. “Maybe we could ride sometime.”
Seth’s hand flinched. I squeezed it softly.
“I’d love that.”
Gretchen appeared from the direction of the kitchen. “Excuse me, Mrs. Connors. Dinner is ready.”
“Thank you, Gretchen.” Martha looked back to us. “Shall we?” She stood.
Maddy bounced over to Seth’s side. She pulled on his hand for him to lean down and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I like her.” I heard him chuckle quietly. “Plus, she’s super pretty.”
“Yes, she is.” He kissed her back and looked down at her with so much love. There was no doubt he adored his baby sister.
“Don’t be mad at her for coming. I want her to come back.”
“Go to the dining room, Maddy,” he ordered, but I saw his smile. She rolled her eyes and walked off.
“Can I get you another?” Nicholas pointed to my glass. “You can take it in with you.”
“No, thank you. You make a strong martini. I think I’ll eat some food before I enjoy a second.”
He shifted his focus behind me. “Meet you in there, Emily.”
Jack followed him out, but not before he shot a nasty look in Seth’s direction. I started to walk, but Seth grabbed my hand and stopped me. “Emily.”
My heart sank.
“You have a nice family, Seth. Your mother is a sweetheart. I didn’t mean to go behind your back, but…”
“Emily,” he said again to cut me off. I sucked in a deep breath. His eyes burned into mine. It was like he was searching for something in me. “You didn’t respond to any of my texts today.”
“Umm…” Okay, that wasn’t where I thought he’d go. “Umm, the day got away from me. I guess I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
Had I not thought to text him? I knew I had been preoccupied with meeting his parents, but I was normally really good at keeping in touch.
He stepped forward and leaned his forehead to mine. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He smelled of scotch and cologne. My body reacted to his scent, and I had to fight the urge to throw myself at him. “I’m sorry. You’ve just been so…”
“Let’s just get through this dinner.” He cut me off again and stepped back.
“Okay.” I stung from the whiplash he gave me.
A large rectangular table gleamed in the middle of the dining room. Beautiful stargazer lilies sat in a pale pink vase in the center. The lighting was low, and little round candles set a foot apart from each other ran down the middle of the table runner. Jack and Martha sat at each end, and Maddy and Nicholas sat across from Seth and me.
Gretchen came in with another maid and served a small salad. “Thank you.” I smiled up at her, and she gave me a quick smile in return. Then she glanced at Jack, who was watching her. I felt her tense. I wondered what he was like to his staff when company wasn’t around.
“Emily, did you enjoy the gala the other night?” Jack asked as he took a bite of his salad.
“It was nice.” I tried to sound convincing.
He eyed me. “I heard your mother’s speech was well received.” Of course I was sure Jack knew all about my mother.
“Yes, it was.”
He nodded. I could tell he was thinking.
Martha started to talk to me about my classes. She seemed interested, which made me feel good. The only thing my mother asked me about school was if I was going to go for my doctorate so that I could teach at a university level.
Our plates were cleared, and the delicious-smelling soup was served. It was heaven, probably the best pumpkin soup I’d ever had.
Thankfully, the main course was small, as I didn’t think I could eat much more. I noticed Maddy and Martha didn’t finish all theirs either, so I didn’t force myself. Seth eyed me a few times but didn’t say much.
Dessert was served—chocolate mousse. It was also delicious, but I couldn’t do it. I set my spoon down and leaned back.
“You don’t eat much,” Jack noted as he finished off his.
“Jack!” Martha snapped. He shrugged.
“No, she doesn’t,” Seth added as he raised an eyebrow at me.
“I haven’t had much of an appetite lately,” I answered honestly.
“That’s a pretty dress, Emily.” Maddy pointed out sweetly.
Nicholas leaned back. “You should’ve seen her dress at the gala.” He winked at me. Seth stiffened and shook his head as his hand fell on my upper thigh. “Come on, man, she looked like she was at the Oscars.”
“Oh, really?” Maddy sounded interested. “What color?”
I blushed at the idea of describing my dress at the dinner table. “Gold.”
“Backless,” Nicholas whispered.
“Stop it, Nicholas,” Seth warned.
“Just stating a fact.”
“You’re inappropriate, Nicholas.” I squeezed Seth’s hand to let him know I was all right. He let out a frustrated sigh.
Nicholas looked at me. “You looked quite beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I wished I wasn’t the topic of conversation.
“Shall we retire to the patio for some drinks?” Martha asked as she stood up and dropped her napkin on the plate.
Seth stood and pulled out my seat for me. He offered me a hand and helped me to my feet. His eyes looked worried, and I wished so much I could read his mind.
We all moved out the French doors. Gretchen brought a drink out to Jack right away, and then took our orders. The back yard looked out over a massive garden. Beyond that were stables and a huge pasture. A rectangle-shaped pool was off to the right with a cabana bar nuzzled into a lush green tropical paradise.
Maddy came to my side. “You wanna meet my horse now?”
“Maddy.” Seth shook his head.
“I would love to.” I smiled at her. She took my hand and pulled me with her. Seth rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut.
“Wait,” I laughed as I pulled off my heels, which were sunk in the grass. “Okay.” She linked arms with me.
“I’ve never seen my brother like this.” She looked off at the stables. I didn’t think he acted any different than usual.
“Really?”
“Mmm…hmm. Sorry about Nicholas. He likes to push Seth’s buttons. They haven’t gotten along since the big blow-up a few years ago.” She stopped mid-step and hesitated for a moment. I could tell she’d regretted what she just said.
“Blow-up?” I tried not to sound too needy for information.
“Umm, yeah, well, Dad and Seth never see eye to eye on anything.” She waved her hands around. “Dad is very stuck in his ways, and so is Seth. They are a lot alike that way. Dad is a lawyer for the ‘bad guys.’” She made quotes in the air. “One of his clients is the Marrone family.” I let out a small gasp, and she nodded. “Yeah, not fun when Dad has the known Mafia over for Sunday brunch. Seth gets mad. He knows Dad helps bend the rules for them.”
“Oh, I could see how that would be a problem. But Nicholas works for the police department, and he and your father seem…”
She glanced up at me. “Yeah, Nicky is wrapped around Dad’s finger. He helps Dad get his clients what they need.” She paused. “Seth calls him a dirty cop.”
“Oh,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “It’s hard, because I don’t get to see Seth much. Mom cries a lot about it because Seth stays away and she misses him. She almost left my father one time because he went after Seth, you know, physically. That was the big blow-up.”
My heart sank, not only for Seth, but for the poor girl who knew so much at thirteen years old.
“Mom got between them and broke it up before it got too bad, but Dad punched Seth right in the face. It was awful. I asked what started the fight once, but no one would tell me.” She went quiet, then ran ahead.
We reached the barn and pulled open the door. “There was only one other time that I saw my brother’s face look so messed up.” Her voice went low. “It was when he came home after he saw you in the hospital.”
I froze.
“He wouldn’t talk about it with me in the room,
but I heard him speak to Mom. It was the first time I ever saw my brother cry.”
I shook my head; I didn’t how to respond. I wondered if that was who he spoke to on the phone when I was in the hospital.
“I’m really sorry that happened to you, Emily.” Maddy reached out and touched my arm.
“Me too,” I whispered, for very different reasons.
CHAPTER FIVE
Seth
“Seth, she’s wonderful.” Mom leaned over the rail with me. “Very humble.”
I looked down at my drink. “Yes, I know.”
She nudged me gently. “She’s clearly head over heels in love with you.”
I turned to eye her.
“Honey, no woman would risk coming to meet a man’s family the way she did unless she was in love. She hadn’t heard a thing about us.”
“Mom, it wasn’t like that.” I felt like shit.
She shook her head, and then glanced back at Jack talking to Nicholas. “I don’t blame you. I know things have been difficult. I just wish you’d come around more. Your father spends most of his time in San Fran with your brother. Maddy and I get lonely.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll try harder.”
She rubbed my back soothingly. “Maddy seems to have taken to her.”
I chuckled and watched the two girls laugh over something Maddy had said. “Yeah, it’s nice to see them both smiling.”
“Has Emily seen anyone yet?”
I shook my head. “She deals with things differently, tucks things away and moves on. She’s not one to seek out help.”
“Well, maybe that works for her.” Mom paused. “She mentioned you were being distant? Are you not happy with her?”
Shit.
I sighed. “No, in fact, I love her.” Mom tried to hide her smile, but it didn’t work. I smirked. It felt kind of nice to say it out loud. “It’s just that this case has gotten so big, and this guy could take her at any point. If I let my guard down and he gets her again, I don’t think I can live with myself. I hate myself every day for leaving her alone with Davis at the cabin. I don’t know what I was thinking. She could have been…”
“Hey.” Mom stopped my train of thought and put a hand on mine. “I know how hard this is for you, but you can’t blame yourself for what happened. You did nothing wrong but try and protect her. He would have found a way to get to Emily sooner or later.”