With baby carrier still in hand, Lance pulled his wife in for a quick kiss. “And you say you want more.”
Willa’s huge smile didn’t falter. “At least two more. I’ve always wanted a big family.”
“Me, too,” Emily added and hugged Asher.
“Oh, boy,” Asher joked, but the look he gave his wife was one of love and agreement.
One of the house staff arrived with a tray of hors d’oeuvres.
Ian laughed. “Dad’s getting itchy in there—we should go in before we’re all in deep shit.”
Joseph clapped his hands and said, “It. It. It.”
“He’s beginning to repeat everything. You have to be careful.” Emily wagged a finger at Ian, who instantly looked contrite. Regardless of how much power Ian wielded in the political world, he was intelligent enough to bow to a mama bear.
Asher laughed. “You do not want to be the one who taught him his first swear. The second maybe, but not the first.”
Emily glared at her husband, and he stopped smiling even though he looked like he still wanted to. “Not funny.”
Asher tipped his head to one side and gave his wife a strategically imploring look. “Not even a little?”
She sighed.
He snapped his fingers and true delight lit his eyes. “You swore in front of him, didn’t you?”
Emily blushed then narrowed her eyes. Although she didn’t look upset, it was obvious she was a little embarrassed by the public reveal.
Grant shot Asher a look that his older brother surprised him by not only correctly interpreting but also acting upon. Asher’s expression softened and he hugged Emily. “I tease only because on your worst day you’re a saint compared to me. I don’t deserve you, but you’re stuck with me.” He nuzzled her cheek.
She blushed for an entirely different reason, and Grant nodded with approval before reminding everyone they needed to go inside. They were making their way in when their parents met them at the bottom of the steps.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait another minute to see my grandbabies.” His mother cooed at each of them in turn then smiled at her children. “You don’t know how happy it makes me to see you all together.”
His father’s attention was on his wife’s smiling face, then the babies, then his children. From Asher to Kenzi, there had never been a doubt that Sophie was Dale’s first priority. It was something even Grant had resented when he was younger. Grant didn’t think he’d ever understand the choices his father had made. By giving Sophie’s mental health priority above the needs of his children he had gutted their family even more than the loss of Kent had.
Was he even aware of the role he’d played in their underlying dysfunction?
Grant half hoped he wasn’t. Regardless of the mistakes he’d made, there was no denying Dale had suffered right along with his wife. First with the loss of their child, then with the near loss of Sophie. Since Grant had never faced such a situation himself, he admitted he didn’t know if he could have done better. He liked to think he would have, but isn’t that what every child thinks? That they can do better than their parents? How perfect the world would be if things actually worked out that way.
As they all made their way into the house, Kenzi exclaimed, “I wasn’t thinking about Joseph when I chose the game for today.”
Willa inserted, “I’ve heard that children call it Baloney.”
Kenzi dug a playful elbow into Grant’s side. “Are you ready to lose?”
Grant grinned. He felt too good to throw a game that day, and it was time for some of his siblings to eat a little humble pie. He bent so only Kenzi could hear and said, “Prepare to have your ass kicked.”
Eyes wide, Kenzi laughed. “What is with you today?”
“I’m in a good mood. Is that so shocking?”
Narrowing her eyes, Kenzi said, “I realized yesterday there were two charges in my checking account that I don’t remember making.”
Grant shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
She grabbed him by the arm and brought him to a halt. “Okay, spill it. Where is Grant, and what have done with him? The car. The clothes. The jokes. What’s going on?”
Dax leaned in and said, “There’s only one thing that puts a look like that on a man’s face.”
Grant didn’t deny it, and his grin widened.
Kenzi’s mouth dropped open. “You met someone? When were you going to tell us?”
“It’s not like that,” Grant denied quickly.
“Like what? Serious? You’re not getting any younger. It’s time to start considering reassessing your standards.”
“Oh, I have.” There might have been a little devil in his grin because Dax laughed.
“What is so funny?” Kenzi asked as she planted her hands on her hips.
Dax wrapped an arm around Kenzi’s waist and pulled her to him. “I don’t think you want to know, Kenzi, and I’m pretty sure you’ll never meet her.”
Grant nodded in agreement, but didn’t like how he felt after he’d done so. Kenzi looked as disappointed as Grant felt in himself. He might not imagine a future with Viviana, but she wasn’t a joke to him either. He wanted to back the conversation up, tell Dax he was wrong and that—what? How exactly was what he was doing different than what Dax was imagining?
Luckily, there wasn’t much time to mull those questions. A few minutes later his family was gathered around a table, swapping stories and laughing while they ate.
After lunch they played Baloney and Grant dominated the silly card game. With the snoozing infant, Wendy, cuddled to his chest he straight-faced lied about the piles of cards he laid down with such conviction that his siblings could only wildly guess. They were on the last round when he finally let his mind wander to where he was headed afterward.
He thought about what Dax had said about there being a low likelihood Kenzi would ever meet her, and it made him wonder how she would mix with his family. Once they got over the shock of him bringing a woman home, they might actually like her. She was quick-witted and funny, but there was also a strength to her they’d respect.
All his mother would have to hear would be that she’d lost her own mother at a young age and she’d practically be adopted right then and there. His brothers had all chosen women with heart and integrity over pedigree and wealth, so unless she acted like a complete asshole they would accept her.
As he listened to his brothers banter back and forth, he wondered how Viviana was with her brothers. He smiled as he decided she would definitely hold her own.
After he finally announced he had somewhere he needed to be and said his goodbyes, Ian pulled him aside. “I heard you have business out of the country. Aruba?”
“Yes.”
“Have you learned anything new?”
“Nothing I haven’t already told you. Stiles was careful not to leave a hackable trail. No emails. No money transfers. Nothing. It’s impossible to find him from here, but I will find him.”
Ian grimaced. “I’m half hoping you don’t. Do we really want to know what happened? Kent’s dead. Mom already runs to the phone every time it rings like she’s going to hear good news. We have to be realistic. What you’re going to find out, if you locate Stiles, is how he died. Helene is good for Andrew; the wrong news could threaten what they have.”
“It won’t.” Grant understood what Ian was saying: The truth was important unless it had the power to destroy them. “And I’ll be discreet.”
Ian ran a hand through his hair and loosened his tie. “I know you will be. If Asher were going I’d be lining up lawyers and media contacts. You know that something like this has to be handled delicately.”
Even though they agreed, Grant needed to make something clear. “I will tell Mom the truth—no matter how ugly it is. She deserves that much.”
“Of course, but talk to me first. The truth can be spun—”
Grant shook his head. “Not this truth, Ian. I can promise I won’t say a thing I’m not a
bsolutely certain of, but I won’t pretty it up. The last thing Mom needs now is another lie.”
“I wasn’t suggesting—”
“Yes, you were.” As Grant spoke he realized he was being a bit of a hypocrite, but he pushed that thought back because the last thing he wanted to feel when he saw Viviana again was guilt. He glanced at his watch. Time to go. “I’ll call you when I know something.”
Ian laid a hand on his shoulder. “Tell me if you need anything.”
“I’ve got this,” Grant said, but he was touched by Ian’s offer of help. In the past, his siblings had felt as uncomfortable offering help as asking for it. Things truly were changing for the better.
“I know,” Ian said and stepped back.
