20. This is Magical
20
THIS IS MAGICAL
DAISY
“Who else will be here?” I ask Charles as Steve parks outside a beautiful house in St. Peppers.
“The usual gang. Mom, Dad, and Chloe. My cousins and their parents, and of course our hosts, my grandparents.”
“Do you all hang out together often?” I can’t stop my questions, nervousness getting the best of me as Charles leads me up the stone walkway leading to the patio.
“To be honest, more than we should.”
My feet come to a halt. “And everyone shows up?”
He nods, an amused smile on his lips as he raises an eyebrow, possibly wondering why I’m so fascinated with something as mundane as everyone’s attendance at a family dinner.
But I still can’t get over it and glance at him. Charles finally realizes I expect more than a nod.
“My grandparents missed out on a lot in life due to misunderstandings, and now they want to embrace every bit of family love. They host weekly dinners whenever they’re in town and not off globe-trotting.”
“Wow! That’s…so magical.”
He raises his eyebrow farther, his grin deepening at my expense.
“Okay, so maybe not magical , per se. But for someone who never had much family except my parents, Aunt Mel and her husband, it’s not normal.” A knot tightens in my chest.
How was it to be surrounded by the love of such a big family?
“What about cousins?” Charles asks softly as we stand by the door, in no hurry to walk in.
I shrug. “I don’t have any.”
“I’d never admit it to their faces, but I can’t imagine living without my cousins. They’re my best friends, my biggest confidants, and I know I can count on them for anything.”
“I understand completely. I think I cashed in all of my luck in the friends department. Even though we’re not related by blood, Willow, Elodie, and Violet feel no less than sisters to me.”
I’m interrupted when the main door opens softly.
“I thought I heard someone. Welcome, you two.” A woman with shiny white hair and wrinkles around her eyes steps out and places a kiss on my forehead.
There’s so much affection in her face that I feel a sting behind my eyelids as memories of Mom hit me out of nowhere.
“I’m Sophia, Charlie’s grandmother. You can call me Oma like all the other kids in the family. We met briefly at your wedding ceremony, but I’m sure it was hard to remember every face from that evening.” Her smile is so sweet and gentle that I fall in love with her instantly.
She hugs Charles before kissing his forehead and then holds my hand, leading us inside the house. Photographs of smiling faces and family dinners litter the hallway. I’m sure sometime later, I’ll just stand here and spot the young Charles in these frames.
We cross a living room and step out of the glass door to the backyard. I almost gasp in surprise at the scene before me. There’s a huge fire pit in the middle of a sitting area, above which solar lamps hang from the trees, casting a warm glow. There’s a wooden bar in the corner and a huge man dressed in a three-piece suit manning it. In fact, every man is dressed the same way, proving they all came straight from work.
“You already know the boys.” Sophia nods toward Ray, Rowan, Archer, and Alex, who are all seated on the barstools laughing. Right beside them, there’s another group of a bit older but no less dashing gentlemen. I immediately recognize Charles’ dad, Oscar, and his friends, the famous Teagers. Everyone in Cherrywood knows the history of Elixir, and what started as a pharmaceutical company has now grown as its own business empire.
“Come on. I’ll introduce you to the rest.” Sophia leads me to the circular sitting area.
“Finally, you’re both here. What took you so long?”
“Chloe, as newlyweds they’re entitled to be late. I’d be worried if they showed up early for family dinners.” Sophia grins, and all the ladies snicker while my cheeks flame.
“Holy crap, Charlie!” Chloe squeals, pulling everyone’s attention to my husband. “I knew it wasn’t that you didn’t know how to smile. You just needed the right person to pull that out of you.”
“We all know why you appointed Charlie as the judge of those beauty pageants you hosted with your friends since you were thirteen, Chloe,” Archer quips as he arrives with a tray of cocktails.
“Yet he showed no interest in any of my friends, Daisy.” As always, Chloe wastes no time in coming to her brother’s defense. “For so long, I thought he played for the other team.”
Didn’t I, too? I barely hold back my snicker.
“Don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten about the time you invited your classmate Jacob over for a movie night and conveniently left us alone, sis. I still get teased mercilessly about those excruciating two and a half hours.”
Charles motions toward the couch where Ray and Rowan flank Archer, before placing bowls of tortillas and guacamole onto the table. It’s almost surreal to see these men, who are infamously shrewd businessmen, in such an informal setting.
“Okay, if you kids are done bickering, I want to introduce Daisy to my girl gang.” Kristy motions toward the women seated beside her. “This is my sister, Rose. We both started at Elixir together.”
“And can you imagine, it took three years before Zander fell for our nerdy Rose?” says the woman whose face seems familiar, yet I can’t quite place her name.
“Like Aunt Hope pointed out, Uncle Zander and Aunt Rose had an office romance like you guys,” Chloe quips.
I gasp. “You’re Hope Teager! the owner of the coffee chain at our office and every other corner in the country!”
“Co-owner, dear. Vi and I co-own the business.” Hope nods toward the other woman, Vienna Teager, who has long hair and colorful tattoos of four paw prints on the inside of her wrist.
“Yes, I’m aware. My friends and I used to follow your YouTube videos and have made several failed attempts at trying to recreate your food art.”
Vienna grins. “You all are welcome to my kitchen anytime.”
“I’ve never been a part of such a big family dinner,” I blurt unexpectedly, my nerves and excitement once again getting the best of me.
“Then I hope we don’t scare you, Daisy, because this bunch can set records when it comes to family dinners.” Ray grins, getting a groan from everyone and a backslap from Archer.
“Don’t pretend we don’t know who baked Oma’s favorite cookies, Ray.”
My jaw drops hearing Chloe’s words. Did Raymond, the so-called real estate shark, have time to make cookies?
“I don’t think he made them because they are my favorite, honey.” Sophia smiles, looking between Ray and Chloe.
“You made them for me?” Chloe gasps before rising from her seat and dumping herself next to Ray.
“Of course I did. We finally have you back, and if my baking is going to make you stay, I’ll spend time in the kitchen daily.”
Rowan leans forward and musses Chloe’s hair before he signs something.
“Now all we need is for Rory to be back, and then the entire gang will be complete,” Charles whispers for only my ears, interpreting Rowan’s words for me. He adds, “Rory is Alex’s sister, the kid of the house.”
I’m suddenly so full of emotions. Everyone here is well-versed in sign language, but it’s not just that. Charles, the man for whom you’d rarely use the adjective considerate , is thoughtful enough to make sure I’m included in the conversation.
The evening passes like a dream. After drinks by the fire, we all return inside to the dining hall, which is huge to accommodate everyone.
“You boys need to take a lesson from Charles and Daisy. Look how happy they are together.” Sophia points her fork toward Charles’ cousins. “I want you all to take a step back in business and work hard to find a soulmate for yourselves, like these two have.”
Soulmate?
My breath hitches. Not only because I’m fooling these wonderful people but also because I know Charles’ cousins are aware of the reality of this relationship, which to be honest, is slowly escaping my mind.
We aren’t soulmates. We’re two business partners who are mutually benefitting a partnership at the expense of the feelings of genuine people who care about us.
My spiraling thoughts come to a halt as Charles clasps my cold, shivering hands, which are folded together on my lap under the table. I glance at him, sensing another tempest brewing in my chest.
“In a few years, I want this table to have seats for all your brides and my great-grandkids.”
This time it’s Charles who goes rock solid next to me. I know it’s not because he can’t wait to produce some cute but scowling babies with me, but because he abhors the idea. His jaw pulses the same way it did the night the doctor suggested a pregnancy test.
“I’m sure the people of Cherrywood are waiting to see the next Hawthorne heir,” Raymond drawls, leaning back in his seat as he takes a sip of his drink.
As always, he hits it right in the bullseye, a skill I admire in a meeting, but not so much at a family gathering, especially when Charles clenches his jaw so hard I think he’ll lose a few teeth.
“That’s nonsense. You kids need to do nothing because someone expects something of you. You write your own story with love, patience, and kindness.” Sophia’s words are like a little breath of relief.
“How did you flip so fast, Oma? One second you’re preaching for them to get married, and the next you’re telling Daisy and Charles not to listen to anyone and to follow their own hearts. This is hypocrisy of the highest order.” Chloe tweaks her nose, but Sophia’s eyes gleam as if she’s prepared for the response.
“Don’t think I missed you, sweetheart. Now that Charles has tied the knot, I’m sure the media is already snooping around for some dirt on your love life.”
“Don’t worry, Oma.” Chloe places her cloth napkin onto the table with a winning smile. “I’m ready for whatever the media has planned. In fact, I might introduce you all to someone special very soon.”
There’s a sound of shattering glass on the other side of the table, followed by a faint curse from Alex’s lips. One of the house staff appears immediately, and the remnants of the broken champagne flute is taken away the next second.
“Don’t play with fire, sweetheart,” Sophia whispers softly to Chloe. “You might just burn yourself.”
Since they’re seated right in front of me, I don’t miss the understanding that passes between them.
The rest of the dinner continues with lighter conversation, but my mind is stuck on one memory—Charles’ expressions at the mention of a baby.
Is it because the concept is foreign to him, like marriage, and he needs to slowly warm up to it? Or does he simply hate the idea of being a father?
“Let me give you a tour of the house, Daisy.” Sophia leads me out of the living room, where everyone is seated for a nightcap post-dinner.
A few steps in through the hallway, and we walk right into a huge guest room where the dark gray walls are decorated with superhero posters. There’s a pirate tent in one corner and a small library with comic books right next to it. The whole space is complete with a bunk bed.
“This used to be the boys’ room whenever they came over for slumber parties.”
Adjacent to the kids’ bedroom is the media room, complete with plenty of couches and cozy floor seating adorned with throw blankets. There’s also a fireplace, a small popcorn machine, and a bar. I effortlessly imagine everyone in this welcoming space.
“This is where Ashcroft hosts his famous movie nights.”
“I’m so jealous,” I whisper, and then add fast, “I mean not of the room and the amenities, but the idea of being surrounded by so much love and the safety it might provide.”
Done with my small speech, I glance up and find Sophia smiling at me.
“I know what you mean, honey. I didn’t come from a big family either.” She holds my hands in her soft ones. “But now this is your family. Like all my kids and grandkids, this is your home too, and I’m here for you whenever you need me.”
Tears threaten to make an appearance at her sweet words, and the emotion of guilt isn’t far. I’m fooling these people who have welcomed me into their lives and hearts.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt, as usual unable to put a lid on my feelings.
“Oh, honey. Why are you apologizing?”
“I…I come from a modest house, and Charles is like the prince of Cherrywood. I sometimes worry what everyone thinks of me.” I make an excuse that also has some truth in it.
“I didn’t come from money either, Daisy. In fact, I hated rich people because I thought they were total snobs.” Sophia smiles, her fingers softly running over my hair. “To be honest, I still think a lot of rich people are total assholes. But in love, money means nothing. What’s more important is how you make each other feel when you’re together. And we’d have to be blind not to see how happy Charles is around you. Since he was born, that kid had everyone watching his every move. People were either waiting for him to be a business marvel or a failure. My small boy never got a chance to live for himself. He was trained to hide his emotions and feelings, but for the first time tonight, his training failed him. His gaze couldn’t stop following you, and his eyes sparkled whenever you smiled at him. I thought we killed my little Charlie’s emotion while training him to be the Charles Hawthorne, but with you, he’s just any other man in love.”
My heart lurches as a thousand butterflies take flight in my stomach. “I…I don’t know what to say,” I whisper. Somehow, the tightness in my chest loosened at her words.
“I know.” She smiles. “You just need to keep in mind that all these boys can be dense, especially when it comes to displaying their emotions, so you’ll have to hold the reins in this relationship.”