Chapter 4
four
. . .
Lulu
“So, you have dinner every Sunday with your family?” I asked as Easton drove us to his parents’ house. Henley insisted I come with them because she wanted me to meet Easton’s family. I’d already met Rafe, a.k.a. Rafael, and the man was infuriating. He brought on both incidents that had taken place, and he was blaming me?
I even offered him a malachite stone as a peace offering, and he managed to make that dramatic.
I’d also met the hockey player, Clark.
Obviously, I knew Easton, and aside from the ones I met at the hospital when Henley had had a rafting accident, there were only a few more Chadwicks to meet tonight.
“Yep. We’ve done it for as long as I can remember. But my mom said she has something to talk to us about tonight, so buckle up, because you never know what will happen at these dinners,” Easton said.
“Ahhh… I’m sort of an expert at crazy family dinners.”
“I can vouch for her on that. You never know what will happen at a Sonnet family gathering.” Henley laughed. “You’re going to love the Chadwicks. Sunday dinners are my favorite. There’s a game room, and they have your favorite game that includes balls and sticks.”
“Stop it right now!” I squealed. “There’s a pool table?”
Easton pulled into the driveway and turned around and looked at me over his shoulder. “I take it you play?”
“Do I play? Are you seriously asking me that?”
“Yes. I believe I just did.” He chuckled as he put the car in park.
“Tell him, Henley,” I said over my laughter as we stepped out of the car, and I was grateful that it had finally stopped snowing.
“Lu is kind of a shark. She loves to go to bars and pretend she doesn’t know how to play, and then she smokes all these guys who think they’re playing an amateur.”
He quirked a brow. “So you’re a pool hustler.”
“Amongst other things,” I said, as we walked up to the front door.
Easton barked out a laugh. “Let’s not say a word to Rafe. He’s the best pool player I’ve ever seen, and no one challenges him, so I say we just let things play out.”
“I can’t wait to see Rafael lose his shit when he gets smoked by a woman.” I chuckled as we stepped inside.
It was chaotic and loud, but I thrived in these kinds of environments. Once I met and greeted everyone, I made some fairly quick assessments.
Easton’s mom and dad, Ellie and Keaton, were the quintessential parents. Sweet, quirky, and charming. Like something you’d see on a family sitcom.
His brothers had notably different personalities, yet they finished one another’s sentences. It was impossible to miss how close they were, even though they gave one another shit the entire time.
Keaton sat behind the bar, giving me the quick lowdown on all of his children.
Bridger was the oldest of the brothers. He owned an IT company and invented some sort of groundbreaking software two years ago, which made him a billionaire by the age of thirty. He was a man of few words—which I personally enjoyed.
Rafe was the second oldest, and apparently, he was some sort of numbers genius, working in finance for the top investment firm in the city. He drew the most attention in the group and was annoyingly charming.
I knew the type—and I made a point to avoid it at all costs.
Easton was a brilliant attorney, as was my best friend. He had a twin sister, Emerson, who was a pediatrician and now lived in Magnolia Falls. She was getting married in Rosewood River in a few months.
Next, there was Clark, the professional hockey player. He oozed confidence and absolutely adored his family.
Keaton handed me a glass of Chardonnay and continued telling me about his four sons and daughter.
“And those guys who just walked in are my nephews, Archer and Axel. Axel is the same age as Rafe, and those two always got into a fair amount of mischief growing up. But Axel builds custom horse trailers and is quite the artisan. People come from all over the country to work with him. Archer is the oldest of all these hooligans, and he’s a commercial realtor. He’s basically the only land guy in Rosewood River, so he knows everything that’s coming to the area. That little angel, Melody, is Archer’s baby girl, and we’re all madly in love with her. And you already met my brother and his wife, Carlisle and Isabelle, and they live in the house right next door.”
“I love how close you all are,” I said, taking a sip from my glass as I watched Rafe scoop up his niece, Melody, as her head tipped back in laughter.
“Yeah, my family is my greatest joy.” He took a sip from his beer bottle. “Are you close with your family? I understand you’ve got a pretty famous family, right?”
I chuckled. “We’re close, but in a different way. We didn’t grow up like this—you know, hanging out the way your family does. But we do get together often for holidays and celebrations.”
I liked the comfort between them. My family didn’t have that kind of comfort or closeness. I was on edge when I was at a family event. Endlessly seeking my father’s approval. Preparing to be mentally challenged by my cousin Charlotte at all times. There was pressure to be on your game when you were at a Sonnet family gathering. My mother’s side of the family was much more relaxed, but they lived in Paris, so we didn’t see them as often.
“Okay, stop talking her ear off, and let’s have dinner,” Ellie said, and Henley came over and looped her arm through mine.
The dining room table sat the entire group, and I settled in the chair next to my best friend.
Rafe walked over and took the seat on the other side of me, quirking a brow as his gaze met mine. “Keep those utensils on the table please.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s a bit dramatic. I’ve been told that you’re in finance, but I think you missed your calling in the theatre.”
The table erupted in laughter, but I hadn’t even realized they were listening with all the side conversations going on.
“Hey, I’d react if someone came into my house unannounced when I was getting out of the shower, too,” Ellie said, passing the basket of garlic bread around the table.
“People come to your house unannounced all the time,” Rafe said, taking two pieces of bread and passing me the basket. His fingers grazed mine, and I pulled away quickly before he returned his attention to his mother. “I’ve yet to see you punch anyone in the throat.”
“I think it’s impressive,” Isabelle said, winking at me. “A woman who knows how to protect herself.”
“Thank you. I’ve trained in martial arts for the last year, and I like knowing I can protect myself if needed.” I scooped the pasta onto my plate, and the smell of tomatoes and basil had my stomach growling.
“I think it’s sexy,” Clark said, waggling his brows, and Rafe glared at him.
“It’s fine. My vocal cords have recovered. Now I’m just waiting for the concussion to go away.”
More laughter.
“So, what’s the big news you wanted to tell us?” Easton asked, glancing over at his parents.
“Well, you know your father is selling his HVAC company to Ronny,” Ellie said, as she scooped two meatballs onto her plate.
“Keaton is retiring this year. Ronny is a guy who’s worked for him the last ten years,” Henley whispered to me, bringing me up to speed.
“I’m glad you’re slowing down, Dad,” Rafe said, and he put some noodles on little Melody’s plate and winked at her.
“Me, too. And Mom and I were trying to decide what we wanted to do. If we wanted to travel the world and where we’d want to go,” Keaton said. “So, we’ve decided to follow our passion when the time comes, and we wanted you to be aware of our plans.”
“What does that mean?” Bridger grumped.
“It means we’re going on tour with Jelly Roll!” Ellie squealed with a wide grin spread across her face. “We love his music, and we’re going to be groupies.”
I coughed over the sip of wine I’d just taken, but I covered it quickly. I glanced around the table to see everyone gaping at them.
“What? You’re going to follow a musician on his tour?” Easton asked, not hiding his shock.
“Have you heard Jelly Roll’s music? It speaks to us,” Keaton added.
“It’s so deep and emotional. We just love it.” Ellie reached for her wine glass. “So, yes. We’re throwing caution to the wind and after Emerson’s wedding in March, we’ll be traveling to exciting new places and hitting all of Jelly Roll’s concerts for a couple of months.”
“I’m speechless.” Bridger looked between his parents as if they’d lost their minds.
“Well, that’s not saying much. You don’t have a whole lot to say normally.” Rafe barked out a laugh.
“We’re going to meet them at a few of the shows. I just love his music, too,” Isabelle said.
“I think it’s great that you’re going to do something that you love.” Henley forked some pasta and popped it into her mouth.
“I’m also a big Jelly Roll fan,” I said. “I saw him live once, and he was amazing.”
“Yes, his music is just so beautiful.” Ellie shrugged, and her husband winked at her.
“You dated a musician, didn’t you?” Rafe asked, and the whole table turned to look at me.
“Are you stalking me now?” I flashed him my famous death glare.
“In your dreams. Clark brought the Taylor Tea rag over yesterday, and she said the new girl in town is some big deal in the jewelry world and used to date that boy bander, Barrett something, so I assumed that was you,” he said, as he popped part of a meatball into his mouth.
“Beckett Bane,” Henley said, bumping her shoulder into me. “We don’t like him anymore, and they’ve been broken up for a long time.”
“Good. I never cared for his music.” Ellie winked at me.
“Why are you guys reading that trash?” Bridger grumped.
“I find it kind of entertaining,” Clark said.
“And they haven’t written about any of us in a while.” Axel held up his wineglass. “Congrats on being welcomed to Rosewood River, Lulu. Henley made it in there when she first arrived here, too.”
“I normally despise press and paparazzi, but I like the small-town gossip angle. It’s kind of fabulous.” I smirked as I raised my glass. “Thanks for having me.”
The conversation flowed, and we drank more wine and finished off the delicious homecooked meal with apple pie and whipped cream.
Archer said he was taking Melody home to put her to sleep, and Isabelle and Carlisle walked them out and said they were heading home as well. Ellie and Keaton said goodnight as they went to their bedroom to watch a movie, and Clark refilled mine and Henley’s wineglasses.
“Let’s play some pool tonight,” Easton said, and we all followed him to the large game room down the hallway. They had a pool table, a fully stocked bar, and two oversized couches that sat on each opposing wall.
We spent the next hour playing game after game, and I was in my element. I loved pool. Loved knowing how to put the balls where I wanted them to go. I’ve been playing for years, and it was a skill that had come in handy more than once. And tonight, it was a skill I was very grateful for. Rafe was by far the best player in the group, and I’d say we were evenly matched. We both knocked everyone off one at a time, as we’d played multiple games, and it finally came down to just he and I.
I welcomed the challenge.
He was a cocky bastard, the way he circled the table, studying the location of the balls and deciding his next move. He was very smooth.
Go figure.
The man oozed big dick energy, and he clearly knew how to handle his stick and balls.
Pun intended.
He almost won on his first break, as he’d been down to just one ball, and it had been a tough shot. A shot that I admittedly would have had a hard time making, as well.
But the guy wouldn’t stop talking shit every time it was my turn.
Trying to get inside my head with his annoying comments.
Lucky shot.
Easy shot.
The ball practically put itself in that hole.
That one required very little skill.
I was down to one ball on the table now. The room had grown quiet, as our heated banter had either entertained them or terrified them. I wasn’t sure.
But everyone was sitting on the couches, watching this heated battle play out.
This shot would be tricky to make. Not impossible, but I wasn’t overly confident. And I didn’t want him to get another turn, because the thought of him gloating was all the motivation I needed to walk away with the win.
I bent down, eyeing the path from the ball to the right corner pocket. I rolled my stick through my pointer and middle finger, warming it up.
The large pompous ass standing at the end of the table was distracting me, and I didn’t appreciate it.
“Can you please move out of the way? I’m trying to focus,” I hissed.
“I’m behind the shot. I’m hardly in your way,” he said, knowing he was getting under my skin. “Maybe it’s too much pressure, and someone should stick to making jewelry.”
Oh, no, he didn’t.
Game on, Rafael.
I pulled back, determined to sink the shot.
But the stick slipped against my fingers, and I made contact too low with the ball. I put force behind it because I knew it was going to have to move quickly to make it across the table.
My eyes widened as the ball caught air and moved like a bullet, stopping only when it made direct contact with Rafe’s groin.
My ball hit his balls.
He howled and then disappeared as his body hit the floor.
Damn it. This wasn’t good.
Everyone was on their feet, moving toward him, and I hurried around the table and winced at the sight of the poor bastard covering his family jewels with his large hands.
“For fuck’s sake, you heathen. What is your deal?” he shouted.
I bent down and studied him. “That was an accident. Did you not bring the malachite stone?”
He slowly moved forward to sit up and glare at me. “I did not bring that ridiculous rock with me because I assumed you would find a way to use it against me.”
I tossed my hands in the air. “There you go. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
“She may have a point. I took the stone off your counter, and I haven’t been injured once,” Clark said, winking at me.
“Everyone has lost their fucking mind.” Rafe pushed to his feet and closed his eyes before taking a few deep breaths, which I guessed was an attempt to brush off the pain.
He marched to the other side of the table, setting the ball that had damaged his goods down in the center, and he didn’t even hesitate. He pulled back his stick, sank the ball in the center left pocket, and dropped the stick onto the table.
“I win, Wildcat. Better luck next time.”
I quirked a brow, my gaze locking with his dark eyes. “Well, I’m still leaving with a set of balls, which is more than you can say.”
“That makes no sense. You don’t have balls,” he said, moving closer and invading my space.
“I don’t know about that,” Bridger said. “From what I can tell, this girl’s got a big set of cajónes.”
Laughter surrounded us, but Rafe’s gaze never left mine.
Game on, asshole.