Chapter 9 Everything Changes
Everything Changes
Mara loved that Amber and Gray had suggested hosting the dinners at the inn. With Seth’s injured leg, the less lugging up and down the road, the better.
Her heart ached knowing how he’d been injured.
It would have been difficult enough dealing with his own pain and recuperation process, but he’d also been dealing with the death of a friend.
A friend he probably felt responsible for.
Seth Walters was nothing if not protective.
His voice and the sorrow on his face had shown how deeply the loss affected him.
She’d wanted to ask more questions about his injury, the rest of his team, and how they’d coped with the death. Instead, she’d let him lead the conversation, and she hadn’t pushed. She thought he’d surprised himself by blurting out any of it.
Maybe he would realize she was a good listener, and that talking things through helped him.
Although that made her a hypocrite, since she wasn’t talking about her own issues. Not that dealing with a handsy boss was even close to dealing with a life-altering injury and the death of a teammate.
Yeah, she had nothing to complain about.
Serving the meals would be fun and would give her more time getting to know Seth, Amber, and Gray. Maybe she could act as a sous-chef when he needed one.
She doubted he ever admitted to needing help, but she could offer.
As the others arrived, they all offered to help with the meal. Amber waved them away. “We’re going to use these as run-throughs of how things will go with the guests. The only difference is that you’re not getting a choice.”
Knox grinned. “If Babs is cooking, we don’t need choices.”
The dining room held matching square tables that could seat two or four, or be joined for larger groups.
For tonight, they made a double-wide table with room for two at each end and five along each side. That left plenty of room in the middle for serving dishes.
Once everyone sat, Seth nodded. “I’ll come up with a limited menu from now on. Three choices per night.”
Amber frowned. “Two should be enough.”
Seth shook his head. “Three is fine. I’ll keep some things in common, and I’ll always have items prepared earlier in the day, and will only need last-minute touches. You lot can eat the leftovers once the guests are done.”
Everyone happily agreed to that plan. They’d all taken turns cooking before Seth had arrived. None of the rest loved cooking, so they’d happily eat whatever Seth made.
Once everyone had a full plate, Gray spoke up. “Before we eat, I have something I’d like to say.”
Worry shot through Mara. She knew Amber had been terrorized by criminals from Chicago. Beside her, Seth straightened, all his attention focused on the couple.
The Malssum men stiffened, and Jolie’s head whipped up. “Is Allard still in jail? Is there another threat from him?”
Gray shook his head sharply. “No. Nothing like that. I didn’t mean to scare anyone. This is actually good news.”
Everyone visibly relaxed, and Mara’s tension oozed away. She sensed the tightness in Seth’s body dissipate as well.
Amber smiled softly at Gray and then set her phone up on the table in front of her. “Hi, Burke.”
“Hey, sis. What’s up?”
Lawson let out a grunt, frowned, and leaned in. “Claus, did you knock up our sister?”
Gray and Amber gaped for a moment and then turned to each other with a soft smile. Gray kissed her and slung his arm over her shoulder. “Way to steal Amber’s thunder, Bobby. Yes, we’re going to have a baby.”
The Malssums all whooped and shoved their chairs back. Knox reached Amber first. He lifted her from the chair and spun her in a circle. Lawson repeated the move as everyone else rose to hug and congratulate the happy couple.
The joy in the room had tears misting in Mara’s eyes. From the screen, Burke whistled loudly. Mara moved back to her spot so the man could see his family. Seth followed and held her chair out.
“Congratulations, Amber. You’re going to be the best mom in the universe. Don’t mess it up, Claus.”
Gray laughed while Amber rolled her eyes.
Everyone chatted happily for several minutes before they drifted back to their seats.
Knox grabbed Amber’s phone and turned it so Burke could see the room.
“See what you’re missing, Burke. There’s nothing in Boston that can compare to having family around, eating a meal Babs cooked. ”
Burke laughed. “Hey Babs, do you send takeout to Boston yet?”
Seth laughed. “It’s best experienced in person, Boss Man. Time to get your ass to Vermont.”
Burke sighed heavily, but Mara could see humor dancing in his eyes. “Some of us have real jobs, Babs. Enjoy your meal, everyone, I’ve got a call coming in. Congrats again, Amber. Love you.”
Mara watched the Malssums share a wistful glance. Unlike her own huge family, the Malssums were close in age and a tight group.
Mara loved her brothers and knew they loved her right back, but their dynamic was different.
Probably because half of them had moved out of the house by the time she was old enough to notice.
They’d all spent time with her from the beginning, teaching her the things they loved, from using power tools to fishing to cooking to riding a bike, and then driving a motorcycle.
They had a family chat where they all talked daily, and she had individual chats with each of them. She video-chatted with her dad several times a week. Her family was wonderful.
So, why did she feel this sense of yearning? The need to truly belong to the group around her.
Seth reached beneath the table and squeezed her hand. “You okay?”
His eyes showed concern, but he’d kept his voice pitched low enough that no one else would hear.
She nodded, touched that he would even notice her mood, surprised he would reach out. “I am. Just thinking what an amazing group this is.”
He squeezed her hand. “They are. And now we’re part of it.”
She glanced around the table, where people were filling their plates and passing dishes. The mood remained celebratory, and she didn’t feel excluded at all.
She turned her hand to squeeze Seth’s. “You’re right. We are. Thanks.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand once more before reaching to pass her one of the turnip dishes.
Mara forced herself to release his hand, but the ghost of his touch continued to warm her.
An image of her and Seth making an announcement of their own to the group raced through her head. Silly, but she couldn’t stop her imagination. As Eliza Doolittle sang in My Fair Lady, “Wouldn’t it be loverly?”
A girl could dream.
Seth wondered what had made Mara melancholy. And when was the last time he’d even thought about that word? That had been her mood ever since Claus and Amber had announced they were having a baby.
Did Mara want one of her own?
Seth could picture it. She’d glow while she grew a kid. The woman glowed most of the time as it was. Making a human would have her singing from the rooftops. He couldn’t name any kids’ songs off the top of his head, but he’d bet she could come up with a dozen with no effort at all.
Chaos Machine would be a great mom, too. The baby might pop out singing a Broadway song, but it would be a happy kid.
He could picture it so easily, the two of them making a family, making a baby, and having fun working on making that baby.
He had to contain the laugh as he wondered if Mara burst into song in bed. What kind of sounds did she make as she shattered?
Seth forced his mind off sex as Mara passed him the turkey platter. Not the time or place to be imagining her shouting out his name while he was buried inside her.
He stabbed the meat with more force than necessary and then passed the dish to Dani on his other side.
He was surrounded by gorgeous women here, but none of them piqued his interest like Ford’s little sister. Obviously, the others were taken, but it wouldn’t have mattered if they were all single.
It appeared his body and his brain craved a little Chaos, something he would never have expected.
Maybe it was the baby talk filling the room. Or the happy couples. Even the two current kids who lived at the farm added to the mood.
Family.
He hadn’t had family around him for a very long time. Cancer had taken his parents within months of each other. Their deaths had changed him. Made him realize he hated the squabbling in Perfection’s kitchen. He’d wanted to do something meaningful with his life, so he’d signed up for the army.
And found another kind of family. A family he’d figured to remain with until retirement.
Then the IED had taken that option away from him, along with Maki’s life before it had really begun.
The touch on his leg almost made Seth flinch. He knew it was Mara before his body reacted.
Her huge eyes studied him. “Okay?”
He nodded. She studied him some more before she returned the nod. When she removed her hand, he wanted to grab it and put it back. Better, put his own on hers.
He didn’t have the right; he shouldn’t want the right.
Ford’s little sister was far too attractive for Seth’s peace of mind. He should shut down the attraction, but it was too strong, or he was too hooked, because he didn’t think his resolve to stay away from her would last.
Not when she looked at him with her heart in her eyes.
“I didn’t think turnips and apples would go together, Seth.”
Charlie’s voice broke into his thoughts, and Seth turned to face the eleven-year-old. “Half the fun of cooking is playing with different foods to find out what works.”
The kid grinned at him. “We’re doing that with the cider, too. Do you think turnips would work with apple cider?”
Seth shuddered. “That sounds truly terrible, but you don’t know for sure until you try it.”
The kid cracked up, making everyone else around the table grin. Charlie was constantly curious and asked more questions than anyone Seth had met.
“Will you taste test it with me once I figure it out?”
“Sure thing, kid. Experimenting is fun.”
Charlie turned to Mara. “Do you like experimenting, too?”