Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Anne leaned against the railing of her deck. The day after the storm held a gloriously blue sky and sparkly clean, brine-scented air. Downed palm fronds and piles of seaweed littered the beach, creating challenging obstacles for Harrison’s children as they chased Bronx.
Her niece and nephew thought Ben’s dog was a marvelous toy. Anne knew that Bronx thought exactly the same thing about human children.
Sipping after-dinner wine, Harrison and his wife had positioned themselves near the edge of the deck where they could keep an eye on their offspring.
Both chowing down on seconds of Anne’s chocolate cake, Ben and Travis sat at the adjacent table with her mom and dad.
Her family was a unit, once again.
After talking—and making love—through the night and Sunday morning, she and Ben had invited them over for a Memorial Day gathering.
The late afternoon barbecue would be the perfect venue in which to make her announcement…which she hadn’t managed yet, much to Ben’s amusement.
Well, honestly, she just hadn’t found the right time to introduce a whole new topic of dissension. She studied the group around the table.
Her mother was her usual bubbly self.
Her father…well, Anne had accepted his apology. And what an apology it’d been.
She smiled, thinking of how her parents had arrived last and walked onto the deck. She’d risen, worried at the tentative look on their faces. She’d thought the small box her father carried was candy, his traditional get-out-of-the-doghouse offering for her mother. But, oh, it hadn’t been…
After setting the box on the table, he turned to Anne, lines carved deeply into his hard face.
“I’m sorry. Sorry for not seeing you as more than my baby.
Sorry I treated you and your brothers differently, that I didn’t support you and recognize how much you’ve achieved.
You deserved better from me.” His eyes gleamed with moisture. “I really am very proud of you.”
She could only stare. How many years had she longed to hear him say that? “Really?” she whispered.
Her mother smiled…and her father’s firm, make-it-so nod said he meant every word.
“Oh, Dad.” Her eyes blurred with tears as she threw herself into his arms.
His hug hadn’t changed…and she realized Ben’s embrace conveyed the very same sense of safety and strength.
When Anne stepped back, her mother patted his arm in approval. “Well done, dear. And?”
“Ah.” He cleared his throat and his lips curved slightly. “Your mother and I are sorry about…when you were little.”
She gave him a puzzled look. Where did this come from? “When I was little?”
“I should have been more understanding, made things easier for you. The relocations weren’t good for you. So…” At a loss, he slid the box across the table toward her.
Still confused, she set her hand on it. “Oh, Dad. Mom.” They were sorry she hadn’t dealt well with moving? “You couldn’t have changed any—”
The box…bounced. Tilted. “What in the world?”
When she pulled the tape off and raised the lid, a tiny furball emerged.
Ears pricked, the tiger-striped kitten looked up at Anne and gave a pitiful mew.
“Oh, honey.” Pink nose, golden eyes, so adorable. Anne lifted it against her chest, and a little fuzzy head rubbed her neck. When the purrs began, her heart was lost.
Now she glanced at the exhausted kitten asleep in Travis’s lap. Quite an apology gift—and from the way her mother had winked at Ben, she knew exactly who’d had a hand in the choice. Sneaky guard dog.
After that, the gathering had been a decided success.
Unfortunately, the peace was going to be short-lived. Anne sighed. She couldn’t stall the announcement much longer.
Feet dragging, she walked over to her man.
Travis tucked an arm around her hips as she stood between him and Ben. “Thanks for having the barbecue, sis, to give us a chance to get back together.”
“Can’t have the family fighting,” she said lightly.
“Some families can. I’m glad you’ve got a healthy chunk of sweetness under all that tough.” He squeezed her, and his voice roughened. “I missed you, sis. Missed listening to your sax in the evenings.”
She frowned. “You told me you could hardly hear me.”
“Get real. I’m next door.” He grinned. “If I’d told you I was listening, you’d stop.”
Her smack on the back of his head cut short his laugh.
“You deal with her, Ben,” he said, rubbing his head. “She’s too mean for me.”
“I’ll do that.” Ben pulled her down onto his lap.
When she narrowed her eyes at his presumption, he gave her the same look back. Ah, right. She’d asked him to remind her when she relapsed into Mistress habits—and warned him that if he failed, she’d punish him with an oversized anal plug.
“Sorry, my tiger.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed, knowing his strength wouldn’t fail her.
A corner of his mouth tipped up.
She lifted his hand, kissed the scarred knuckles, and whispered, “I love you.”
“Anne.” His almost inaudible voice held enough warmth to rival the sun. With one finger, he pushed her hair back and murmured into her ear, “You just gave me a hard-on that’s fucking uncomfortable. Thanks.”
She broke out laughing.
When she turned around, she realized everyone had gone silent.
Travis and her mother and Harrison’s wife were smiling in approval, Harrison was giving Ben a considering stare, and her father was frowning darkly.
Well, that frown would turn even blacker with her news.
“I haven’t heard you laugh like that in a while.” Travis lifted his fork with a big bite of the cake. “Must say that I appreciate how there are always desserts around since Ben’s been here.”
Anne gave him an assessing look. “Is that why you’ve stopped by so often in the past month?”
“Hell, yeah.” Travis grinned at Ben. “Thanks, man.”
“Anne.” Her father inclined his head toward several men rounding the corner of her deck. “You have company.”
Those weren’t just men; they were Masters. Anne shot Ben a glance.
He gave her a rueful shrug. Undoubtedly, the guard dog had reported to Z—as had everyone else. And the Masters never postponed dealing with problems.
Anne rose and smacked his head in exactly the same way she had her brother—and received an identical laugh.
“May we come up?” Z called.
Honestly, why did everyone act as if her deck was a ship and required naval courtesy?
“Of course. Join us.” She glanced around.
“Mom and Dad, these are old friends of mine. Zachary Grayson, Cullen O’Keefe, Galen Kouros, Dan Sawyer.
” She accompanied the introductions with casual gestures indicating which man was which.
And wasn’t this awkward, considering she wasn’t about to tell her family in what context she knew the guys. “Gentlemen, my parents, Stephan and Elaine Desmarais. And my sister-in-law and brothers, Alison, Harrison, and Travis.”
With brows drawn, her father noted the chin lifts Ben received from his friends.
With his effortless charm, Z acknowledged the introductions before moving right into the reason for the visit. “Our apologies for the interruption, Anne, but we wanted to determine that you were unharmed, to report on your belligerent visitors, and to interfere with your future.”
Kitten held in one arm, Travis took a step forward. “Are the assholes still in jail?”
Z’s smile went thin. “The man’s wife had already filed a complaint of domestic violence. Add last night with armed break-in, assault and battery with a deadly weapon—he and his cohorts won’t see freedom any time soon.”
“Excellent,” Anne said. Nonetheless, she and Ben would install a security system.
“My turn.” Cullen’s repentant gaze met hers. “You’re one of the finest we have—and we’ve been friends for years. I fucked up, and all I can do is hope you’ll take pity on me and forgive me.”
Oh honestly. An exasperated laugh escaped. Trust Cullen to tackle an apology right out in front of everyone. “Of course, I forgive you. I overreacted as well.”
Cullen’s deep laugh boomed out. “You did, love, but I lit the match. I’m sorry, Anne.” He rubbed a bruise on his jaw. “Ben made it clear I was out of line.”
Ben had punched his oldest friend in the Shadowlands? At Anne’s startled glance, he shrugged, totally unconcerned.
Yes, he really had.
“I told you he was more your guard dog than mine,” Z said quietly.
What had she taken on? But all she felt was delight that her child would have such a marvelous protector—much as her father and brothers had been for her.
However, Ben was a man who could and would step back and let his baby fly when the time came. She squeezed his hand and watched his smile warm.
“Still friends?” Cullen asked her softly, holding his arms out.
“Oh fine.” She took the step forward and hugged him.
He gave a huge sigh of relief. “I really am sorry, Anne.”
“You really are forgiven.”
“Told you she had more fun going on than we knew about,” she heard Travis tell Harrison.
Ben had joined Z and was saying he planned to quit. “I know you prefer your staff to be”—he saw her family was in earshot—“focused only on the job.” Because Z preferred vanilla guards.
But Ben enjoyed being the club’s security guard. Anne moved forward to interrupt.
“Anne,” Cullen said. “Z and I will get out of your hair. And we’ll see you this weekend.” He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her an unyielding stare.
She could go back to the Shadowlands, she realized. Go to her other home. Her vision went blurry with tears.
“No, no, don’t do that, sweetie. Damn.” Cullen yanked her in his arms again. “You’re breaking my heart here.”
Stupid, stupid hormones.
But leaving the Shadowlands had hurt. It really had.
He tipped her face up and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her face, and his obvious dismay mended the aching wound in her soul.
She pulled in a breath. “I’m fine. Be off with you—and I’ll see you next weekend.”
“That-a-girl.” He grinned at her warning growl. After nodding to her family and giving Ben a chin lift, he asked, “Ready to go, Z?”