Chapter 23
KIMBERLY
I loved, loved, loved my family. Typically, during the harsh Chicago winters, we huddled indoors, either in my aunt and uncle's house or at Tate's because they were the most accommodating and could fit all of us comfortably. But when the weather allowed, we always took the party outdoors.
We went to Tate's, as usual. It was an incredibly warm day for the end of March, but he said he’d put a lot of heaters around the yard anyway.
"Your brother doesn't mind everyone coming to his house?" Drake asked.
"Mind? Of course not. We’re family. You don't mind when your sister comes over."
"No, but it’s just me and my sister. Between all of you, there are how many? Six?"
"Eight," I said.
"Wow. And everyone has a significant other?"
"Yep. Except for Reese. Do you need me to walk you through who's who?" I asked.
“No, chances are I'll forget anyway. Once I talk to everyone and I can put a face to their name, it’ll be easier.”
We stepped into the front yard, but instead of going up the stairs, we veered to the left.
“Are we not ringing the bell?" Drake asked.
“No. Knowing the family, everyone's in the back. The grilling season is on.”
“I thought you said you grill year-round."
I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, but it's hard to stay outdoors in the winter. Though we do try our best on sunny days. Let's see. Who's here already? Oh, almost everyone." I stopped, my eyes widening. "Holy shit!”
“What?”
“Gran is here with her boyfriend, John.”
Drake nodded, seemingly impressed. “Good for her. How long have they been going out?”
“A few years ago, she shocked everyone by informing us that she was dating. This past Christmas, she finally introduced him to us. I didn’t realize he was coming today.”
Everyone seemed a bit on edge.
Tate and Declan were manning the grill. Luke and Tyler were with them too. Sam and Travis weren't here yet.
“I forgot to ask Travis if he's bringing Rose. Sometimes they call the babysitter to stay with her when we gather because the crowd is too overwhelming.”
Drake chuckled. "I can't imagine why.”
"Hey, it’s my family."
"I know. You're just adorable, fretting if you get to see your niece or not.”
The truth was, I did see Rose often, but in my book, I couldn't see her enough. At least Sophie, Lexi and Tate’s daughter, would be here.
"Hey, everyone," I said, raising my voice a bit, and the guys immediately looked up.
Oh crap. They had identical frowns. Had Travis spoken to them?
Why didn’t I think about warning them beforehand not to be asses to Drake?
My uncle and aunt came to us first. "Drake, I'm Lena."
“And I’m Emmett.”
"Nice to meet you. I've heard so many things about you, both of you." Drake shook my uncle's hand.
"We’re happy we finally get to meet you. We'll let Kimberly introduce you to everyone, and we can catch up later. Your cousins are looking forward to that."
My testosterone-overflowing cousins would be annoying for sure. I weighed my chances of getting a few words alone with them to warn them off—they were nonexistent.
Paisley, Tate's oldest, came to us as we headed to the grill. "You’re Drake," she said.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you, Paisley. You're all grown up. Your aunt told me a lot about you. You’re a teenager now."
She nodded eagerly. “That’s right. I keep telling Dad, but he insists I’m still his baby.”
Ha! Drake had a way with kids, that was for sure—well, in this case, with teenagers.
"By the way, I think Dad and my uncles are planning to give you a hard time," she continued.
"You think so? How would you know that?"
Paisley shrugged. “Look at their expressions. You’re lucky John is here. Their attention will be split between the two of you.”
I loved Paisley to pieces.
At least they haven't talked about us behind our backs.
Paisley leaned in conspiratorially. "And I heard them mention your name. Uncle Travis apparently told them something about Aspen.”
I take it back.
Oh, Travis. I love you, but I’m never going to trust you again.
"We’ll catch up later, Paisley," I told her.
She grinned. "I’ll be around. "
She was worse than Reese and me and Gran put together.
“Besides," she added, "they might be nicer if I stay nearby, you know? At least they’ll be careful with their words.”
"Paisley, I'm good. I want to meet them," Drake said. "It's their prerogative to say whatever is on their mind."
She laughed. "This will be fun.”
It smelled heavenly with the meat grilling and the corn cooking—a lot of deliciousness. Usually, my stomach would somersault, prodding me to dig in. But now I was too nervous. It was churning as we walked toward the grill.
Truth be told, it was a bit chilly for us to eat outside, but the sun was shining, and it was warm near the heaters.
We joined the group by the grill. "Cousins, this is Drake. Drake, meet Tate, Paisley's dad. Tyler, he's our famous hockey player."
"I'm a big fan," Drake said, shaking his hand.
"This is Luke, the oldest. And Declan. He's the lawyer in the family," I went on.
Declan shook his hand a little stronger than necessary, but I was proud that Drake shook it back just as hard. Hell yes. “We're all glad to meet you. Maybe we can catch up after we finish eating."
"Oh, you boys behave," Gran said, coming up from behind us with John in tow. They'd been sitting on a bench at the far end of the garden, and I'd planned to go straight there after I was done with these guys. "Drake, darling, nice to meet you. This is John.”
“How do you do, John?” Drake greeted him.
“I did warn these three to be on their best behavior," Gran continued.
"We are," Tyler pointed out.
"We said nothing," Declan added.
Gran shook her head. "I could see your frowns from across the garden. You don't fool an old hag like me. I know all the tricks in the book." She turned back to us. "Drake, call me Gran or Beatrice."
"Beatrice," Drake said, "Kimberly's told me a lot about you."
Gran flashed an enigmatic smile. "And I've heard about you through the grapevine. Still, I don't make a judgment based on gossip. You and I will have plenty of time to chat today."
Boom.
I'd completely forgotten that Gran always took the cake.
I'd never thought about warning her too, and I knew that look. I’d received it every time I'd been up to no good in my teenage years, though Gran always indulged us.
Still, she'd been stricter with Reese and me than with the boys.
Once, during a typical teenage hissy fit, I'd asked her why, and she gently told me that Lena was strict enough with the boys and she had to provide a balance.
But, in my case, she had to play both roles—parent and grandparent.
Paisley caught my eye. She was grimacing, clearly at a loss too.
Declan burst out laughing. "Good for you, Gran, for warning us off." He looked at me. "You know what? Maybe we’ll let her take the lead on this.”
John kissed Gran’s temple, shaking his head as he stepped back.
Just then, the door to the house opened, and Lexi came out, carrying Sophie. My ovaries jumped up and down at the sight.
Good God, could I not just be normal and like kids like everyone else did? Why did I have this compulsive need to touch them, hold them, kiss them?
Kendra and Liz were behind them, each carrying plates.
"We're already setting the table? Need me to get stuff from inside?" I offered. I hadn’t even paid attention to the table.
"No, we've got it covered. Most everything's already set,” Lexi said.
The girls smiled at Drake, and I realized I’d forgotten to introduce them.
“Drake, Lexi is Tate’s wife. Kendra and Tyler are engaged. And so are Liz and Declan.”
“But no pressure,” Liz said with a laugh.
“Yeah, don’t let the guys intimidate you,” Kendra added.
“I’m not easily intimidated,” Drake said smoothly.
Lexi winked at me.
"Where's Reese, by the way?" Kendra asked me.
"She's going to arrive in a couple of minutes," I informed them. She was on a date, and I couldn't wait for my sister to spill the beans. Although, family gatherings weren't the place for that.
I had to organize some sort of outing with the girls only so Reese could get the word out.
"Lexi," I said as innocently as possible, "if you want, I can hold Sophie for a while."
She laughed, kissing her daughter's forehead. "I knew you’d ask. Here you go."
"Thanks."
"Be aware, she might get grumpy, and then I'll have to go upstairs and put her to sleep. She woke up extra early today." Lexi yawned.
"I can get her to bed if she gets too fussy," I said, holding her close and kissing her head. She didn't have that small baby smell anymore, but she was still addictive.
"What can I do? Put me to work," Drake said.
Lexi gave him a smile. "Honestly, if you survive the family, that's work enough."
"I don't know why they’re so on edge. It's not as if no one’s shown up with a significant other over the past few years," I said as we moved to the table.
"Drake, can you…?" Turning around, I realized he wasn't with me anymore. He was with the guys at the grill. "Oh my God, when did they steal him away?" I asked as I carried Sophie on one arm. She could sustain her weight well enough that she didn't need another hand on her back and head.
"I did warn them, you know. After Travis spoke to them,” Kendra said.
“Out of curiosity, do you know what Travis told them?" I asked.
Liz averted her gaze and laughed nervously.
"No, but I think the gist of it was that they all want to look out for you," Lexi replied.
My heart felt huge, like it was about to explode. Growing up, I'd acutely felt the absence of parents to stand up for me, especially at school. The teachers often complained that I was a rebel.
Lena and Emmett did their best, but they had six boys on their hands who were determined to give them headaches, and Gran did all she could. Then, as we grew up, my cousins had rallied around Reese and me. I'd forgotten what that felt like while I was away.