Chapter 14
Arianna
It’s unnerving facing everyone at breakfast. Now that Dallas knows who I am, it’s only fair to tell the rest of the family.
I don’t want him keeping my secrets from his cousins.
Plus, they deserve to be aware of what could happen to me someday.
They should have the choice to opt out of dealing with my potential shit.
Claire is obviously delighted to see me when she comes into the kitchen. She rushes over and gives me a hug. She’s a genuinely sweet woman. I already know I’m going to love her. Can she deal with my crappy past?
Before I launch into my story, Dallas explains what happened at the library last night. Claire and Ryder are genuinely concerned, which warms my heart.
After Gretchen sets platters of food in the middle of the breakfast table in the corner of the kitchen, I take a deep breath and face her. “Please sit with us for a minute. I have something to say. You need to hear it, too.”
Gretchen frowns, but when Dallas stands to pull out a chair for her, she takes a seat.
“Is everything okay?” Claire asks.
I draw in a deep breath as Dallas settles next to me and grabs my hand in his. “Everything is fine,” he informs them. “The truth is I’m a nosy asshole who doesn’t trust easily after my ex-wife took me to the cleaners, so I hired a PI to look into Arianna.”
Claire’s jaw drops. “You did not.”
Dallas winces. “Yeah, I did. I knew she wasn’t exactly who she said she was from the moment I met her.
Call it a sixth sense. It doesn’t change anything, and I knew it never would, but nevertheless, my PI called this morning because he uncovered what happened.
We’ve discussed it, and Arianna thinks it’s only fair that you all know, too. ”
Gretchen sits taller, her brow furrowed. “I’ve known you for two years, child. You’re as sweet as pie. I don’t care what happened to you before you came to Wilde. I know you’re good people.”
Tears well up yet again in the corners of my eyes at Gretchen’s fierce pronouncement. “Still, you deserve to know the facts.”
Claire reaches across the table and grabs my free hand. “Whatever you tell us, we’ll handle it.”
I draw in a breath, grateful for the squeeze I get from Dallas. “Are you familiar with the name Joseph Whitacker?”
Ryder frowns. “Wasn’t he the Florida governor who killed his wife and took his own life a while back?”
I nod. “It was ten years ago. They were my parents.”
Everyone gasps.
Claire leans in closer over the table. “Oh, Arianna. I’m so sorry, and I’m afraid I don’t remember it.”
Ryder wraps his arm around her. “That’s understandable, baby. You were twelve.”
Gretchen covers her mouth with one hand. “Oh, you poor, dear girl. I’m so sorry.”
I want to power through the details and field their questions before they have a chance to ask them.
“Arianna was not my name at the time. And no, I was not home when it happened. I was away at boarding school. I was totally unaware that my father suffered from depression or that he was so unhinged. Also, my family still employed the woman who basically raised me. Meredith. She saved my life. I went to live with her and finished my education online. When I turned eighteen, I acquired a new identity, moved from Florida to Arizona, and went to college under my new persona. When I graduated two years ago, I saw this job opening in Wilde and jumped at the opportunity. No one here has any idea who I used to be. It’s been pleasant.
But there’s always the possibility that one day, someone will figure it out and my life will flip upside-down again. ”
“Well, they won’t hear it from any of us,” Gretchen announces.
“She’s right,” Ryder agrees.
Claire nods. “Never. Reagan and Tiago would never tell either.”
I wipe my tears. “Thank you,” I choke out. “You deserve to know. It’s not fair of me to keep something this important from you if I’m going to be in your lives.”
Claire’s eyes shoot wider, and she grins. “Are you? Going to be in our lives? I was so excited to see you here this morning, but when I heard about the pipes bursting, I wasn’t sure you were here to stay.”
“She’s here to stay,” Dallas growls.
I roll my eyes, still looking at Claire. “How do you put up with these cavemen?”
Claire giggles. “You’ll get used to them. They may be all bossy and growly on the outside, but they’re marshmallows on the inside.”
Ryder smirks. “Marshmallows? You do realize that being pregnant does not protect your bottom from encountering my palm, right?”
Gretchen chuckles as she stands and bustles toward the kitchen sink.
“He’s right,” Dallas says as he releases my hand to squeeze my thigh. “Being pregnant won’t protect your sweet behind when the day comes, either, Arianna. Consider that before you let the word marshmallow enter your vocabulary.”
I clench my thighs together. Growly Dallas makes me hot. “What if we’re having s’mores?”
He leans in closer, cups my face, and goes eye-to-eye with me, but his eyes are dancing with laughter. “Sassy girl.”
He really is a marshmallow inside. Claire is right.
I turn back to face them, sobering as I remember the more important topic of conversation. “I apologize in advance if my past creeps into our lives and bites me in the ass.”
Ryder shakes his head. “No apology necessary. I assume you’re going to marry my cousin, and that makes you family. In this family, we stick together.”
My cheeks flush. I haven’t agreed to marry Dallas, even though it seems to be a given among these people. The idea hasn’t even begun to settle in my head.
Except when Dallas grabs the back of my ponytail and tugs my head back so I’m forced to look at him, I realize I’m lying to myself.
I’ve already made my decision. I might fight the lure for a few more hours or even days, but I can’t picture my life on any other trajectory than combining it with Dallas’s and becoming his wife.
He holds my gaze for long seconds, slowly smiles as if he’s read my mind, and kisses me soundly.
When he lets me up for air, I find Claire and Ryder beaming.
My brain is scrambled while Dallas acts like he was unaffected by that kiss. The man grabs my plate and starts dishing food onto it. “Is there anything you don’t like, baby?”
I turn my attention to the platters of eggs, hashbrowns, sausage links, bacon, and biscuits. My stomach grumbles as I realize I’m starving. “I like everything on the table.”
Dallas finishes filling my plate and sets it in front of me.
“Thank you.”
Dallas looks up at Ryder as he hands me a napkin. “So, back to the library. Do we know if there’s a plumber in town? I’ve contacted a few guys to go over and assess the structural damage, but we’ll need a plumber to deal with the pipes.”
Claire answers. “I’ve made a list of everyone in town who has a specific skill. It’s in the office. We can grab it after breakfast and get someone out there.”
I’m humbled by everyone’s help. I’m also worried about the books. I’ve been so distracted by Dallas discovering who I am that I’ve hardly thought about the library this morning. Now, my panic returns.
I push my food around my plate, my mind visualizing all sorts of catastrophes. The worst is my concern that the ceiling collapsed above my apartment in the night and caused my entire apartment to fall into the library.
“You’re worried about your belongings, aren’t you?” Claire asks.
Dallas chuckles before I can respond.
Claire shoots him a glare. “How can you laugh?”
He scoots his chair closer to mine and wraps his arm around me, kissing my head. “Because Arianna doesn’t care about her things. She only cares about the books.”
Claire grins. “Ah. Understandable. That would freak me out, too. Maybe you’d like to check out the library here with me. Reagan and I were discussing cataloging everything, but we’ve had a few…challenges.” She elbows Ryder in the chest.
He grunts and pretends to rub the spot as if she’d injured him. “Hey there. You should rethink your sassy attitude, baby. Soon, your stomach is going to be too large to lie on, and then you’re going to have trouble getting comfortable if I spank your bottom as often as you’ve needed lately.”
The dynamic among this family is baffling. I have no doubt Ryder means every word, and yet, I also believe Claire goads him every time because she likes getting her butt spanked.
After my spanking experiences, I understand why. It’s oddly titillating. I have no idea why I enjoy it so much, but I can’t deny the appeal.
Claire goes so far as to actually roll her eyes, which I’m certain is going to earn her even more swats to her butt.
She leans toward me conspiratorially. “First, these neanderthals wouldn’t let us go into the library because it was too dusty.
So, they hired someone to come clean it up.
Then, they refused to permit Reagan and me to climb the cool ladders to get to the upper shelves because they were afraid the ladders were not safe since they’re so old.
So, they got someone to inspect them. Now, they still won’t let us climb because they don’t want us to fall. ”
Ryder smirks so hard it seems his entire body is involved. He tugs his wife's hair, making her tip her head back. “And now you’re pregnant, so you’re not climbing on anything more than two inches off the ground.”
She gasps. “You can’t be serious.”
“Dead serious, baby.” He kisses her forehead and releases her hair, pointing at her plate. “Eat.”
She narrows her gaze. “How will I get upstairs? Each step is more than two inches off the ground,” she sasses. She’s so boldly defiant it makes me chuckle.
“You won’t need steps at all after I cuff you to the bed. Perhaps I should leave you just enough of a lead to reach the toilet and keep you confined to the bedroom for the next eight months.”
I laugh harder than I have in a long time. It feels good.
Dallas takes my fork out of my hand, stabs a potato, and holds it to my mouth. “You need to eat, too, baby. What do you want to drink? Juice? Tea? Coffee?”
Claire groans. “I hope you don’t like coffee. If you do, you should go cold turkey and stop drinking it now.”
I frown. “Why? Are these guys bad at making it?”
“You hush now, child,” Gretchen says as she bustles over to fill my water glass. “I make the coffee around here, and it’s the second-best coffee in town.”
I can’t stop smiling. “Who has the best?”
“Claire’s parents, of course, at the bakery. I would never claim to outdo them.” Gretchen winks at me. “Apple, cranberry, or orange juice?”
“Orange, please. Thank you.”
“Coffee? Tea?”
Claire waves her hands and shakes her head. “Don’t do it. Don’t fall into the trap.”
I giggle again.
It’s Gretchen who waggles a finger at Claire to admonish her this time. “Pregnant women do not need that much caffeine. Stop harassing Arianna. She just got here. Behave, or I’ll spank you myself.” Gretchen turns back to me.
I’m laughing so hard now I can’t contain myself.
Gretchen ignores my guffaws. “Are you pregnant?”
Dallas grunts. “She’s not pregnant.”
“Then you may have whatever you’d like. Coffee or tea?”
“I’m good with just juice for now. Thank you.”
Claire yanks her fork out of Ryder’s hand.
He must have taken it from her when she didn’t start eating fast enough.
He looks like he was about to feed her. She takes a tiny bite of eggs and glances at me again.
“I hope you don’t like cola either. And vegetables are about to become your best friends.
You’ve never seen more overbearing men when it comes to nutrition and safety in this labyrinth. ”
Now, Dallas chuckles. “Labyrinth. Good one. Fitting.” He turns to me.
“On a serious note, I know you didn’t get a chance to look around the library this morning.
If it interests you, you’re welcome to help Claire and Reagan start cataloging the books.
We can’t find any records of anything in there.
It seems it’s been decades since anyone even paid attention.
There could be priceless volumes just sitting on the shelves. ”
I sit taller, nearly bouncing on my seat. “Do you have any idea how badly I’d love to do that? I might go in there and never come out.”
“Oh, you’ll come out. You’ll eat lunch and dinner and go to bed at a decent time.
” He points his fork at me. “And even though Ryder had those ladders inspected, you don’t have permission to climb on them either.
Not without one of us present, and even then, I’d rather you let me climb up them to get something you need that’s too high. ”
I imitate Claire and roll my eyes. She’s right. They are the most overbearing cavemen in the world. So why am I clenching my thighs together?