Meeting The Family
CASH
My knee bounced uncontrollably as we approached the ranch gates.
I wasn’t even this nervous when I showed up on my very first day, begging for a chance to work and a safe place to sleep.
I was trying to act calm in front of Paige so she didn’t spiral, but I was clueless as to what I was walking into.
I was potentially about to lose the only family I had ever truly known.
Paige asked Taylor to pick us up at the airport since she was a fairly unbiased third party—apparently, everyone was in town due to our news.
The two women squealed at an unhealthy pitch when they saw each other, before Taylor demanded to see the rings.
Once she approved, she punched me in the arm and called me a dumbass.
The entire drive to the ranch, she detailed exactly why she always knew we would end up together.
I was informed that it was obvious.
I tuned her out after the third time she mentioned me picking up a drunk Paige from her house. I lived through it. I certainly didn’t need to relive it right now.
Taylor pulled in front of the garage of the main house, and I froze as the car shifted into park, unable to open the door. Paige reached over the center console from where she sat in the front seat, and placed a warm hand on my knee.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said, gesturing for me to open the door.
I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.
I’d been to this house so many times it was impossible to count, but it had never seemed as much like a fortress as it did right now.
The main house was three stories and built right into the hillside.
The ground level spanned three garages that housed the ranch trucks we all used for business and leisure.
Leading up to the front door was a stone staircase built into the land as if it was carved from nature.
It led to a set of massive black iron french doors with handles on them in the shape of bull horns.
There was a wraparound porch that ran across the second-floor level and the entire property was floor-to-ceiling windows which let light from every angle. The property felt more like a swanky hotel lodge than a house, but yet it still had all of the charm and warmth that a family brought to a home.
The first time I was ever inside the house, I couldn’t imagine how someone could have so much wealth and stability.
I was envious of the way they were raised.
While the Brooks wealth still shocked me sometimes, I learned that the true value they held was the love they had for each other.
It was something I envied and wanted more than anything.
I took in the front doors as Paige inhaled and pushed them open. Immediately, I heard the whispers echoing off the walls. We walked through the great room and into the kitchen where Michael and Georgia Brooks were sitting at the table.
Georgia spotted us first and jumped up from her seat, wrapping Paige in a big hug.
“Hi, Mama.” Paige sighed into her mother’s embrace.
“My sweet baby,” she whispered, squeezing Paige tighter. When she released her daughter, Gigi turned to me and said, “Come here, Cash.”
I stepped into her hug and she wrapped her arms around my middle. I breathed in her familiar smell and relaxed slightly. As stressful as this was, it felt good to be home.
A throat cleared behind me, and I turned to see Mr. Brooks standing with his arms crossed.
“Sir.” My voice cracked like I was thirteen and hitting puberty.
I wasn’t normally afraid of Mr. Brooks, but right now I’d understand if he landed a punch to my jaw.
“Mr. Leonard,” he said in a harsh tone.
I winced. He never used my surname when addressing me. Then again, I’d never betrayed him before.
Nope, this was new territory for us.
“Dad?” Paige’s voice sounded like she was seconds from bursting into tears. I placed a hand on her back and ran my thumb back and forth over her exposed skin.
“You’re actually married?” he asked, raising a brow.
Guess we’re getting straight to the point.
“Yes,” Paige said easily, since it wasn’t a lie.
He dropped his arms and blew out a breath he’d been holding. I was sure that he was hoping this was all one big rumor that we could debunk when we got here.
“This was really stupid. To run away and get married without anyone even knowing you’re dating is something children would do.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, literally incapable of forming more words than that.
“There is a lot to work out, and a lot to talk about—”
“Like planning a wedding!” Gigi burst out, cutting off her husband.
“A wedding?” Paige asked hesitantly.
“Of course. We may not have been there for the elopement, but I’ll be damned if I miss out on one of my little girls’ big day.” Georgia left no room for arguments.
Paige looked up at me with pleading eyes. She was crazy if she thought I was going to be objecting to any of this. I was not in the position to argue. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into me with a beaming smile.
“A wedding sounds great, Gigi. We were nervous to tell everyone, but now that the secret is out, it’s time to celebrate with the whole town.”
“That’s the spirit.” Gigi beamed. “We’ll have to act fast since you’re only in town for two weeks, but we’ve thrown together more with less. Next Friday will be perfect.”
“Yep, perfect.” Paige was stiff as a board next to me, and I knew she was not happy with these plans.
Gigi clapped. “Perfect. Go see your siblings, and then tomorrow we’ll meet here before heading into town for some shopping.”
Paige nodded and swiftly grabbed my wrist, pulling me out to the back porch. Once the door was shut, she let out a small scream. I stood behind her and tugged her into my chest, placing a soft kiss on her hair.
It was weird; I was acting as Paige’s loving husband, but honestly I was finally able to touch and treat her exactly how I had always wanted. It was a luxury I was taking full advantage of.
Call me a selfish prick, but who knew how long this would last—how long I’d have these opportunities.
“That wasn’t so bad, Pip,” I whispered.
“You know my dad will have more to say, and my mother has always been a sucker for a party.”
“She’ll rein him in. It’s all going to be okay, P.
” I ran my hand up her along her stomach and she melted into me.
We could do this as long as we did it together.
We were both there in Vegas. We both signed those papers.
That meant, whatever storm was waiting for us, we’d walk through it side by side.
That thought in itself made me pause. There had never been a single person I had such strong ties to. My family was never really my support system. Walker came close, but we weren’t legally binding. I was always disposable, replaceable. Paige and I were a team—at least until the end of the summer.
She leaned back and peered up at me with a soft smile—the first one I’d seen since we landed in Ashton Creek—but her smile quickly fell once we heard the screaming.