Chapter Fourteen #2
“Follow me,” said Imogen. Her confidence was as prominent as her red lips as she led Andrea and Seth into the living area.
The din coming from the space as they approached sounded like what most homes celebrating a family might sound like: voices talking over one another, smatterings of laughter, the odd note of sarcasm.
For all their wealth and privilege, if Andrea closed her eyes she might imagine being back in her aunt and uncle’s home on the holidays she spent with her father’s family in Boston, crowded into the Back Bay apartment where they’d eat turkey with chestnut stuffing, half glasses of port and cherry cheesecake for dessert.
But when Andrea rounded the corner and took in the scene in the Taylor family living room, she knew that the similarities between their families were limited.
She was glad to have carefully chosen her outfit: while the Taylor family wasn’t necessarily dressed up, they all had a polished sheen to them, what Andrea guessed would come up in a Pinterest search for “western elegant” or “rustic glam.” A sprawling charcuterie board sat on the large coffee table, where a silver ice bucket held two bottles of champagne.
There were children running around somewhere—she couldn’t see them, but their playful shrieks sounded from somewhere nearby—but in this room, the adults were enjoying a drink. Through the window, Andrea spotted a couple of teenagers throwing a football out on a grassy area at the side of the home.
“Everyone, this is Andrea Spence,” Seth said. Andrea gave a quick wave to the room.
“Hello,” Andrea said, doing her best to find a way to remember everyone’s names as Seth listed them off. She was relieved to see Daniel’s and Mike’s familiar faces.
She accepted a glass of champagne that Billy poured her and perched on a leather ottoman beside Seth.
“Cheers,” said Allison, reaching out from her spot on the couch. “When Mom told us Seth was bringing a date, no one believed her.”
“But then I spilled the intel about your visit to the observatory,” Charlotte said, nestled in beside Billy, her feet tucked under her. “How did you like it?”
“It was beautiful, thank you,” said Andrea.
“Seth’s not exactly known for romantic gestures,” said Charlotte, raising an eyebrow and grinning at her brother.
“Alright, alright,” said Seth. “Can we change the subject?”
Andrea smiled at him and took a sip of her drink. The Taylors and their significant others were nice. Welcoming. And right out of a television show—every last one of them, partners included, was gorgeous.
Other than greeting her, his father hadn’t said much from the leather club chair opposite the fireplace, but she felt him observing her with the watchful eye of any parent whose child stood to inherit a fortune: curious, and just a little untrusting.
She shifted in her seat, and Seth reached over and placed a hand on her knee, a gesture that calmed her.
Imogen appeared in the room to welcome them all to the table.
As they made their way to the dining room, Ryan leaned closer to Andrea, his voice low and teasing. “I’ve been wondering what’s behind the big, goofy grin my brother’s been wearing lately,” he murmured. “He’s a good guy, though. Awful taste in music—but a good guy.”
Andrea laughed, but before she could respond, Seth’s voice cut in with mock indignation. “What kind of lies are you feeding her now?”
“She deserves the truth,” Ryan replied, a sly grin spreading across his face as he shot his brother a knowing look.
* * *
Having Andrea sitting beside him at his family Thanksgiving felt better than Seth could have ever hoped for.
Finally, he wasn’t the odd one out with no date.
But it was more than that. Sitting in this familiar space, where he’d had countless family events, most he was fairly neutral about attending and felt like a perfunctory obligation, now it felt really, really nice.
And it seemed like everyone loved her. This was no surprise. Andrea was gracious, elegant. When people spoke, she listened intently and asked follow-up questions, and it was clear she made people feel important and listened to.
At one point, when Eloise, who’d slid in at the table at the last minute with Dante, asked Andrea where she got her earrings, Andrea revealed they were from a flea market in downtown Denver.
Seth glanced at his mother to gauge her reaction.
Imogen was a Cartier kind of woman. But she only made brief eye contact with Seth and the look in her eyes was definitely one of approval.
“So, Andrea, how did you and Seth meet?” asked Ryan, his arm slung around Gabrielle.
Seth looked at Andrea and smiled. “Andrea’s consulting on a project I’ve been working on for the last few months.”
“An investment property?” asked Ryan.
“No, something different,” Seth said. He cleared his throat. He wasn’t exactly busting to talk about the park and face his father’s skepticism again with Andrea by his side, but so far, Thaddeus had been quiet. “You hear about those dinosaur bones that were found near Tenacity?”
“’Course,” said Ryan. “It was all over the news for a few days there. You’d think they found a live T. rex or something.”
“We’re not sure what it is yet,” said Seth.
“But it’s the second time bones have been found close by.
Andrea here is a paleontologist.” Saying it out loud to his family, Seth experienced a surge of pride.
Not only was the woman next to him drop-dead gorgeous, but she had a beautiful brain and a fascinating job.
“I’m a recovering paleontologist, actually,” Andrea said, flashing a tight grin. “Right now, I’m working on opening a guest ranch right outside of Tenacity. But when Seth called to see if I could answer some questions about the bones, and the area, I was happy to help.”
Seth felt her finding his hand again under the table.
“So what, you’re Jack Horner now or something?” said Thaddeus. “Explain to me where’s the money in that.”
Seth bristled. Not everything has to be in service of making a fortune, he wanted to say, but he was determined to keep the peace over what had so far been a nice family meal.
“Well, if we can find any more bones, and really get Tenacity on the map nationwide, I’m investigating the feasibility of building a park.
A destination for families to come. Fun and educational.
We’re meeting with potential investors right now. ”
He didn’t even need to look at Thaddeus to know the expression on the man’s face. Skeptical. Dismissive. Patronizing.
“That sounds awesome, actually,” Allison said. “Remember all those figurines you used to have in your room?” She turned to look at Andrea. “I stole the pterodactyl once, just to see if he’d notice. He was banging on the door to my room only an hour later.”
Seth took a sip of his drink and shook his head.
“Not sure why you’d waste your time and money on such a thing,” said Thaddeus. “No one wants to go to Tenacity. There’s no infrastructure to support tourism. The place is barely a speck on the map.” He looked at Andrea. “No offense.”
Seth was just about to stand up and ask his father to speak with him outside, but before he could open his mouth, Daniel spoke up. “Not sure Mike here would agree with you,” he said.
“I think it’s an ‘if you build it, they will come’ type of situation,” said Mike. “Plenty of people in town are excited by the idea. I think it’s a good one.”
“Agreed,” said Imogen. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you excited about something like this, honey,” she said to Seth. “Or maybe it’s something else.” She raised an eyebrow and smiled at Andrea.
Seth felt his shoulders relax a bit at the quick support of his family members. His dad was his dad. He wasn’t going to change. But Seth would prove him wrong.
“You in on this too, Daniel?” Thaddeus said. “Or are you too busy these days, batting your eyelashes and playing house?”
“Dad,” Daniel said, a hint of warning in his voice.
Thaddeus picked up his glass. “Can’t say I saw this one coming, but at least you’re in a committed relationship,” he said.
“I was worried you were both going to be eternal bachelors.” He looked at Seth pointedly.
“Now I only have you to worry about. Or do I? You’re in your forties, for Pete’s sake. What are you waiting for?”
Despite the antagonistic nature of Thaddeus’s words, suddenly Seth felt a warm clarity he’d never experienced before. He wanted to be the one announcing an engagement at the next family dinner, the way Daniel and Mike would be. “I’d marry Andrea right now if she’d have me,” he heard himself saying.
But when he turned to look at Andrea, instead of the same glimmer in her eyes he’d seen only minutes before, she looked, well, a subtle shade of green that told him what a huge error he’d made speaking so openly.
“Excuse me,” she said, pushing her chair back from the table, and all but beelining it from the dining room.
* * *
Andrea waved away Lina’s offer to get her jacket as she escaped through the front door into the courtyard, the frosty air a blessed foil to the suffocating lump in her throat. Her pulse raced as she struggled to take deep breaths.
Everything had been going so well up until the moment those words escaped Seth’s lips.
She still felt the eyes of the entire Taylor family on her like a weight.
Why couldn’t she have just smiled and laughed it off, or made a playful comment?
She’d caused a scene for no reason other than her own inability to manage her emotional reaction to what was, on paper, something that was actually a good thing.
The fact that Seth Taylor felt strongly enough for her that he was comfortable proclaiming it in front of his whole family?
She should be celebrating. But all she could feel was the familiar suffocation of being under someone else’s control that she’d only recently started to move on from.