by Jaycee Clark
Ryan nodded his head, and she was glad to see that he was indeed smiling. Patience, patience, she reminded herself.
“We can come back and get our stuff later,” Gavin told them. “Let’s just go in, say hi to everyone and get the introductions over.”
Their doors shut in a trio of clicks. The air was still damp and sweet with the evening’s rain and hinted OF jasmine. Taylor looked down at Ryan, who quietly came up to her side and slid his hand in hers.
A soft sigh slipped past her lips, as it did within her heart. Her hand squeezed his. She knelt down on one knee in front of him, the lights from the house allowing her to see his face.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.”
Would it really? his eyes questioned.
“Please talk to me, Ryan. Just one word.” Her other hand came up as she ran her fingers through his short soft hair. He didn’t pull away from her, but leaned into her palm. Taylor could have cried from that simple action. “Please?”
Without any warning, he threw his arms around her neck as though she were a lifeline in a stormy sea. Barely keeping her balance, Taylor held on to him as tightly as he was holding her.
“I love you, Ryan.” She didn’t expect him to answer her, he never did. But she knew he cared for her. She wanted to make life perfect for him and hated that she failed, miserably. This son of hers who had known little of love and security deserved to have it now. “I promise it’s going to be okay. I’ll make it okay, I promise.”
His arms tightened even more as she heard him whisper, “I love you, too.”
This time she did cry. Silent tears. I love you, too. Those were the sweetest words she’d ever heard. Taylor wasn’t aware of how much time passed and she didn’t care. Right now was all that mattered, here in the arms of her child.
Finally, she pulled back, and with a small whispered laugh swiped a hand under her eyes.
“You make me so proud and happy,” she told him.
His grin was sheepish, and she caught the slightest blush beneath his freckles.
“Are you going to talk to me now?”
“I guess so.” The toe of his sneaker made a circle in the gravel. “I just needed to think things through, I guess. But I still don’t understand any of it.” His sigh breezed against her face.
“I know.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’m fine, honey.”
“That kick thing you did on that guy was cool,” he said on a smile.
She laughed.
Gavin cleared his throat and she looked up at him. He wasn’t but a couple of feet away to her right.
“Thank you,” she told him, as she stood.
“What was that?” His voice held so much disbelief she knew he was teasing her.
Ryan giggled. “I wondered if she’d ever say that. Thanks, Gavin. I’m glad we came.” His freckled nose scrunched up. “I know you’ve told us a dozen times it’s okay that we came, but is it really?”
“More like a hundred. And yes, it’s okay. And you’re welcome.” Gavin turned back to her. “Both of you.”
He held his arm out to her. “Shall we?”
This time she smiled at him as she placed her hand on his arm and held Ryan’s hand with her other one. They walked up the curving cobbled walk lined with little lights. The whole place still reminded her of something out of a movie from Colonial times, dark stone rising three stories high. Place was like a freaking palace or something.
Now that things were settled to a degree with Ryan, her nervousness about meeting Gavin’s family started eating at her stomach. Stupid, they were just people, like any others, and Mrs. Kinncaid and his brother had seemed nice. And with her job, Taylor was used to meeting people. So, why the sudden nervousness?
It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that this was Gavin’s family. Nothing at all.
“What did you mean about Kinncaid Enterprises and global resorts?” She blurted her question out as they reached the porch.
She knew his brother, Aiden, did something with hotels and Gavin was a doctor. He had other brothers, but he’d never told her much about them. She’d just assumed they were rich businessmen from the way he talked.
Gavin sighed. “Hoped that would slip by you.” They were standing under the light and his expression was one she’d never seen before. It was guarded, almost nervous. No, it had been a long day and she was simply reading things wrong. Gavin nervous? Like that would ever happen.
“Are you two ready?” Gavin asked.
Were they ready? No. No. No. Could she stall anymore?
A grin danced in his eyes and at the corner of his mouth. “You met Mom and got along. You know Aiden. None of them bite, I promise. Well, except for Dad, but he’s all bluster, so just ignore his barks.”
Before she could think, he was pressing the latch on the door. Had she expected him to knock at his own home? Taylor shook off her scattered and jittery thoughts. She was going to make a fool of herself if she didn’t pull it together.
Taylor grabbed Ryan’s hand and they walked into the entrance. Their entry was quiet. No one was in sight, a blessing in her opinion.
Dark planked floors echoed their footfalls.
“Hello? Where is everybody?” Gavin hollered at the top of his lungs.
His voice jolted her and apparently Ryan as well, since he’d tightened his hold on her hand. Ryan’s eyes were big and round, absorbing everything he saw.
“There you are,” stated a deep voice from in front of them. The man walked forward with a bowl of popcorn. The buttery smell tickled Taylor’s nose. Aiden. He popped a piece in his mouth before dusting his hand on his trousers. “We’d almost given up on you.”
He was as handsome as she remembered—same coloring as Gavin and maybe same striking cobalt eyes, and maybe the same straight nose.
“Yeah,” Gavin said, “we got sidetracked shopping.”
“Really? Now I was just saying to Jessie, I bet Gavin and his cohorts got lost in the mall. Not a thing to worry about.”
Gavin only shook his head. “Taylor, Ryan, you remember Aiden. He lives just down the road, and will hopefully be going home very soon.”
A single-dimpled smile answered, before he turned his attention to them.
Gavin took her hand off his arm and held it. The touch that still sent the butterflies dancing managed to also calm her somewhat. “Aiden, you remember Taylor Reese, and her son, Ryan.”
Aiden’s gaze studied her before it shifted to Ryan. “Yes. How could I forget? Nice to see you again.” He held the bowl with one arm and held out his hand to her.
“Where is the popcorn?” A woman with honey-blonde hair and a baby on her shoulder came from the opposite direction from which Aiden had emerged.
“Here, I was on my way.” Aiden rolled his eyes.
“Oh.” The woman smiled at Gavin before propping a hand on her hip. She was clad in jeans and low-heeled boots.
Of course, the sister-in-law from Texas. Aiden’s wife . . . Jennifer? Jessica? She knew it started with a J. Taylor smiled at the familiar clothing before the woman turned dark brown eyes on her in an intense weighing gaze.
“Hi. I’m Jesslyn Kinncaid. If you’re stuck with Gavin, I feel for you.” It was said in such a straight-faced, no-nonsense tone, Taylor wasn’t certain if the woman was joking or not.
“Thanks, but I cut him a break tonight,” Taylor said.
Aiden put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. Jesslyn said, “He’s a smart-a . . . aleck. You are a brave woman.” Her smile was full of amusement.
Well that was the truth. “He’s not quite that bad,” Taylor tried.
Gavin turned a dramatic expression on her. “Not that bad?” He shook his head and looked back at Jesslyn. “I must be losing my touch. Good thing I came here so I could brush up on my repartee with you, Jess.”
A husky laugh from Jesslyn mixed with a full rumble from Aiden.
“Behaving yourself with this one, are
you, Gav?” Jesslyn asked him.
“This is Taylor, honey,” Aiden said, leaning down. “The one I told you about.”
Jesslyn’s brows rose. “Ooohhhh.”
And just what did that mean?
Gavin only shook his head before turning back to Taylor. “Ignore them.”
“She talks like we do,” Ryan said, pulling on her hand.
Gavin obviously heard him, as did everyone else, but it was Gavin who answered. “Indeed. It’s those smiling vowels.”
“They get you every time, don’t they?” Aiden asked with a dance of black brows at his brother.
Taylor had no idea what they were talking about, and Ryan’s furrowed brow said the same thing.
“Our accents,” Jesslyn clarified.
“Oh.” Smiling vowels? She’d taken theater in high school, and had been involved in one-act play competitions. There had been a judge who’d said something about smiling vowels. There was another name for it. Oh, she hated when she had a question that she knew she knew the answer to, but couldn’t think of. Of course, that was years and years ago and why the thought suddenly seemed important was completely beyond her.
“So, Taylor, how did you get stuck with this guy for the weekend?” Jesslyn asked.
Straightforward indeed.
“Sorry,” the woman added on a wave. “Don’t mind me. I tend to be curious and just ask questions.” Jesslyn Kinncaid was an open woman, easily so. Taylor envied her.
“It’s a long story.”
“The best kind,” Aiden said.
Jesslyn hunched down so that she was eye level with Ryan. “Hi, do you like popcorn?”
Ryan nodded.
“How about Kool-Aid?”
Again he nodded. At least he was answering questions, which was more than they’d had an hour ago.
“Board games?”
This time, a shrug.
“Well,” Jesslyn said, rubbing the baby’s back, “Tori’s playing with her grandmother, something with ladders or maybe that game called Sorry.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. If you want to play, I bet they would love to have you join them.”
Ryan’s gaze, Taylor noted, was drawn to the baby. Jesslyn obviously noticed, too. “Would you like to hold Alec here? Have you ever held a baby?”
Ryan shook his head back and forth. “No. Could I just . . . touch him? Or is it a she?” Curiosity often overcame childhood shyness. Taylor didn’t care what it was as long as he was talking.
Jesslyn smiled. “He’s a boy, and yes, you can touch him. His name is Alec.”
Hesitating for a moment, Ryan reached his hand out and gently ran his fingers over the baby’s dark hair, and down the side of his chubby cheek. Big blue eyes looked up at him. “Wow, he’s so soft.”
“Yes, he is.” Jesslyn stood and placed a kiss on the baby’s small head. “And so is his brother, Ian, so if you want to hold one of them, just let me know.”
“Okay.”
Everyone started down a hallway. Taylor didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings. She was too worried about meeting the rest of his family.
“I won that round fair and square,” said a woman in the enormous room where they stopped.
“Please, that was so easy,” came a deep voice from a replica of Gavin. Ahhh . . . the twin.
“If it was so easy, Brayden, why didn’t you win?” The brunette woman glared at the man who was smirking at her.
Gavin leaned down and whispered in her ear, “That’s Christian and Brayden. Brayden’s my twin brother, in case you couldn’t tell. Christian is like a sister to us. She’s helped raise Brayden’s daughter, Tori.”
“Your twin? Never would have guessed it.”
A shrill whistle from Aiden cut the air. “Hey, everybody, the lost finally found his way home along with two strays.”
Taylor saw Gavin jab his brother in the ribs, even as Aiden only smiled in return.
“Well,” came a booming voice from a deep chair. “It’s about damn time.” The man, with white hair streaked with gray, stood and started to make his way to them.
“He sounds mad,” Ryan whispered.
Taylor caught both Gavin and Aiden turning to her son. Ryan didn’t like angry people and she couldn’t blame him, not after what he’d lived through.
“I don’t think he’s mad, sweetie, just worried about what was keeping Gavin for so long,” she tried. Ryan’s look said he wasn’t buying it. “Well, even when you’re as old as Gavin, I’m going to worry about you.”
Gavin turned so that he was more in front of her and Ryan. “Oh, don’t worry about Dad. Jock’s like an old dog, he barks a lot.”
Her son looked up at the older man who approached them, and softly said, “Even old dogs can bite.”
Taylor sighed, and looked to Gavin.
Even as Taylor put her arm around Ryan’s shoulders, Gavin squatted down on his haunches. “Ryan?” he asked.
Ryan kept looking up at Mr. Kinncaid.
“Ryan,” Gavin tried again. Finally, her son looked at him and Gavin said, “No one here will hurt you. Or your mom.” His mouth tightened. Ryan continued to stare at Gavin, the apprehension plain on his face and in his eyes. “Do you think I’d bring you to a place where you’d get hurt?”
Ryan shook his head.
Gavin smiled. “Well, glad to see you trust me that much. Dad is just loud. He really likes little kids, just ask Tori. Neither he nor anyone here will hurt either you or your mom. Why do you think I brought you here?”
The last was a question Taylor would like answered herself, but had yet to get one from him, other than it was the logical thing to do.
Ryan looked from Gavin up to her. Taylor didn’t know what to tell her son, or Gavin, or Mr. Kinncaid.
“What’s this?” Mr. Kinncaid asked. “Surely the boy doesn’t think I’d hurt him.” True shock resounded in his thundering voice as his eyes turned to question his sons and her.
“Dad.” Gavin looked up and over his shoulder before he stood, keeping himself between Ryan and his father. “Not now, okay? I’ll explain later.”
Mr. Kinncaid’s brows pulled down in a familiar frown. “Look, son,” he said to Ryan on a shrug. “I’m just a grumpy old man most of the time, ask anyone. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Ryan just looked at him.
A strained moment passed and clearly no one knew exactly what to do.
Finally, Jesslyn snorted. Mr. Kinncaid turned a glare on her.
“I’m sorry, but I agree with Ryan.” The woman winked at Taylor’s son. “The first time I met him, he scared me too. Thought I was . . . Never mind. I’m still not sure if he likes me or just tolerates me because I gave him two grandsons to dote on and play with.”
Taylor caught Ryan’s almost smile.
“I don’t think you’re helping matters, Jessie girl,” Aiden whispered to his wife.
The old man hmphed and walked off a few feet, mumbling under his breath, before he stopped and turned back to the group.
Gavin watched his father’s confusion mirrored in everyone else’s expressions. How to smooth the rest of the introductions? He hadn’t thought of this.
Turning, he saw Ryan still studied his father. Taylor—well, Taylor’s thoughts he couldn’t read. It was obvious she didn’t exactly want to be here, but then he hadn’t really given her a choice.
“Taylor, Ryan, the retreating bear is my father, Jock Kinncaid.” His mother walked up then and put her arm through Jock’s. “The woman by him, as you both know, is my mother, Kaitlyn. The two who were arguing are Brayden, my brother, and Christian, who is basically our sister.”
“Everyone,” he turned back and took Taylor’s hand. “This is my friend Taylor Reese and her son, Ryan. Sorry we’re late.”
His mom came forward. “Don’t worry about it.”
Gavin leaned down and let his mother kiss his cheek.
Kaitlyn waved a hand absently towards Jock, before she said to Ryan, “Ignore that old man. I’ve al
ways told him he roars too loud.”
“I do not roar.” Jock sniffed. “I’m not that bad.”
Gavin couldn’t believe his father said that.
His mother replied, in her perfectly modulated voice, “Yes, dear, you are and can, unfortunately, be even worse. However, we’ve all learned to tolerate you.”
“Kaitie lass.” His father’s voice held a slight burr. “Don’t take that high road with me.”
“Bosh!” His mother ignored her husband and turned to Taylor, leaning in to hug her. “I’m so glad Gavin brought you both back to join us this weekend. I hope you enjoy yourselves while you’re here.”
“I’m certain we will, Mrs. Kinncaid,” Taylor answered. “Thank you for your hospitality. I really hope we’re not—”
“Imposing,” Gavin finished for her on a sigh. Lord, the woman was always worried about imposing.
His mother chuckled. “Oh, my, no. It’s no imposition, none at all.”
Gavin noticed Jess and Aiden heading towards the couches in front of the big-screen television. Ryan seemed a bit less wary, but not yet relaxed. Taylor was still wound tight as a bow. He caught her fingers fidgeting on her thigh.
“We were about to start a movie. It’s an old black and white, Notorious. But, have you eaten?”
Gavin hadn’t. Had Taylor? “Have you eaten? Ryan?” Both gave nods. “Actually, Mom, I haven’t. Things got hectic and I didn’t get time to grab a bite. I’ll just get a sandwich later, don’t worry about it.”
She arched a perfect red brow. “Mothers will always worry about their children eating.” She turned then to Taylor and Ryan. “Would you two like anything to eat or drink? Tori is having Kool-Aid, but we have everything.” After she found out what everyone wanted, she said, “I’ll be right back.”
The three of them started walking to the couches. His father raised a questioning look at him and he mouthed, “Later.”
Brayden and Christian were still bickering about some stupid game. Gavin started to ask Ryan a question when a laughing girl came hurtling into the room in a storm of giggles, squeaks and shuffles.
“Uncle Gavin!” Tori yelled and launched herself at him. “Where have you been? What took you so long? Uncle Aiden said you were bringing someone.”
