With her free hand, Annie touched Kade’s arm. “She needs to hear it, Kade.”
He nodded. “It was. I had no idea I was adopted—or stolen.”
When Sophie looked like she needed more, he continued, “My parents are good people. My uncle took me to my mum and told her that there was a price on my head. He warned her to run if he didn’t return. She gave up everything to save me, to keep me safe. She came here to my dad. Although he didn’t know the details of what had happened, he raised me as his own. I couldn’t have asked for a better childhood.”
“You have no idea what comfort that brings me.” Sophie dried her eyes, but she was still shaking. “Do you—do you think you’ll also be able to see me as your mother?”
It wasn’t a fair question, and it came far too soon for Kade to handle well. He took a physical step back and Sophie’s face went white.
Normally, Annie would not insert herself into such an intimate exchange, but there was nothing normal about this situation. “Sophie, Kade just found out he was adopted. He’s in shock.”
Sophie searched her son’s face in desperation. “Tell me what you need, Kent”—her hand flew to her mouth, and she looked horrified as she corrected herself—“Kade. I’m so sorry. I told myself to call you Kade and I haven’t yet. I’m trying. Tell me how to make this easier for you, Kade. All I want is to be part of your life.”
Kade stood silent and motionless. Annie knew if he had the answers she sought he wouldn’t hold them back. There wasn’t a spiteful bone in Kade’s body. He was as lost on the inside as he looked on the outside. After a long pause, he said, “You can be on one condition.”
“Anything,” Sophie promised.
There was steel in Kade’s voice that Annie hadn’t expected to hear. “Stay away from my parents. No one questions them. No one threatens them. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my mother. To me, she’s a hero. You want a relationship with me, you treat her as nothing less than that.”
Nothing about Sophie was threatening. Kade’s reaction seemed in discord with her welcome, but it was impossible to judge Kade for feeling protective of the people who’d raised him.
“We would never—” Sophie stopped. “Grant told me what he said to Pamela when he found her, but that was before he knew the whole story. No one will speak to her that way again. She kept my baby safe, so how could I be anything but grateful to her?”
He dropped Annie’s hand and walked to the car as if he were leaving.
An uncomfortable silence followed. Annie met Sophie’s gaze. Her heart went out to the woman. “Sophie, he needs time. He’s brave, loyal, hardworking. The Thompsons raised him to be a good man who believes strongly in taking care of his family, and Pamela and Dave are that to him. I know this must be hard for you. You finally found your son, and you want to be close to him—but you’ll have to give him time to find you.”
“You’re right.” Sophie blinked a few times quickly. “You are a very wise young woman. My son is lucky to have you in his life.” She looked at Annie’s left hand.
“We’re just friends,” Annie admitted hastily.
Sophie gave the area beneath her eyes a light pat. “That’s the best place to start.”
Kade returned and said gruffly, “Sorry.” He rubbed a hand roughly over his forehead. “I needed a moment.”
“Are you hurt?” Sophie asked, referencing his red knuckles. “What happened?”
Kade glanced at his hand. “Nothing.”
Annie smiled. “We met Viviana’s brothers.”
Sophie’s expression lightened and a twinkle of humor lit her eyes. “Connor and Dylan. Asher’s knuckles looked the same after he met them. Boys.”
Kade looked surprised at her amusement.
She glanced over her shoulder to where Grant was waiting for them. “Everyone is probably anxious to meet you. Do you have luggage to bring in?”
“No,” Kade said. “We’re not staying.”
“I understand,” Sophie said slowly. Annie was relieved to see Sophie easing the pressure on Kade. “Why don’t we have everyone go out on the back deck and pool area? I’ll have some food brought out. We’ll make it casual so you don’t have to meet everyone all at once.”
“Sounds good,” Kade said.
Sophie turned and began to lead the way. Kade fell into step beside Annie.
“Annie, thank you,” Kade said, holding out his hand to her. “I don’t fucking know what I’m doing.”
She took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “You’re doing great, Kade, but stop thanking me. You would do this for me.”
Chapter Seven
‡
Kade and Annie had just stepped onto the veranda when a much younger brunette came rushing out of the door with a stern-looking man on her heels. She said something quickly to Sophie then flew past her. Sophie waved to Kade and disappeared into the lodge.
There was little time to brace himself before Kade received a bone-crushing hug from a woman half his size. Still holding on to Annie’s hand, Kade righted himself, then gave the woman’s back a pat. She hung on, and before she said anything he knew exactly who she was. It might have been the photos he’d looked over, but he knew her. “Kenzi.”
She raised her head, all tears and smiles. “Hey twin. I’ve missed you.” She stepped back and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I always knew you were alive. It may sound crazy, but I felt you.”
Her simple greeting reverberated through him. He’d somehow always known about her. He glanced at Annie before saying, “Not crazy. I always knew there was something calling to me. I didn’t know it was a someone.”
A tall man in a dark gray suit joined them. Although he had an imposing presence, Kenzi slid beneath his arm and hugged him as if he were a teddy bear. “This is my husband. Dax, did you hear what he said?”
“I did.” He gave his wife an indulgent smile then offered his hand for a shake. “Dax Marshall.”
Kade shook his hand. “Kade Thompson.” It felt important to state that right away.
Kenzi exchanged a look with Dax then turned her attention to Annie. “I didn’t realize Kade was bringing someone with him. Welcome.”
“Thank you. My name is Annie Martin. Kade and I grew up together.” She smiled warmly at Kenzi and Dax, shaking both of their hands with a naturalness that eased some of the tension. “It’s a pleasure to meet more of his family.”
Kade’s breath caught in his throat. Not only had she validated his life in Australia—something he was just beginning to understand he needed—but she was also suggesting he wouldn’t have to choose between his two families. More family didn’t sound as threatening as what some might have called his real family. Pamela and Dave would always be his parents. He didn’t know what these people would be to him, but Annie was a calming force. He wanted to believe something good would come from meeting with the Barringtons. However, if opening his life to the Barringtons endangered the people he loved, he would never forgive himself for not protecting them.
Breaking the silence that followed, Dax asked, “How are you holding up, Kade? You just had a bomb dropped on you.”
“I’ll admit it’s . . . it’s . . . a bit overwhelming.” Kade looked past Dax, half expecting the rest of the Barringtons to charge out onto the veranda.
“Mom said she’ll gather everyone by the pool. You met Grant and Viviana already. Are you okay with meeting everyone else en masse?” Kenzi asked.
Like I have much of a choice? “Yeah, I’m good.”
Annie gave Kade’s hand a supportive squeeze. “How many of your family came?”
Kenzi counted them off on her fingers. “Well, Mom and Dad, of course. Grant, Viviana, her brothers, and her father. Then there’s Ian, Asher and Emily, oh, and their little one, Joseph. Lance and Willa brought their two, Wendy and Laney. Andrew is here with Helene and her parents.” Kenzi smiled at Dax. “Oh, and we can’t forget Clay and Lexi. Clay is Dax’s friend and Lexi is Willa’s twin sister. T
“Simple,” Kade repeated, his head spinning.
Dax nodded toward the lodge. “Your family takes a little getting used to, but they’re good people.”
Kenzi swatted him lightly. “Dax, that’s so—”
“True?” With a smile, Dax kissed his wife on the temple. “Sorry, Kenzi. I’m flashing back to the first time I met your family. This might be different, but Kade needs to know that some of them deal with change better than others.”
“They’re all happy we found you, Kade,” Kenzi protested.
“They are,” Dax agreed, but when he met Kade’s gaze, he added, “but not all of your brothers may demonstrate that in the same manner.”
Tipping her head back, Kenzi challenged, “You make them sound so . . . so . . .”
Dax didn’t say anything but he arched both of his eyebrows and shrugged.
Kenzi’s eyes narrowed, then a slow smile spread across her face. “Lance is a sweetheart.”
With a grin, Dax hugged his wife. “I’ll concede Lance, but the rest of them take skill to navigate. I’m just saying, Kade, if you need me, I have your back.” He snapped his fingers. “I should also apologize ahead of time for my friend, Clay. He’s definitely an asshole, but he really wanted to come. Give him a chance. He’s a good one to have in your corner, and he’ll grow on you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.” Kade met Annie’s eyes. What the hell are we walking into?
Her answering smile was bright and forced.
Yeah, that’s what I thought. This has the potential of being a real shitfest.
Right then, Kade added a silent caveat to how long he and Annie would stay that day. Bringing her had been an instinctive but selfish decision. If anyone was less than welcoming to her, he didn’t give a shit—he’d take Annie out of there. She had been nothing but good to him and no one would mistreat her.
Kenzi rolled her eyes skyward, but she was smiling. “Now that we’ve practically scared you off, Kade, why don’t we go in?”
Kade leaned down. “You good, Annie?”
She held his gaze for a long moment. “Let’s do this.”
If Kade had hoped for a moment to assess the group before they noticed his arrival, it was an opportunity that wasn’t meant to be. As soon as he and Annie stepped into the pool area, conversations ended. He told himself he would probably react the same way if their positions were reversed, but that didn’t make their sustained attention less awkward. Kenzi and Dax walked in first and stood off to the side with Sophie and her husband, Dale.
My biological father.
Feeling nothing beyond wishing he’d wake up and discover none of this was real, Kade forced himself to continue to walk forward. He waved awkwardly at the group in general. They waved back.
Sophie touched her husband’s arm and the two of them walked to greet him. She must have asked everyone to give them a moment alone, because no one else moved. Dale Barrington didn’t look as happy to have found his biological son as Sophie had been.
“Thank you for coming out to meet us,” Dale said in a stilted tone. He met Kade’s gaze briefly then looked somewhere past him.
Sophie’s arm was looped through his. “Ken—Kade, this is your father, Dale.”
Hello, Dad? G’day, mate? Kade didn’t voice either greeting because neither felt right.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barrington,” Annie said, holding out her hand to him.
He shook it. “Dale, please. No need for formality. You must be Annie.” He raised his eyes to Kade again. “Sophie told me you and Kade have been friends for a very long time.”
“Long enough for me to have an arsenal of embarrassing photos of him”—Annie winked at Dale—“that I’m willing to share.”
Dale’s smile appeared strained. “I’d like to see any photos either of you have. We have a lot to catch up on. So much time was lost.” His face paled. “So much.”
Hugging his arm, Sophie said, “We’ve found him, Dale. That’s all that matters.”
Grant and his fiancée’s arrival was a welcome reprieve from the silence that followed Sophie’s declaration. He shook Kade’s hand.
Viviana smiled at Annie. “Hi. I’m Viviana.” She hugged her then stepped back and rubbed a hand over her protruding stomach. “I hug for two.”
“Annie,” Annie said. “How far along are you?”
“Not far enough, despite how it looks.” She tipped her head to grin at Grant. “That’s why having a wedding here is ideal. We’ll get it over with while we’re here then head home while it’s still safe for me to fly.”
Grant put an arm around her waist. “Get it over with, huh?”
She chuckled. “You know what I mean.” She looked to Kade and her expression changed. “As long as that’s okay with you. When I suggested it, I wasn’t thinking about how difficult this might be for you. If it’s too much, just say so. Really, it’s not going to be anything fancy. No bridesmaids or groomsmen. Just a ceremony and food. A lot like today, but I’ll be in a wedding dress if I can find a tent-sized one.” When Kade didn’t immediately respond, Viviana added, “I’ll cancel it. It’s too much—”
“No, it’s good,” Kade said abruptly. He’d meant to say it with more conviction. He didn’t want to be the reason Grant and Viviana weren’t married before they had their baby, and he was actually beginning to like the couple. Grant didn’t say much, but when he did it was calm and respectful. Viviana was a bubbling fountain of genuine excitement and smiles. They were a good fit for each other. “Your family is already here. It makes sense to do it now.”
That’s all it took for Viviana to wave her father over to introduce him. Kade shook his beefy hand and nodded. He could see where Connor and Dylan got their height from. Thankfully, he didn’t share their personalities.
“I’d introduce you to my sons, but they wandered off,” the man said.
“We met them on the way in,” Annie supplied. “They’re headed to town to my father’s pub for the free beer I offered them.”
“Sounds about right,” the older man said with a smile. “They’re good boys, but they can get a little wild.”
Grant looked as if that were something he liked about them. “Annie, if you give us the address, Viv and I will collect them later. We’ll give them a chance to enjoy themselves a little first.”
Annie gave Grant the address and directions on how best to get there.
Viviana waved toward a table of food that was set up on the other side of the pool. “Annie, I don’t know if you’re hungry, but I’m starving. Would you like to make a plate up with me? You know, so I won’t look like the only one who can’t wait?”
Annie glanced at Kade with uncertainty. He nodded once to reassure her. Despite what Dax had said, everything was going relatively smoothly.
“I am rather hungry,” Annie said, stepping away to join Viviana.
Grant addressed Viviana’s father. “I could eat. What about you? Hungry?”
“Always.” He shook Kade’s hand one last time. “Great to meet you, Kade.”
“You, too,” Kade said sincerely. Maybe Annie was right, and he could look at these people as simply more of his family.
“So, you met Connor and Dylan?” Dale asked.
“I did.” Kade wasn’t used to not knowing how to talk to someone. In his line of work, he met all types of people. Heading into the bush with them had a way of bonding people. Many came back year after year, becoming friends as well as clients.
But Sophie and Dale? They had an expectation of a relationship Kade didn’t know if he was capable of.
Sophie chuckled. “Look at his knuckles, Dale. He has some Asher in him.”
Dale didn’t laugh . . . didn’t even smile. “Asher is one of your brothers.”
“I know,” Kade said. “I read about your family last night.”
“Your family too,” Dale said thickly then stopped and swayed on his feet. “I’m sorry. I need to sit down for a minute.”
“Are you okay?” Kade asked, taking him by the arm, prepared to physically assist Dale as he would any person who looked unsteady on their feet.
Sophie’s eyes widened. “Did you take your medication, Dale? You know what the doctor said. If you feel any pain you have to take it right away.”
“I’m not in pain, at least not more than I deserve.” Dale pulled away from Kade. “I’m fine. I just need to sit down.” He turned and started to walk way.
His departure stung of rejection, and that thought must have shown on Kade’s face because Sophie looked torn. She touched Kade’s arm. “He feels so guilty. I wish I knew how to ease his pain.”
“It’ll be okay, Sophie.” Kade put his hand over hers and hoped he was right. The truth was he didn’t know these people or if anything would ever be okay again.
“Dale was always the one taking care of me. I have to go to him, Kade,” Sophie said and gave his arm a squeeze. She hesitated and searched his face.
He could feel her plea, so he said, “I’m fine.”
“I’ll be right back,” Sophie said then rushed after Dale.
Before Kade had a chance to digest that conversation, three of his brothers encircled him with their wives and children in tow. Introductions were made with mind-spinning speed. Asher introduced his wife, Emily, and Joseph, their young son who babbled and waved a spit-covered hand at him. Asher looked like a man who had a high opinion of himself. So this is the one I’m supposed to be so much like? To Kade the similarities didn’t go beyond hair and eye color.
Lance introduced his wife, Willa, along with the twin baby girls they held—Wendy and Laney. He looked exhausted, but happy. Everything about Lance supported what Kade had heard about him. The nice brother.
Ian stood by himself, watchful in a way that reminded Kade of when Dax had said that not all of his brothers would react the same way to his entry to their lives. Although Ian paired a smile with an offer to shake Kade’s hand, there was no warmth in his eyes.
An uncomfortable silence followed the introductions. Willa took Laney from Lance and asked Emily if she wanted to take the children into the shade. Emily looked reluctant to leave Asher, but her husband lowered their little one to the ground, and she led him away with Willa.
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