“Okay, you’ve got Peanut and the gang. If you need me, I’ll be across the hall. Just come and knock.”
He watched Taylor pull the covers over Reese. The little girl clutched her stuffed tiger tightly. A stuffed penguin and a unicorn rested on the pillow to her right, while a stuffed white-and-black dog and an elephant rested under the covers on her left. He’d been surprised she’d managed to cram so many animals into her backpack. Taylor hadn’t blinked an eye when Reese pulled one animal after another from the bag.
“See you in the morning. I love you.” Taylor kissed Reese’s cheek.
Reese returned the hug. “Love you, too, Auntie Taylor.” She let go and looked over at him. “Can I give you a good night hug, too?”
Before he’d realized it, she’d wrapped him around her little finger. Denying her anything, whether it was a soccer lesson, or in this case a hug, was now impossible. He came forward and took the seat Taylor vacated. What did people say when they tucked kids in? He tried to remember all the times his parents put him to bed.
“Sweet dreams, short stuff.”
Reese kissed his cheek as she wrapped her arms around him. “’Night, Curt. I love you. Thanks for walking in the ocean with me.”
He cleared his throat, trying to dislodge the golf ball stuck there. “Love you, too.” Reese, much like her aunt, had crept into his heart and taken up residence there.
Taylor didn’t comment on the words exchanged in Reese’s room as they walked back outside. She must have heard their conversation. Reese wasn’t exactly one to speak in a low voice, and Taylor had been standing close by.
“Between the TV in the room and the private bathroom, we might have trouble getting her to leave Sunday night. She’s been asking for a TV in her bedroom for over two years. And even I’d love my own bathroom.”
He’d brought a bottle of wine outside with them. Curt poured them each a glass and passed one to her as he listened.
“This condo is beautiful and the view incredible. I could get used to seeing this view every morning and night. I can’t believe you don’t live here year-round.”
“The drive from here into Boston every day would’ve killed me. But I try to spend weekends here in the summer. I want you and Reese to come with me when I do.” He sipped his wine and enjoyed the rich citrus flavor.
She didn’t take a drink but instead set the glass down. “I heard Reese tell you she loves you.” Taylor’s fingers moved up and down the stem of the glass, her face a mask of worry and concentration. “And I heard your response.”
Curt interpreted her worry immediately, but she continued before he had a chance to comment.
“I don’t want her to get hurt.” Taylor’s voice contained an uncharacteristic wobble, something he never wanted to hear again when she spoke.
“I meant what I said. I don’t know when it happened. Maybe when she started our soccer lessons. But I love her.” Moving to the edge of his seat, Curt put his wine glass down next to hers. “I love her aunt, too.” He spilled his heart out. It was her turn.
“Really? Do you know when that happened?”
Damned if I know exactly. “Maybe the day we put together my patio furniture. I asked you for an Allen wrench from the toolbox. Instead of asking what it looks like, you asked me what size I wanted. Other women I know would’ve either told me to get it myself or brought over the entire box because they didn’t know what I was talking about.”
“Well, knowing the difference between tools comes in handy. Imagine the disaster if the guy you love asked for a flat-head screwdriver and you brought him a hammer instead. He’d never finish renovating his house. He’d be stuck living there a long time because he couldn’t sell it.”
“I’m not really in any rush to finish. I enjoy doing the work and don’t see myself selling the place anyway.”
“Wasn’t your grand plan to complete your book, renovate the house, and move on?”
Curt shrugged and reached for her. “Yeah, but when I made it I didn’t know a sexy DEA agent who knew her way around a toolbox would be living next door. Now that I do, I changed the plan.” He moved in, ready to kiss her.
“Change is good.” She crossed the empty space between them. “I’m glad you moved next door.” Her last words were smothered against his lips.
Me, too. Her kiss made answering her verbally impossible. So he used his lips to show her instead.
Chapter Fourteen
While not as opulent and grandiose as the Gilded Age mansion along Bellevue Avenue, his cousin’s home was more or less exactly what she’d expected. Located on Ocean Drive, the home sat on a piece of land jutting into the ocean. Sprawling green lawns spread out in all directions around the front of the home, providing a buffer between the house and the street. She could see at least three chimneys and various decks as Curt passed through the gates and down the driveway. They’d left all the vehicle’s windows down, and the sound of crashing waves entertained them along the way, getting louder the farther they drove.
“Are you sure it’s only family today?” She checked out the eight other cars parked around them, three with license plates from as far as Virginia. She recognized all the makes and models, even if she couldn’t afford most of them. Two, though, didn’t belong in the group with the others. The dark-colored pickup trucks, both with Virginia plates, stood out among the Mercedes and Porsches parked around them.
“Positive. Trent would’ve told me otherwise.” Curt got out, then came around to open her door. “It doesn’t look like my parents are here yet.”
He’d never told her his parents would be here, too. She would’ve remembered a detail like that. “Your parents are coming?”
He closed the door Reese had left open when she climbed out. Eager for some exploration, she went off to check out the flowers near the garage. “I thought I told you.” He sounded genuinely uncertain.
“Nope.”
“Mom texted me Wednesday and said they’d be here.”
She’d prepared herself to meet his cousins and uncle Mark. Meeting the guy’s parents fell into a league all its own. Her boyfriend senior year of college had been the last one to introduce her to his parents. None of her relationships since then had even approached the level of seriousness that required an introduction to parents.
“Taylor, don’t worry, they’ll love you.” Curt kissed her cheek and smiled. “Ready to go, short stuff?” he called out, before she answered or voiced her sudden apprehension.
An older woman with light brown hair and dark eyes answered the door. She didn’t resemble any of the Sherbrookes Taylor had seen in pictures. However, dressed in tan-colored shorts and a floral print top, she didn’t appear to be a staff member either. Curt confirmed her theory by hugging the woman.
“I was so glad when Trent said you were coming. I don’t think I’ve seen you since New Year’s,” the woman said. She looked Taylor’s way, a genuine smile spread across her face. “Trent mentioned you were bringing friends.” The woman extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. My stepson said you live next door to Curt.”
Taylor matched the new pieces of information with what she already knew about the Sherbrooke family. If this was Trent’s stepmother, then she was Mark Sherbrooke’s wife. “Yes, along with my mother and niece. That’s how we met.” She wondered what other details Curt had shared with his cousin.
“Abby, this is my girlfriend, Taylor, and her niece, Reese.” Curt finally got a word in. “Taylor, Abby is my uncle Mark’s wife. Did Trent put you on door duty? Do you need me to set him straight for you? I’ll go do it right now.”
“He’d never do that and you know it. I was on my way upstairs when the doorbell rang. Everyone is outside. I’ll be back down soon.” Abby walked away, leaving the three of them in the foyer.
“This place is ginormous.” Reese’s voice sounded extra loud in the silence. She turned in a small circle, her head tipped back as she gazed up at the two-story ceiling.
Well, she’s n
ot wrong.
While the house Curt owned was large, it would fit into this one with room to spare. “Let’s keep that comment to yourself.” Taylor wished she’d gone over the type of comments Reese should try to refrain from blurting out.
“Don’t worry about it. Both of you just have fun today.”
He led them down a few hallways and finally stopped at a set of glass doors. On the other side, several people sat relaxing on the patio furniture, and she could see a few more guests on the sand. She put her hand over his before he pushed open the door.
“How about a quick run through of who’s who out there.”
“You met Trent already. The woman sitting next to him is his wife, Addie.”
She’d guessed as much, but didn’t interrupt him.
“The guy walking up from the beach with the baby on his shoulders is Trent’s brother-in-law as well as my cousin Allison’s boyfriend, Rock. The baby is Trent’s son, Kendrick. Allison’s not on the deck, so she must be down on the beach.”
At least five people sat on the beach, and two of them were women. They both faced the water, making it impossible to see their faces and identify them.
“I’m guessing you recognize my cousin Jake.”
Once referred to as Prince Charming by the media, she’d been seeing pictures of Jake Sherbrooke, the president’s son, since she was a teenager. “Yep. He looks a little familiar.”
Curt laughed. “Can’t imagine why.”
“And I’m guessing the redhead with him is his wife.”
“Correct, Agent Walker. And the baby trying to wiggle down from Charlie’s lap is their son, Garret.”
“Since he’s the president’s son, shouldn’t there be Secret Service agents lurking around? Last time I checked, the president’s children got secret service protection while he was in office no matter how old they are.”
“Who’s the president’s son?” Reese asked, letting Taylor know she was paying attention even if she didn’t appear to be.
“My cousin Jake.” Curt answered Reese first. “And he declined the protection right after Uncle Warren took office. Found it too intrusive.”
“I’m not sure I’d do that, but okay.” Put in a similar situation she’d probably opt for the protection, even if it meant someone looking over her shoulder all the time. “What about the ones at the table with the umbrella?”
“The man with the gray hair is Trent’s father-in-law, Sal. Next to him is Trent’s mother-in-law, Marta. Uncle Mark is sitting across from them.”
“Got it.”
“I saw Gray’s car. He and Kiera must be down on the beach. Alec, too, because we parked next to his car.”
“And who’s the guy walking up from the beach now?” While handsome and around the same age as Curt’s cousins, he didn’t look anything like a Sherbrooke. Actually, he resembled the guy Curt called Rock quite a bit.
“Must be one of Addie’s brothers. She has four. I’ve only met two, Rock and Jon. He’s either Tom or Frank.”
She stored all the names and faces away. “Besides your parents, are a lot more people coming?”
“Beats me.” He shrugged and opened the door. “Ready to formally meet the fam?”
Ready as I’ll ever be.
Taylor’s apprehension lasted for all of ten seconds after stepping out onto the deck. Immediately, Trent and Addie came over to welcome them. He proceeded to introduce her and Reese to everyone gathered on the deck before asking if they wanted anything.
“I thought you’d be here earlier. Did you drive down from New Hampshire this morning?” Trent asked when he came back with a bottle of juice for Reese and flavored water for both his wife and Taylor.
“We came down yesterday and spent the night at my house.” Curt sat in a chair near his cousin Jake while Taylor sat next to him, Reese taking a spot on her lap.
“I had trouble getting someone out of the water this morning,” Taylor added, twisting open her water after she helped Reese open her juice.
After breakfast, Reese had begged to go for a swim in the ocean. Taylor found the water a little chilly, but it hadn’t bothered Curt or Reese.
“Did he throw one of his legendry temper tantrums?” Jake asked.
She caught the mischievous glint in Jake’s eyes—eyes that were identical in color to Curt’s—and she knew some embarrassing story must be on the way.
“We used to spend at least two weeks at Cliff House each summer. Every night before bed we were supposed to shower. Get all the sunscreen and stuff off. Curt would pitch a fit. Throw himself on the floor, roll around, and kick. He hated showers and baths.”
If looks could kill, Jake would be dead. “Old age is causing you to be confused.”
She didn’t know Jake’s exact age, but he didn’t look much older than Curt.
“It was Alec who did that every night,” Curt said.
Jake reached down and picked up his son, who decided he wanted someone’s lap to sit in again. “Are you sure?”
“He’s right. It was my brother who hated showers,” Trent said, joining the conversation. “Curt threw tantrums when your mother made us eat whatever Henri prepared for dinner.”
Jake snapped his fingers and nodded. “That’s right. If Mom was there she’d make him sit at the table, even after we all finished and left, until he at least tasted what was on his plate. He fell asleep sitting there at least once.”
A man who hadn’t been on the deck when introductions were made stopped behind Jake’s chair. “Are you talking about the night Curt face-planted into his plate because he wouldn’t touch the vegetable on the side? One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.”
“No one asked you, Gray,” Curt snapped.
Taylor giggled at the image of Curt falling asleep and landing face-first in his dinner. “Seriously, he fell into his meal?” While it’d make a funny scene in a movie, she didn’t see it actually happening.
“When he pulled his face out he had this white creamy sauce Henri served with the meal dripping off his chin and nose,” Gray said. “I think that was the last time he refused to eat what Henri served. Well, at least when Aunt Elizabeth was there. She was the only really strict one about that. And Aunt Marilyn never did it.”
“I never fall asleep at the table. But I did fall asleep at the movies.” Never one to be left out of a conversation, Reese jumped right in. “It was a boring movie.”
“Boring movies put me to sleep, too,” Gray said.
“And when he does you know, because he snores,” Curt said, perhaps sharing some embarrassing information as way to get even.
“Can I go play on the beach and build a sandcastle?” Reese asked. She’d asked about building a sandcastle both last night and this morning. Once she got an idea in her head, it didn’t leave.
“There are already some buckets and shovels down there. I can show you where to change and then bring you down and make introductions. Alec, Allison, and Kiera are all still down there,” Addie, Trent’s wife, said.
She’d anticipated Reese wanting to hit the sand and water when they arrived, and planned accordingly by having Reese put her bathing suit on under her clothes. Since she didn’t plan on touching the water, she hadn’t packed one for herself.
“I already have my bathing suit on. See?” Reese lifted her T-shirt, revealing the black-and-white-striped bathing suit top underneath. “Can we go?” She bounced on the balls of her feet and looked at Taylor. “Please.”
Not many things were more boring to a child than sitting around and listening to adults talk. “Sure.”
He watched Reese skip ahead, Taylor and Addie following closely behind her. He hadn’t been worried about whether or not his family would welcome them today. Even though none of them brought guests on a regular basis, he’d never known his family not to accept someone at a gathering. Taylor’s comfort around them had concerned him, but judging by her interaction with his cousins so far, his concern appeared unnecessary. Too bad he couldn’t say the sam
e about his comfort so far this visit. He could’ve done without Jake sharing an embarrassing story the moment they sat down.
“Glad to see things worked out. I was worried when I left your house the other day.” Trent picked up his son, who’d made his way over to him. “Still, you should’ve listened to me and Gray in the first place.”
“What did our cousin do?” Jake asked.
Trent and Gray happily filled Jake in on all the details. Neither gave Curt a chance to get a word in and defend himself.
“Stupid idea, Curt. But it looks like everything turned out okay.” Jake looked toward the beach, where Taylor stood talking to Addie while Reese began work on her sandcastle.
“And don’t worry, we’ll wait to tell her more stories about you some other time. Don’t want to scare her away yet,” Gray said.
Jake let his son climb from his lap back into Charlie’s when she returned with a bowl of grapes cut up into small pieces. “We just need to get them all in before the wedding so she knows what she’s getting ahead of time.”
“Get what in before whose wedding?” Charlie asked.
“Curt’s wedding,” Jake answered.
Charlie’s hand stopped, a grape almost to Garret’s mouth, and she looked at him instead. “You’re engaged? When did you propose?”
“No, your husband—”
Jake interrupted him before he finished. “You brought Taylor and her daughter to a family cookout. You’ve never brought a woman to a family-only event.”
Except for when he’d introduced them to Abby inside, he hadn’t mentioned Reese was Taylor’s niece. Because of the close bond between them, most of the time he thought of Reese as Taylor’s daughter. And Jake was correct. He’d brought dates to large fundraisers or events like the annual New Year’s Eve party where hundreds of people would be around, but he’d never invited a girlfriend to a private family gathering like this cookout.
The Billionaire Next Door (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 10) Page 15
