by Cee, DW
“I can’t wait to meet them!”
I couldn’t share in his confidence.
Delilah: What!
“Hello. I’m Rhys Kent. It’s so very nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.” With his enigmatic smile, he’d already charmed Mom. She had a huge grin on her face. “From pictures, I didn’t realize what Lilah was saying, but now I see that it’s a huge compliment when she says I resemble you.” Immediately, my father was all smiles, too.
“Hello Rhys. Welcome to our home. We weren’t expecting you,” Mom said and moved us all into the family room. No sooner had we sat, than my three brothers joined us.
“Hi. I’m Rhys. You must be DJ.”
“Yeah, uh, hi.” My younger brother sounded like any teenager. “May I be excused?” he asked Mom. “I need to finish my homework before Jacob and I head to the baseball game.”
“Yes, DJ, you may be excused.” There was so much love in Mom’s eyes. Being the youngest, and Dad’s mini-me, DJ would always be the favorite. That was the same for all the youngests. Jacob, Maxie, and Nicolette held center-court at every family function.
“Nice meeting you,” my brother surprisingly blurted as he hopped upstairs.
“Same here. I hope we can chat soon.” I was so proud of Rhys for trying to acquaint himself with this intimidating family. “So, where can I find this ‘May I Date Your Daughter?’ application?” he asked with sincerity.
No surprise, Dad had one nearby and handed it to him. “Has Delilah told you about our voting policy?”
Rhys couldn’t hide his amusement. “She has, and I can’t wait to meet all the family members who have a vote. My Lilah has been nervous since I asked her to marry me. I thought the best thing to do would be to come here and settle her worries. I think I’m a fairly likeable guy. I’m hoping you will all agree with me.”
I could tell Mom was about there. She liked him a lot. Dad, despite having his ego stroked in the beginning, wasn’t as taken.
“What do you do, Rhys?” Henry asked.
“How do you plan on supporting our sister?” Scottie joined.
“You’re holding back my brilliant girl from achieving all that she can. Her future is on hold because of you. What will you do to help her succeed? I don’t like her waiting for you to decide what you’ll do with your life.” Dad was a bit harsh with his statement. Once Rhys was voted into the family, our lives would move on as planned.
“I’d like to hear about your family, Rhys. Do your parents and brothers approve of our baby girl?” Mom was the last one to ask.
My fiancé didn’t bat an eye at all these questions. He answered them like a pro. Starting with my mother, he explained, “Mum and Father love Lilah almost as much as I do. Love, adore, infatuated, obsessed—take your pick, they wanted us married the moment they met her. My brothers and their wives, aside from the small complaint that Mum and Dad have completely forgotten them, find Lilah simply charming.”
I added, “Rhys’ family is very much like ours, Mom. They are close. You can ask Uncle Michael and Auntie Chloe. The Kents and Benningtons are longtime family friends.” That satisfied Mom, for now.
Next, Rhys spoke to my brothers. “Depending on our marriage plans, I will attend Oxford Graduate School and earn a degree in diplomatic studies. Since Lilah is gifted with languages, I was hoping she’d continue in linguistics and we could live around the world. As for finances, our family has some money set aside for me, and we should be fine dipping into those funds where needed. Once I’m employed, the basics should be covered with my paycheck. Anything extra will be covered with my trust fund.” My brothers had nothing to say in response. If I explained to Henry and Scottie how deep the Kent family coffer ran, they wouldn’t ever worry again about their sister being provided for—not that wealth impressed them or my parents.
Last, Rhys had to respond to my dad’s question, but with tact. It was my parents holding us back right now. “Just like you tried with your fiancée, I’d like to travel the world with my wife the first year. According to Lilah, between your family and ours, I think we have homes just about everywhere. It would be nice to take advantage of such luxury before we have to face responsibilities and before we have children. Marrying young, we can enjoy life a few years before we’re wedded to our kids.”
I loved Rhys’ answers and I loved this man. Dad went silent—though he didn’t stay that way for long. “Where will you settle? I don’t want to be one of those fathers who sees his daughter and grandchildren once a year.”
“Once we’re settled, I was hoping I could buy Michael and Chloe’s home on this block. Lilah says there are no other homes for purchase. If that’s not possible, I thought it would be nice to buy a home nearby. That appears to be the only viable answer to staying close to you and Mrs. Taylor. Of course, we’ll spend much time in England, too. During those months, you’re welcome to stay with us. All our homes have guest homes on the properties.”
It was comical to see my talkative father, speechless. I knew better than to laugh, but a smile couldn’t be helped. Even Mom held back a giggle when she saw Dad thinking of a counter-argument.
“How about we invite the family over for dinner tonight and have them get to know you? I think a vote is imminent.” Mom was the best! She liked Rhys and wanted us to succeed.
“Sounds good,” Dad agreed. “Fill out your form and if the family feels you’ve passed the meet and greet, we’ll go over your application and decide on when to vote.”
“Yes, Sir.”
That was it. My family left us alone in the family room and they went about their business.
“You did it! I knew my family would love you.” I hugged my fiancé tightly; I was so damn happy.
He hugged me back just as firmly. “I can’t say they loved me, but I was thrilled when I saw a smile on your mother’s face. She really is beautiful, Lilah. You are the spitting image of your mom.”
“I can’t wait until the rest of my family meets you. Ellie’s been singing your praises to her family, so I know at least Auntie Emily is on your side. All the women will love you.”
“Unfortunately, my fair lady, your family is mostly men,” he lamented with a smile. “What shall we do until tonight’s dinner?”
“How about I call out all my cousins? You can meet them and win them over before the rest of the family arrives. That way, you’ll have a head start.”
“Where will we meet the lot? You said there are close to one hundred cousins?”
“We can meet at the park. I’ll call a few restaurants and order snacks. In the meanwhile, let’s enlist Ellie and James. They’ll help us. James is the nicest one on this cul-de-sac.”
“Sounds like you have everything figured out, my fair lady. At this rate, we can marry next month.”
“Next month??? A little soon, don’t you think?”
“The sooner the better, Lilah.”
I seriously loved this man! I couldn’t wait to start our future ASAP.
Delilah: Where and When?
“Hello,” was the word of the night. Every last cousin, aunt, uncle, and grand-anyone came to greet Rhys. Talk about overwhelming!
Earlier in the day, Ellie helped me coordinate a meet-and-greet with the cousins and more than half of them came to Reid Place park to get acquainted with my fiancé. They all approved of my choice, especially the girls.
“So, if our parents vote you in, when and where will you marry?” Maxie asked. She was the most starry-eyed over Rhys.
The love of my life and I hadn’t spoken about specific wedding plans. “Mom would be heartbroken if we don’t have a wedding on the cul-de-sac,” I mentioned. “She and Dad married in my grandparents’ backyard, and Grandma Babs plus Auntie Chloe will put on the best wedding.”
“I thought we might marry in one of our castles, whether in England or the south of France, but if you want to marry here, we can do that, too.”
My female cousins were close to swooning. “Castles?” They asked in unison.
“Lilah, you can do whatever your heart desires. If you want to have a wedding at Reid Place, that will be fine with me. Maybe we’ll have a destination engagement party and a family wedding in the US.”
“When will you marry?” Nicolette inquired.
“As soon as possible. I can’t wait to live with this beautiful woman!” Rhys’ declaration had the women in a tizzy again. The teenage squeals attracted the attention of my aunts and uncles.
They all walked over and got to know my fiancé. Being the sensitive man that he was, Rhys understood my fraying nerves. He inched closer and placed his arm around my waist, giving me affection and security.
Uncle Jake opened the interview with, “So tell us, Rhys, where and when did you first notice our niece?”
“We were at a party for a mutual acquaintance, and I actually heard her before I noticed her.” I had no idea he had noticed my laugh. “Lilah has the most melodious laugh. It was hard not to go searching for the owner of this beautiful sound.”
“Really, Rhys? You never told me that.”
In a room full of people, Rhys looked at me as though I was the only one here. “Once I saw the face, the voice couldn’t compare. You are the loveliest woman in any setting, my fair lady.”
How could I not love this man? was the silent message I sent to all voting relatives. Rhys had impressed the ladies, not so much the men.
“OK. So our Lilah has a cute laugh. We always thought it was a little reminiscent of Steve Urkel, but hey, to each ear its own.”
“Who’s Steve Urkel, Uncle Nick?” I asked.
The men laughed while the women tried not to laugh. “You need to see him for yourself. Look him up on YouTube, Lilah.”
“Though I was first attracted to her physical appearance, as soon as we began talking, I knew Lilah was my very own angel.” I didn’t appreciate the eye-rolling and snickering from the male cousins and uncles. My father and brothers were the biggest offenders.
“So what did this angel say that made you think she was the one?” Uncle Max asked.
“Lilah first spoke of her trip to London with her cousin, then she spoke most affectionately about her family in Los Angeles. With a family she adored and a family who adored her in return, I knew this was a girl who understood the importance of giving and receiving love. Only after she told an abridged version of each of her aunt and uncle’s love stories, did we get around to telling each other about ourselves. Since you all have such spectacular tales, I’m sure we’ll learn plenty from you.”
My Rhys was brilliant! There was a knowing smile on everyone’s faces. What he said was completely true, but when he said it was absolute genius. My aunts and uncles loved talking about their love stories.
“Trust me when I say,” Auntie Emily spoke with a sweet smile, “our stories were not all hearts and flowers. We all went through some tough times.”
Then Auntie Jane added, “We all think love is the easiest, most wonderful feeling in the world, but it can bring hardship and sadness.”
“While we love that our Lilah believes she’s found her happily-ever-after, we’d feel a whole lot better if you two would slow down and get to know one another. What’s the rush? You’re young. Date. Become best friends. Fall in love slowly. There’s no better emotion than the first time—”
Dad didn’t let Auntie Bee continue. He cut her off to say, “Not that kind of first time! What Bee means is your first date, first dinner, first—”
Uncle Jake interrupted with, “Kiss? Overnight together?”
“Hell no! Are you here to help? Was I not there to scare the hell out of what’s his name? That asshole who broke our Ellie’s heart? I knew he wasn’t good enough for my niece.”
“Perhaps you’re the reason it didn’t work.” Though the words sounded like an accusation, Uncle Jake wasn’t upset. He was actually proud of Dad’s handiwork. “No one’s happier than I that my girl doesn’t have a man in her life.”
“Jake.” Auntie Emily whispered, motioning toward my cousin who was walking away from us. “She’s still heartbroken. Must you bring this up?”
“If he’s not man enough to love my brilliant daughter, then he doesn’t deserve her.”
“Damn right!” Uncle Max agreed. “Hallelujah that Maxie is only sixteen. I’m hoping for another ten-year reprieve before she starts dating.”
“Shit, Max. She’s yours and Jane’s daughter, plus she’s got that red-hair-green-eye-spitfire combo. I give you two years. Once she’s off to college, she’s going to meet a man who will turn your hair gray and give you nightmares.” Dad was laughing hard by the time he finished his statement. Uncles Jake and Nick joined in the laughter.
“You always were a pain in the ass. Laney obviously didn’t make you suffer enough when you were chasing her all around Europe.”
Rhys interrupted their discussion by asking Dad, “Would you mind telling me, in detail, all that happened with you and Mrs. Taylor? Lilah told me Mrs. Taylor had a crush on you as a little child?”
That was the end of Rhys’ interview. Everyone sat and listened to my parents’ attempt to tell his/her side of the story. Interrupting their saga were all the aunts and uncles whose lives had been intertwined with my parents’. No matter how many times I’d heard these stories, I always learned something new. Tonight was the first time I learned about the incestuous relationship between most of the adults on this cul-de-sac. Who knew that Uncle Max and Auntie Emily had dated for four years? Who on earth would have believed that my dad and Auntie Janie had a thing? Eew! Tonight was a no-holds-barred night with everyone adding pieces to the Reid/Davis/Taylor soap opera.
“Tonight was a hell of a night and your family is fantastic, Lilah. I think I love your family almost as much as I love you.”
I, too, had the time of my life tonight. “I think you passed with flying colors. Mom says the vote is happening soon. My family all approved. I’m so pleased, Rhys.”
“Your family is even more entertaining than mine. What a phenomenal group of people they are. We will all get on nicely.”
“You think so?”
“How could two people who raised someone like you not be fantastic? As intimidating as it was, I liked that the men in your life protected you all these years. They kept you safe for me.”
I was so in love with Rhys Thane Kent. He was perfection. What could stop us from having the best marriage?
Donovan Taylor: Why Me?
“It appears reckoning day has come early,” damn Jake spoke with a smirk.
“Or not soon enough, depending upon who you ask,” double-damn Max added.
“Thank God my Nicolette is too young for all this. I have enough trouble with the boys. I don’t need my girl giving me ulcers.”
After Jake, Max, and Nick had their say, I asked, “Are you here to harass or help? I need some solid evidence so I can stop this wedding.”
All the men who began speaking were of no damn help.
My dad started with, “I found Rhys to be a delightful young man. He’s handsome, polite, and has good manners.”
My father-in-law added, “Let’s not forget how rich he is, Scott. That helps. He’ll be able to take care of our baby girl.”
“I, too, had a productive conversation with him tonight.” I knew, one day, Max would get me back for that one measly kiss with his wife so many damn years ago. “Though he might come from money, he’s also focused and has a plan. You have to admire a young man who understands what he wants, makes a plan, and goes for it.”
