“You trying to keep her a secret, son?” Craig says. “I knew about your new apprentice the minute she got here. Lynn was about to go snorkeling, and I was at the pool. I’d just ordered a daiquiri. I’ll never forget that moment.”
Christopher grunts, but his eyes are happy. “Knock it off.”
“That’s exactly when Sophie texted,” Craig continues. He turns to me, a twinkle in his eye. “Welcome to Emerald Creek, where your business is everybody’s business. Lynn is beside herself finally getting to meet you.”
Lynn greets me with a hug. After we leave our coats and boots in the mud room, she hooks her arm through mine and takes me to the great room, where everyone seems to be gathered, the men right behind us.
A fire is roaring in the hearth, and groups of people are scattered, talking and laughing. Grace is next to a window, a glass of red wine in hand, chatting with Cassandra and Sophie. Willow is plopped on the floor in front of the fireplace, playing a game of cards with people I don’t know.
Craig claps Christopher on the shoulder. “So, I hear someone finally got through to you and convinced you to do that TV show?”
I glance at Christopher and warm at his small smile. “You could say that,” he answers.
My belly flutters as I watch him and Craig walk away, talking about the competition as they join a group of men.
“Beer? Wine? Tea? Hot spiked cider?” Lynn asks me.
“Hot spiked cider sounds awesome,” I say and follow her to the open kitchen.
Haley is ladling mac’n cheese in baking dishes. “Can I help?” I ask.
“Nope, got it,” she answers. “You do enough food prep all week. Sit down,” she says, indicating the bar stools lining the island.
“Here,” Lynn says, handing me a steaming cup decorated with a cinnamon stick. “Our own apple cider doctored with local bourbon. Should warm you up.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
She sits next to me, nursing her own steaming mug. “So, tell me. How is our Christopher treating you?”
I nearly choke on my drink. “Everything’s great. He’s a good boss.”
“Good. It helps that Skye is a sweetie. Christopher can be such a grump sometimes, but she softens him. How are you liking Emerald Creek so far?”
I tell her I love it here, and the back and forth continues effortlessly between us. She’s motherly in a way that brings tears to my eyes, asking who I’ve met in town, inquiring about my likes and dislikes in terms of food, and then asking me if I miss Brooklyn. All without ever putting me on the spot. Never making me feel like I should say something fake just to be nice. “But it must be so hard to be away from home,” she insists when I tell her how much I love living here.
“I’m not sure where home is,” I say. Although I’m already on my second mug of hot, generously spiked cider, it’s not the alcohol talking. It’s this woman. She’s so kind and deep, I feel like I could just crawl onto her lap and cry my sorrows, and she’d make it all go away.
“Awww,” she says, giving me a side hug, “we got ourselves another misfit.” Wow. Even Lynn, who I’ve just met, and is the nicest person, can tell I’m not cut for having a family. I guess it really is something in our DNA. People sense it.
Lynn sighs lightly, as if she hadn’t just said the most true and painful thing for me to hear. I can’t hold it against her. Actually, I’m grateful to her for the gentle reminder. This—the big family—is not for me, and if I had any fantasies popping into my head just by being here, I should nix them right away. I lean into her side hug, thankful for her levelheadedness, while she looks up at Haley and two tall, handsome guys who look just like Justin.
“Mom,” one of the guys says, shaking his head, “you’re crushing her.”
“I am not. This is my son Hunter,” she says to me, “and his brother Logan.”
“I’m not your son? Just his brother?” Logan says, looking dejected.
“It’s the same, Logan,” Lynn says, rolling her eyes as she stands from the barstool.
“Not the same to me, if you don’t mind,” Logan says, wrapping his mother in his arms.
“Awwww, baby’s gotta a heartache,” Hunter says, his hand on his heart. “Boo-hoo.”
“Shut up, Hunter.”
“Get over it, I’m her favorite.”
“Guys, really.” Haley rolls her eyes. “D’you have brothers, Alex?”