Page 47 of Desirous

Alex

Four monthslater

Kat fusses with her hair for what feels like the tenth time this morning, hogging the bathroom mirror as she stresses out about what she says is the frizzy mess on the top of her head. It looks fine to me, pretty much like it always does. Dark hair that comes to the middle of her back and feels good when I run my fingers through it.

“It looks like I have a brown haystack on my head! I can’t go looking like this!” she cries as she wets her palms yet again.

“I’m not a hair expert, but if humidity makes it frizzy, then won’t water make that worse?” I ask, instantly realizing by the look of horror on her face that I’ve made a terrible mistake.

“So it is frizzy! Oh, God. I’m going to look like a trainwreck, and I really wanted to look good to meet your grandmother for the first time.”

She starts to run her hands over her hair again, so I turn her around and take them in mine, stopping her insanity for afew moments. Bringing them to my lips, I kiss her still damp fingertips.

“It’s not frizzy. It looks great, just like you always do. And don’t worry about meeting my grandmother. I’m the favorite grandson, so you’re in.”

Kat frowns at my attempt to help. “My hair is a disaster area today, and you being the favorite isn’t as good as you think. That means she’s probably going to notice every bad thing about me because she likes you best.”

I hadn’t thought of that, but she’s wrong. Alexandria March is going to love her just like I do. “It’s going to be fine. My grandmother is going to be crazy about you. She’s heard all about you for months. Trust me. Everyone in my family considers it major news that I’ve settled down with you, so we’ve been the talk of the entire March and Jackson clan through the last three family events.”

Hanging her head, Kat quietly says, “She isn’t thinking I was avoiding meeting her those times, is she? I couldn’t help it. The first one felt like we weren’t dating long enough, and then the last two were because my parents were moving down here and my mother wanted my help those days.”

I tilt her chin up so she has to look at me when I try to reassure her. “Nobody thought you were avoiding anything. I told them to mind their own business.”

Kat’s eyes grow huge. “You told the matriarch of your family to mind her own business? Explain to me again how you’re the favorite?”

With a smile, I say, “I’m her namesake. Alexandria and Alexander. From the moment I was born, I was the favorite. She and I are a lot alike too, so that’s how I know she’s going to love you just like I do, Kat. So don’t worry about your hair or anything else. You’re a shoo-in today. You’ve met mostly everyone else, so now it’s just her.”

She takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. “Okay, remind me again who everyone is. I may have met them, but it’s hard to keep all of you straight. You’re so lucky that you only have to remember my parents’ names since I’m an only child.”

I can’t help but laugh at that. We are a big, crazy group, and I imagine it’s hard to keep who’s who straight. “Okay. You know my mother and father, Olivia and Cassian. You’ve met my brother and Savannah that one time. If you aren’t sure who he is, look for the guy who looks just like my father with the dark hair and blue eyes.”

“But Kane has dark hair and blue eyes too. Jesus, that’s confusing.”

“I know, but it’s the best way to think of it with my brother.”

Kat nods and repeats what I said. “Okay. Cash the brother with the blue eyes and dark hair looks like Cassian the father. I’d know Savannah anywhere with that gorgeous light brown hair. She’s someone I’d remember anytime.”

“Good. Now Kane you know, and I think you’ve met his wife Abbi, right? Pale blond with big blue eyes?”

“Yes, I’ve met her. She’s so beautiful too. God, her hair always looks so great every time I’ve seen her at the restaurant.”

“Okay. Only one of their kids will be there today because Annalea is still in Australia and Wilder is off in Mexico probably getting thrown into a Mexican jail.”

A look of horror settles into Kat’s features. “That’s a nice thing to say.”

“Trust me. If you knew Wilder, you’d agree. Now Liam also has dark hair and blue eyes like my father and Cash, but he’s bigger like his father.”

Her frustration bubbles over as she tries to remember who everyone is. “Your family is so hard to keep straight. So Liam, Cash, Kane, and Cassian are all dark haired with blue eyes? God, I hope I don’t get anyone confused.”

I kiss her forehead and smile. “You won’t, and if you do, it’s not that big a deal. Now Liam will be there with Mia. She’s the singer.”

“Oh, I’ll be able to pick her out too. Good!”

“Okay. Now you know Cade and Hailey because we’ve been out with them a bunch of times. She’s the baker, and he’s the guy you met that first night at Club X.”

A look of recognition fills her eyes. “Oh, yeah! I know them, and I remember his father, the one who owns Club X. They look like you. Got it. Stefan has a wife, right?”

I nod. “Shay. She might not be there today, but if she is, she’s got dark hair too. The only ones who don’t have dark hair are my mother and Abbi and my grandmother, of course. You’ll know her by the white hair.”

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