Page 36 of Say Yes

“You don’t know my family.”

Five minutes later, Sara discovered Gavin was right. He made the introductions with haste, barely giving Sara time to acknowledge each person.

“My oldest—nay, ancient, sister Pam, and her very brave husband, Gary. The two little rug rats who look alike are their six-year-old twins, Stevie and Stephanie. Then there’s Gina, who’s very obviously pregnant again, and her stallion of a husband, Sam.” The other men cheered Sam and his potency in high good humor. Sara laughed with them. “The curly-headed seven-year-old is their son, Chris. And last is Carol, only two years older than me. She’s married to Roy, and they have the little redheaded girl, Laurel, who’s four. And standing in the corner, smiling at me like I was still twelve, is my mom, Nora. The guy shaking his head—he does that a lot—is my dad, Hank.”

There was no mention of her earlier entrance, and his sisters appeared to accept her easily enough. They weren’t the kind to crowd a person, but they were open and accepting and as ready to grin as Gavin always seemed to be.

The brothers-in-law appeared devoted to their wives, attentive and loving. And the children were a boisterous handful. It was interesting for Sara to see the way they all seemed to work as a family. There was no real dissension, but the jokes and teasing were constant. Gina was especially tended to, her husband barely leaving her side, and Sara realized it was because the woman was pregnant. Sam strutted around her like the typical proud papa-to-be, never letting her out of his sight.

Sara knew it would take her a while to get all the names straight, but she found she was already looking forward to it.

Having Satan and the dog, which the kids lovingly named Tripod, gave her instant popularity with the children. And the animals seemed to wallow in their attention. Sara gave the kids a cat brush, and before long, Satan writhed on the ground in blissful ecstasy while they attempted to groom him. She saw the children chasing Tripod around a tree, but moments later they circled back, and Tripod had changed from the pursued to the pursuer. The kids squealed in playful excitement, and Sara could have sworn there was a smile on the little dog’s furry face and a look of sheer rapture in her brown eyes as she flashed past.

“They’re wonderful animals. How long have you had them?”

Sara turned to Gavin’s mother. Nora was the kind of woman who never aged. Though there were lines on her face, and a few gray hairs mingling in with the dark, she was still attractive and still energetic. She made the perfect counterpoint to her Hank, who seemed an older version of Gavin. Both father and son shared a similar height and strength of build.

“I got them both from the shelter about a week ago. I knew the dog was wild, but I didn’t think Satan was still this frisky.” They both watched as the cat began chasing the dog and the kids.

“Cats are like men, honey. They never stop being frisky.”

Sara chuckled, thinking of Gavin. “Amen to that.” Then she caught herself, remembering that it was his mother she spoke to. Heat climbed up her neck. “Ah, I don’t…”

“You’re still embarrassed, aren’t you? Please, don’t be. We’re all just so happy to see Gavin happy. Not that I ever doubted he would be. He’s a hedonist by nature. Always has been. But his idea of happy and ours are very different.”

Feeling uncertain, Sara said, “You want him to settle down?”

“Gavin told you? Never mind. Of course he did.” Nora looked across the yard to where Gavin stood, tweaking his sister’s hair, then dodging away from her playful slaps. “I was nothing short of shocked when he called to say he’d moved in with a woman.”

Sara chewed her lip. Nora didn’t exactly sound disapproving, but still…“He’s lived with women before,” Sara pointed out, subtly defending their living arrangements.

“Yes, but he never called to alert me to the situation, or to tell me about the woman he was living with.” She turned and smiled at Sara. “This is different. You’re different.”

Yeah, right. Gavin isn’t sleeping with me. But no sooner had she formed the thought, she had to shake her head. Sleep, yes. Sex, no. But that might have changed if the Blake family had arrived an hour later. Gavin had definitely been ready to give in. And she was more than ready for the momentous occasion. Past ready. Desperate. On the verge of…Ah, but there was still the coming night, and Sara intended to force the issue, if it proved necessary.

“Great news, Sara.” Gavin sauntered up, interrupting her thoughts with a warm kiss to her lips. Her gaze darted to his mother, who stood there wearing an indulgent smile for her only son. “The guys are going to help me move the rest of my stuff down here.”

“The rest of your stuff?” She knew what that meant, but she could still hope.

“Yeah. My bed and dresser.”

Her hope died. Gavin grinned at her crestfallen look, then gave her another kiss. “We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Disappointment changed to chagrin when she caught his mother’s amusement. Good grief. Fumbling through her explanations, Sara said, “He, ah…”

Nora waved away Sara’s concerns. “I know my son very well, Sara. He’s a rascal. Don’t let it bother you.” Then she added, “What do your parents think of your house?”

“They haven’t seen it.”

Nora merely blinked. “Oh?” But it was a very maternal inquiry, and Sara found herself drawn in.

“We’re not really…close.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. They live far away?”

“No.” There was something about Nora that invited confidence. Her questions were genuine, prompted by concern, not idle curiosity. Sara bit her lip, then blurted, “My parents live close, but they’re not really interested in me or what I’m doing.”

Nora studied Sara’s face for a moment, then she shook her head. “Sometimes parents do the dumbest things. But you know, it’s only because we’re human. I can’t tell you the number of mistakes I made with my children. Why, you could fill the Taj Mahal with my goofs.”

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