Page 100 of Oblivion

The rest of dinner is uneventful. Sammy’s mom makes sly comments about needing more time to plan a wedding, but Grant quickly silences her with stony glares any time she says anything that makes Sammy frown.

Sammy’s dad seems like a nice guy, and back in the day, his family would have stood almost equal to mine in terms of wealth and influence. But not anymore, and Grant knows that. He’s aware of who my family are and what that’ll mean for his daughter and grandchildren’s future.

I don’t think he’s looking to use me, but it’s clear he’s not looking to turn me into an enemy. It’s obvious to see that Sammy is their world, and they want her to be happy, but understanding that her happiness lies outside of the life they expected for her will probably take them some time to get used to.

When we’ve all finished eating, Grant asks to pay for dinner, and I let him. I don’t need to show off my wealth, and I want to build a good relationship with them. When we step out of the hotel, the black town car I arranged for is waiting for us instead of the car we arrived in.

“Where’s your car?” Sammy asks quietly.

“I thought we’d all have a little more space in this,” I say, holding out my hand to help Sammy inside.

“Are we going to a bridal store?” Sammy asks. “They came to Sebastian’s mom’s place when they were fitting Starling’s dress.”

“I’ve arranged for the fitting to be at our house. The girls are on their way, and I thought it’d be nice for your dad to get to know your new brothers.”

The short car ride is quiet and a little strained, but I keep Sammy’s hand entwined with mine in my lap, content with just that single touch while I’m sitting in a car with her family.

When the car rolls up to the gates, I watch as my future in-laws’ brows furrow at the high walls and thick trees and bushes that keep what’s beyond the gates hidden from view. Just like when I brought Sammy here for the first time, her parents’ open surprise and admiration are clear to see the moment the car rounds the corner and our house is revealed.

I meant what I said to Sammy. If she doesn’t love this house, I’ll have it knocked to the ground and build her whatever she wants. This isourhome, and I want it to be perfect for her.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sammy says as I help her out of the car.

Her dad clears his throat, his gaze roaming over the impressive house and landscaped grounds. “Yes. Err…It’s quite…something.”

“Sebastian, Clay, Hunter, and I bought this parcel of land when we graduated high school. We own all the land from the road all the way to the water’s edge for about ten miles. We’ve always known that we wanted to raise our own children living close enough to be much more than neighbors. So, although you can’t see it from here, Sebastian and Starling’s house is actually only a two-minute walk away, Clay and January’s is a two-minute walk further down the beach, and Hunter and Bunny’s is a similar distance again. All in all, it’s less than a ten-minutewalk from here to Hunter’s place, and there’s plenty of space at either end of the lot to allow us privacy.”

“Come and see inside. I haven’t seen the whole place yet, but Evan proposed by the pool. He had all these candles laid out,” Sammy says, with a soft smile gracing her lips.

Leading the way, I show my in-laws around our house, and they ooh and ahh in all the appropriate places. When the others arrive, I kiss Sammy goodbye and gesture for her dad and the guys to follow me out to the patio while my bride-to-be picks a dress.

“Hey, guys. This is Grant, Sammy’s dad,” I tell my brothers.

“Mr. Hartley, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sebastian Lockwood,” Bastian says, approaching Grant first, his hand held out in greeting.

“Nice to meet you, Sebastian. Please call me, Grant.”

“Clay Janson,” Clay says, moving in to introduce himself next.

“Hunter Rossberg,” Hunter says finally.

“Good to meet you all. I believe I played golf with all of your fathers last week,” Grant says, his cheeks pinkening a little.

“You beat my dad. He was impressed,” Clay says on a laugh.

“Yes, well, since my heart attack, my doctor recommended I try to relax, and at the club, my wife can’t see what I’m eating,” Grant says, flashing us all a conspiratorial grin.

Grabbing us all drinks from the wet bar on the patio, we take a seat, and my brothers and I start to charm my new father-in-law.

29

SAMMY

After Evan leads my dad out onto the patio, I’m left to introduce my mama to my friends.

“Mama, this is Starling, January, and Bunny.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Hartley,” January says. Most of the time, she’s painfully shy, but she’s the only one of us that was raised in an extremely wealthy household and is oddly brilliant at formal introductions.

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