Page 110 of Delicate Escape

But his daughter just grinned up at him like he hung the moon. Then she twisted back to look at me. “Dad’s always worried about me getting kicked out, but I never do. My teachers always like me.”

I struggled not to laugh. “I bet they do.”

“Thea,” a warm voice greeted, cutting into the conversation. “Apologies for the chaotic welcome and mymother.”

“Don’t you apologize for me, young lady,” Lolli called.

“If I didn’t, we would’ve been forced out of town long ago,” Nora shot back. Then she turned back to me. “Welcome to chaos.”

I did laugh then. Something about Nora’s easy manner and complete acceptance of the show around her relaxed me. “Thank you for having me. I, um, brought you some things from my garden.”

As I extended the wicker basket, a wave of uncertainty hit me. Was this weird? Should I have brought food instead? Would she be insulted?

But Nora’s eyes brightened, the skin around them crinkling, telling me it happened often. “I won’t lie. I’ve been biding my time before bugging Shep about bringing more of your goodies over. Those snap peas and arugula in the last batch? Incredible. And the tomatoes? I kept them all to myself.”

“Hey, I like tomatoes,” Kye said from an armchair in the corner, his motorcycle boots kicked up on an ottoman.

“Get your own,” Nora clipped.

Kye chuckled. “You know they’re good if she’s hiding them from the rest of us. I’ll trade you an ink session for some tomatoes if they’re heirlooms.”

“Is there any other kind?” I shot back.

A grin spread across Kye’s face. “If Shep hadn’t landed you first?—”

“Do not make me punch you and get blood on Mom’s chair,” Shep snapped.

Kye’s smile only widened. “Did you forget who has the mixed martial arts training?”

“Then I’ll break your nose with a palm strike.” The woman on the couch sent Kye a quelling look, her voice holding a bit of a husky air. “You know I can do it.”

Kye just scowled at her. “When you’re lucky.”

“You mean when you let your guard down. Which is often lately.”

As I took her in, I realized it must be Arden. She was stunningly beautiful with dark brown hair almost to her waist and eyes a hypnotizing gray that had an almost violet hue beneath.

She turned her focus to me. “Excuse Kye. He’s a Neanderthal.”

“Truer words have never been spoken,” Fallon muttered into her glass of wine as she sat on a stool at the counter.

Kye didn’t seem to bristle at Arden’s rebuke, but he frowned the moment Fallon shared the same sentiments, sending her a searching look.

Arden pushed to her feet and crossed to me. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Arden.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” I echoed.

Nora wrapped an arm around Arden’s shoulders. “Who knew all I needed to do to get you to family dinner was have Shep bring a new girlfriend?”

Arden sent Nora a sheepish smile. “It’s been a hectic season.”

Nora brushed the hair away from Arden’s face in a gesture that was so effortless, I knew she’d done it countless times. “When isn’t it, my mini van Gogh?”

Arden sent me a grin. “Let’s just hope I don’t cut off my own ear.”

Nora’s face scrunched. “No morbid talk before dinner.”

I was pulled into the fold, and it only took a matter of minutes before my nerves simply melted away. The sheer number of people filling the Colsons’ dining table meant the focus never stayed on me for too long. And having Keely present meant we always had an amusing distraction.

---