Page 18 of Daniel
“It was perfect,” Daniel said. “The volunteer brigade was thrilled.”
As the conversation turned to the other holiday events I’d missed, I realized that all three of the King boys had ended up with girlfriends in just the past few weeks.
A horrible voice in the back of my head piped up to suggest that maybe Daniel was desperate for a woman now that his brothers had girlfriends. Maybe he didn’t want to be left out.
Maybe that’s why he rushed to date a new girl that he didn’t even know.
It was very possible that I was…oh, god. Simply a shiny new Christmas toy.
11
DANIEL
Watching Prairie get to know my family was very touching.
I already cared so much about her that it was important that she fit in. Everyone seemed to adore her, and even Dad seemed amused by some of her witty comebacks to my brothers.
“Time for food,” Mom declared. “Don’t be shy – I expect everyone to eat at least three platefuls.”
Again, something looked a bit off about Prairie’s polite smile, so when the others jumped up to fill their plates, I pulled her into the kitchen, then into my arms. “Hey,” she giggled. “What if someone comes in?”
“I don’t care.” I kissed her gently, needing a moment alone. “I’m sure you’ll love Mom’s cooking,” I said, kissing across her forehead. “Make sure you try a bit of everything.”
Prairie nodded. “The sample platter? Good idea.”
We went back to the dining room, and I filled my plate with piles of turkey, stuffing, whipped herbed potatoes, and cheesy broccoli. Prairie artfully arranged two bites of each dish in abig circle around her plate, with a single slice of turkey in the middle.
As we sat down, Robin burst into laughter. “That looks gorgeous!” she exclaimed. “Can I take a photo?”
“Sure.”
Robin whipped out her phone and took a couple of shots of Prairie holding her plate next to the Christmas tree in the corner. Her dark maroon nails and silver bracelets looked perfect against the white china. “Perfect, thanks.”
The conversation slowed down a bit while we all ate, until trays of tiny bite-size desserts appeared on the two coffee tables.
“Small treats so you feel like you’re eating more of them,” Mom laughed as she passed a tray to Sierra.
As Mom and Robin debated which bottle of wine would pair best with the desserts, Dad nodded to my brothers and I. “I’ll be back in a bit,” I whispered to Prairie.
Jacob grabbed the glasses as Dad selected a new bottle from the bar cart. We went out to the back porch, looking out over the forest, as Dad poured the whiskey. It was our annual tradition, and we lifted our glasses for the toast.
Dad cleared his throat, then nodded. “Well, boys, it’s been a strange year. Each of your showrooms has done very well. The details aren’t quite sorted yet, but since your Uncle Ricky wants to invest, and agrees with my ideas for expansion, I’d like to make it official. All three of you should be thinking about moving home within the next two to six months, if you want to.”
The three of us were trying to keep our excited grins to a respectful level. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that’s wonderful news,” I said. “It’ll be great to be home for good.”
“There’s still a ton of work to do in both factories,” Dad continued. “Ricky has plans to get the furniture into more stores, and he also has some great ideas about smaller pieces. Plus the toy factory is creating a lot of jobs, so we’re going to keep thatrunning for as long as we’re making enough to pay everyone well.”
He looked around, giving each of us a nod. “Then all three of you suddenly find nice girls, who are lovely additions to the family. Who knows if it’s permanent at this point, of course,” he added hastily.
Jacob, Andrew and I all exchanged looks. I could tell from their expressions that they were as sure as I was, but it likely was too soon to make any official announcements.
“I just want you to know that your mother and I are very proud of each of you. You’re good men. I appreciate how much work you’ve done for the company, and now that you might be starting your own families, I’m excited to see what comes next.”
I nodded, unable to speak over the sudden lump in my throat.
“Cheers,” Jacob muttered, as we clinked glasses, and sipped the rich whiskey.
“Wow,” I said after a few swallows. “This is incredible.”
