Page 48 of Made For You
“It’s not the original farmhouse that was on the property. That’s farther back. But my parents did a nice job renovating this one decades ago. It’s timeless.”
“I bet you had a great childhood here.”
“I did.”
Talon put the car in park in front of the garage as I unhooked my belt.
“Don’t get out.”
“What?” I asked as he slipped out of the car and walked around the back. He opened the door on my side and held his hand out to help me.
“Thanks,” I replied, and then I froze as something we hadn’t discussed crossed my mind. “Talon—” I jerked his arm back to get him to face me. “—we don’t have any backstory. What are we going to do?”
“Everything will be fine, Aurora. Just follow my lead.”
“Will you please call me Rory? They’re going to be suspicious if you use my full name.”
“No. Now, please lead the way.”
Mumbling to myself about how this was going to be a nightmare, I trudged across the driveway to the porch, Talon following closely behind as if we were an actual couple, and opened the door to let us inside the house.
“Mom! Dad! We’re here,” I called out as I set my small bag on the bench by the door.
“We’re in the den, sweetie!” I heard my dad reply, and I gestured for Talon to follow me.
The house smelled delicious, and I was hopeful that Mom was making her Greek chicken with feta and hummus.
“Smells good,” Talon said as we moved toward the back of the house. It wasn’t a full open concept, but most of the rooms now had large openings connecting them together. Except the kitchen. It opened completely to the large den, where we all usually congregated.
“Deep breath,” I whispered to myself as I stepped into the living room, with Talon hot on my heels. “Hey.”
Dad’s back was facing me from his recliner as he watched a baseball game on the television. Mom, Alex, and the twins were seated on the extra-long couch against the wall.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Mom said to me, quickly glancing over before returning her attention to the game. It took just a secondfor her head to spin back in my direction. “Oh! You brought a guest. My word.” She jumped up from the couch and gestured for us to join the group. “Well, now. Rory, please introduce your guest.” She held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Rory’s mom, Marisol.”
“Mom, this is Talon. He’s….”
Talon reached out his hand and greeted my mother. “I’m her husband.”
Silence fell across the room. Even the twins. And the game playing on the television was muted.
“I’m sorry. Did you sayhusband?” my dad asked as he stood from his chair and moved behind my mother.
“Yes, sir. I’m Talon—”
“Beckett. Talon Beckett, heir to the Wilder Hotels,” Colton called out, drawing attention away from me. “I’ve been to a few of your charity events.”
A buzzer sounded in the kitchen, and my mother quickly slid her hand free from Talon’s and fussed with the apron tied over her clothes. “Oh dear. Dinners ready, everyone. Um… Rory, please go grab another chair from the dining room for your… uh… husband.”
For lack of a better word, dinner was… awkward. Talon had reverted to his grumpy self once I situated a chair for him at the dinner table. Whenever someone asked him a question, he responded with a one-word answer. It wasn’t until Molly and Eloise took control of the conversation that I saw him crack the smallest of smirks. It was hard not to smile with those two little girls around.
“Auntie Rory, why don’t you have a ring like Mommy?” Molly asked as my mom brought out the cookies and crème pie. It was the first question anyone asked about the marriage. Before then, the questions were about Talon’s job and upbringing. Something I knew he absolutely was not going to give an inch on.
“Oh, well….” I hesitated as I tried to come up with the most believable answer.
Talon looked over at Molly and said, “I had to get them sized correctly, and sometimes that can take a couple of days. It’s why I wasn’t here with Aurora right away.”
It was the most I heard him speak since we walked through the door. And this time, instead of being annoyed that he used my full first name, I found it kind of… sweet.
