Page 351 of Under Her Skin
I watch her hurry out of the kitchen and think about what a great team we make. I’m a little nervous about her father, but hopefully that won’t go too badly. Then the sound of chopper blades cutting through the air has my stomach going tight, and I know the time hascome.
“Blaine!” I hear her call out. “They’re here! Comeon!”
She runs into the kitchen and grabs my hand. “Slow down, Delaney. We have to get coats on. It’s cold as hell outthere.”
“Our coats are on the rack in the entry room, clear across the house, Blaine. Crap! We needto…”
A knock on the back door, off the kitchen, stops her from saying another word. I walk over to the door with a knot in my stomach from the nerves I’m feeling and trying hard to hide. “No need. That’s themnow.”
Delaney rushes to my side, taking my hand. “Okay, let them in. Damn, I’mnervous!”
I kiss the side of her head, for luck mostly, then open the door. Max stands at the door as her parents come up behind him. “I brought you two a couple ofpresents.”
We step aside to allow him to come in. He’s carrying an old, brown, beat-up suitcase and sets it to the side of the door. Delaney lets my hand go as she’s grabbed up in a hug between her mom and dad. “We missed you,” I hear her mother’s muffled voicesay.
“We sure did,” her father says, then they let her out of their arms and her mother looks atme.
Her smile is wide as I extend my hand to her. “Nonsense,” she says, then hugs me. She’s a thin woman, almost frail-like in stature. Her hair has gone gray and she keeps it short. I can see her eyes were once as green as her daughter’s are now. They have faded, most likely due to the stress of being sopoor.
I can’t help but feel badly for that. But I push it away, as I know I am going to rectify that for them. “I’m glad you could make it, Mrs.Richards.”
She lets me out of her thin arms and smiles at me, then steps back to stand beside her stoic husband. “I’m glad you invited us. This has all been amazing. The private jet and then a helicopter ride too! We’re on excitementoverload!”
“I’ve ridden in a helicopter before,” her father says. “I worked on offshore rigs when I was younger. Now those chopper pilots were notorious for scaring the shit out of their passengers. I have to say, Max here is a hell of a lot better than any I’ve ridden with before. You can tell he’sexperienced.”
Max’s hand lands on my back with a swift pat. “Blaine has yet to ride with me, despite being invited manytimes.”
“I was a very busy man, but that’s all about to change,” I say, then extend my hand to her father. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr.Richards.”
He shakes my hand as Delaney comes to my side, running her arm around me. His eyes stay focused on her. “We’ll see if you still think that after our visit here,Vanderbilt.”
“Dad,” Delaney warns him. “Be nice. Don’t bring out the redhead inme.”
Her mom laughs, and by the way her white-haired father cuts his eyes at his wife, I can tell he’s been on the bad end of redheads before. I feel for the poor man if they’ve both ever gotten crossways with him at the sametime!
Delaney kisses my cheek. “I’m going to show them to their room so they can freshen up.” She heads off with her parents behind her. Her father stops to pick up the one suitcase they’ve brought with them, making a pang of guilt hit me square in the heart. Delaney looks over her shoulder. “Nice to meet you, Max. Don’t go anywhere. I have that pie for you and yourfamily.”
“I’ll be right here,” he says, then looks at the counter with the half-empty trays of appetizers Kent brought back in here when they started setting the table. “And that looks like some good stuff right there. Do we have mini lobster rollshere?”
“We do. Try one,” I say and pick up one too. “My chef used phyllo dough to wrap them. They are light,airy…”
He finishes my description after he swallows the bite he took. “And scrumptious! It seems you and I need to have a little potluck one Sunday evening. My chef, Hilda, is a wiz too. She specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, but she’s great atanything.”
“We will have to do that. Domestication has fallen all over me since I met Delaney. I never saw myself as this man I’m quicklybecoming.”
With a nod, he says, “I know what you mean. When I met Lexi, she was a diamond in the rough. And so was I. Together, we brought out more in each other than either of us knew was lingering just under our surfaces. Love is fantastic. You’re in for a whirlwind of emotions, feelings, andsensations.”
“So what you’re saying is, this is just the tip of theiceberg?”
“It is. You think you know what love is now. Wait until you watch your wife bring your children into this world. Your love for her grows deeper and the love you have for your child isn’t even a thing one can describe, it’s soencompassing.”
“Wow, you make it sound a lot better than most married mendo.”
“Most men don’t take the time to make the intimate connection it takes to really get to the meat of a marriage. It takes work and patience. But like anything that turns out well, it’s worth the time and effort you put intoit.”
As I gaze out the door, waiting for Delaney to return to me, I have to thank God again for her.My specialgift.
Chapter6
