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“Hey, Kane’s here,” Archer says with a wide smile. He passes Kane a beer, shakes his hand, and looks so pleased to see him that it has me shaking my head.
“It seems Archer and Kane are having a bromance,” I inform the others, who laugh with me.
“Uh-oh,” Brynna says. “Here comes Caleb.”
“Caleb, I’d like to introduce—”
“Fine,” says Caleb, Brynna’s husband, holding his hand up for me to stop talking. “I know who you are. And I don’t give a flying fuck. If you hurt her, I’ll kill you and make it look like you did it to yourself, do you understand me?”
“Well, that’s lovely,” I mutter. “And unnecessary.”
“He’s here?” Will chimes in, hurrying over. “Dude, we’ll kill you. But welcome.”
I can’t help but laugh as Kane shakes everyone’s hands, his face never losing the confident, almost cocky smile he’s had since we arrived.
“You won’t remember everyone’s names,” Amelia assures Kane as she joins us. “Next time, we’ll wear nametags.”
I stand back and watch in surprise as Kane works the back yard, moving from group to group, introducing himself to everyone and chatting as if he’s known them all for years.
“He’s charming.” Jules joins me, along with Will’s wife, Meg. “And don’t even get me started on the accent. Don’t tell Nate I said that.”
Nate is Jules’ husband, and maybe one of the hottest, most intense people I’ve ever met, with his sleeve tattoo and long, dark hair. He’s also completely devoted to his wife and daughter, like all of the men in our family.
“The accent is something to write home about,” I agree, then nod and gesture over to where Nate is standing with his dad, Rich, and an older woman I haven’t met before. “Who’s that?”
“Oh, that’s the best story ever,” Jules says. “You know Nate’s mom passed when he was young. Since then, Rich has been all about running his gym and taking care of his son, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Rich recently met Marion, and she is amazing. They both love fitness, and she’s finally talked Rich into retiring so they can spend their golden years traveling together.”
“Are they getting married?”
“Next spring,” Jules says with a beaming smile. “I’m so happy for them.”
“So, is the gym being shut down?” Meg asks.
“No, actually, a friend of Nic’s is buying it. His name is Ben. He and Nic are from the same town in Wyoming.”
“Small world,” I murmur. “It’s amazing how things come full circle and work out.”
“Isn’t it, though?” Jules agrees. “Our family continues growing by leaps and bounds. Soon, Mom and Dad will have to buy a bigger house.”
“Or we relocate family parties,” I add. “Because your dad will never give up this back yard.”
“You’re right,” Meg says.
I take a minute to watch the party around me. My parents are sitting with Steven and Gail, laughing and chatting away in the shade with other various sets of parents. Babies and children run around, playing tag or simply chasing after each other, enjoying the warm fall day in Seattle. Teenagers sit in the grass with their gazes glued to their phones, lost in their own worlds.
Just a few short years ago, our family dinners could fit around a normal-sized table. Now, we need a banquet hall.
“Your brain is moving awfully fast over here,” Kane says as he takes my hand in his and raises it to his lips.
“Just soaking it all in,” I say with a grin. “You looked like you fit right in.”
“Your family’s kind.”
“Yes, the part when several of them threatened to kill you was particularly welcoming.”
He laughs, those green eyes shining with humor. “That’s par for the course, darling. I’d expect nothing less.”
“Hey, guys.” Amelia joins us, along with her husband, Wyatt. Lia offers Kane a side-hug and then sniffs extra hard at his shoulder. “Oh, you smell good. Is that Bleu by Chanel?”
“You’ve a good nose,” Kane replies. “It was a gift from my sister, Maeve.”
“Lia knows all about anything that goes on your body,” Jules says. “She’s kind of a big deal in the world of cosmetics and such.”
“Well, then I’m glad you approve.”
“It’s perfect for you,” Lia says and then turns to me with a frown. “But it doesn’t bother you? You usually can’t do fragrances.”
I shrug a shoulder, not wanting to dive into the limitations of my lungs. Despite starting out kind of crappy, today is a happy day.
“I like it a lot,” I reply and smile up at him. “Don’t stop wearing it.”
We chat for a few moments more, and then Kane squeezes my hand lightly.
“May I have a word alone, Anastasia?”
“Sure.”
He leads me down the path that winds through the rose bushes, and when we’re away from the crowd of family, we sit on a bench.
“What’s up?”
Kane takes a deep breath, making me frown. His jaw is tight. Suddenly, he looks…angry.
“Why didn’t you tell me that my cologne could trigger your asthma?”
