“I’m Jude, thebestson.”
My dad shakes his hand, chuckling, before Ronan shoulders his brother out of the way.
“Thebestson is actuallyme. I’m Ronan.” He takes my dad’s hand in a shake too, and then my parents glance at Asher.
“And you?” my mum asks hopefully.
“Yeah, him,” Jude scoffs. “Go on, tell my grandma who you are.”
Okay, so even though the three of them have mended bridges, they still like to roast Asher about our relationship.
Shooting Jude a glare, Asher straightens, tugging at the bottom of his vest, before stepping forward and offering his hand.
“It’s nice to meet you Mr and Mrs Marx. I’m Asher Scott.”
“Oh, your accents are divine.” My mother clutches her invisible pearls, addressing Asher and the twins. “Please call me Trinity.”
She puts her hand in his, and he gives it a gentle shake before offering it to my father, whose eyes have narrowed.
Ugh, I wish he didn’t look so much like my uncle Ewan. They all look like Robert De Niro clones, just with bigger builds and each of them in different stages of greying hair, if the online images I looked up yesterday are correct and up to date.
“Asher is your name,” my father points out, his tone gruff. “Butwhoare you?”
Dropping his hand back to his side, Asher glances at the twins, who are looking smug as hell, and I’m about to jump in and save him when he speaks again.
“I grew up with your grandsons. They are my very best mates. More like brothers.” Asher darts his gaze back to the twins briefly before focusing on my father. “But they aren’t too happy with me right now.”
“And why is that?” my dad almost sneers, and I take a step forward, ready to defend Asher, but his hand whips out, taking my hand and stopping me.
I don’t miss the way my dad tracks the movement.
“Well, Mr Marx, it’s because I’m in love with their mum. Your daughter.”
I can’t hold back my smirk as my dad’s brows shoot up into his hairline, and I link my arm with Asher’s, resting my other hand on his chest.
“Dad, Asher is the man I love.Be nice.”
Leon Marx is hardly ever lost for words, yet standing before us he seems to be struggling.
“Everyone sit down,” Warrick mutters, shifting more chairs to the table. “Let’s have lunch.”
With my father’s nod, we all take seats at the table, and for the first time in twenty years, I break bread with my family.
My sisters don’t stop asking questions, and the twins settle into conversation so easily it’s almost like they’ve known my family for years.
Asher answers any questions thrown his way, but stays quiet for the most part, his hand resting on my leg under the table as he eats, like he can’t bear to not be touching me.
The feeling is mutual.
When everyone is full and quiet from eating so much, I break the comfortable silence.
“Please don’t tell Uncle Ewan or my cousins that I’m here. I want it to be a surprise for Gracie’s twenty-first birthday.”
My father’s eyes narrow suspiciously.
“It’s certainly going to be a surprise.”
“He can’t stop Lily from coming home,” Jen snaps, slapping her hand onto the white linen tablecloth. “It’s been over twenty years. And she’s family.Yourdaughter. He can’t send her away again.”
