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ChapterThirty
Hallie
I glanced over at Chase. He looked anxious, irritable, and guarded all at once.
“This is a nice place, but not too ostentatious,” I commented.
Rhys had taken us on a tour of the main house before delivering us to a guesthouse on the property. The guesthouse had a living room, kitchen, and bathroom with laundry downstairs. The space was an open concept with a wide stairway to one side that led to a loft upstairs. The loft had an open area with chairs with a view through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Just off that was a bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom was luxurious, with a large oval-shaped tub and a rainfall shower surrounded by glass.
Chase and I were sitting downstairs in a small dining nook in the kitchen. The refrigerator was stocked for us. He glanced over as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned back, reaching for the glass of water I'd poured for him a few minutes ago.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He finished a swallow of water and set the glass down before shrugging. “This is…” He paused and let out a short sigh.
“This is a lot,” I offered. “A lot” had become shorthand between us. I’d originally said it about my unexpected pregnancy and our baby and everything that came with it.
He cracked a half-smile, nodding. “Yeah, it is. I have seven half siblings that I didn't know about and another who passed away.”
“I’m so sorry about that,” I offered. “Do you know what happened to him?”
“Rhys told me he died of alcohol poisoning in college. He said he was a heavy drinker and a big partier. I get the sense there's more to the story than that.” Pausing, he gave his head a little shake. “It’s still so weird that Archer is my cousin. We were in elementary school together, and then he moved away.”
“Did his family move back here?”
“Yup. His parents ran the Cannon Mine before it closed. It was about to be re-opened, but Archer took over, and he’s renovating all the operations into renewable energy.”
I nodded before asking, “How can I help this weekend?”
Chase leaned over, curling his hand over mine. “Just you being here is good.”
“I'm great with social chatter. I have to schmooze all the time when I do gallery openings. That'll be my job this weekend.”
“Thank you.” He turned my hand over, lifting it and dropping a kiss in the center of my palm. The touch was brief, but it felt as if a pebble dropped and sent ripples of heat shimmering through me.
A little while later, we walked from the guesthouse back to the main house. We were expecting to meet McKenna. Rhys had texted that she had come home from running errands and was cooking dinner for all of us this evening. Their mother was out of town this weekend, so it wasn’t as many people as I’d worried about on Chase’s behalf.
Following Chase’s knock, Rhys opened the door a minute later, saying, “You don't need to knock. Our house is yours.”
“Not really,” Chase corrected.
Rhys didn't miss a beat. “No, really.”
We walked into the space, and I glanced around. The space was open, airy, and beautiful. He’d explained earlier that his mother had worked with Archer to update the home to run entirely off renewable power.
He led us down a wide hallway into a kitchen and dining area. A woman was standing at the counter. Her hair was up in a bun with tendrils falling around her face. She and Rhys shared the same silver-gray eyes and dark blond hair.
She rounded the counter, practically skipping. She stopped in front of Chase and threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. Her energy was warm and infectious. He was smiling when he stepped away. “Hey, you must be McKenna.”
“Yep. I'm the only woman.” She let out a sigh. “I amsohappy to meet you in person and not just chatting in messages. You have no idea. I finally get a brother who didn't tease me relentlessly when we were growing up.”
Chase chuckled, and they fell into a light conversation. After that introduction, two more half-brothers arrived, Blake and Adam. While Chase shared his dad’s coloring by coincidence since his mother had the same coloring as well, his features were of the mold of his siblings. The men had chiseled jawlines and angled cheekbones, while McKenna shared the same lines although they were a touch softer.
They were all warm and welcoming. I could sense the undercurrents of uncertainty running through the room. Under the best of circumstances, this was an unusual way to find each other. Chase seemed glad to have me there. I could ask questions and be curious without the burden of wondering if I was crossing some imaginary line.
Later that night after we had returned to the guesthouse, I had asked if he wanted to watch TV. He readily agreed, and I thought he might crave the distraction from, well, everything.
Once we were relaxed on the couch with a show on, I glanced over. “How are you?”
