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Lukus slowed, turning into the stone driveway surrounded by trees and blooming wild flowers. A sign welcoming them to The Hideout Bed and Breakfast greeted them before the lane wound a charming path through the forest.
The B&B had gotten its name honestly because they drove at least a hundred yards before a mammoth, Victorian-style home peeked through the thinning trees. As they cleared the line of forest, they were greeted with a picturesque view of Lake Michigan.
Lukus was awed by the stunning location with a house with huge wrap-around porches, gazebos, and walking paths lined by spring tulips. The only thing detracting from the quaint beauty of the property was the near dozen cars, SUVs, and trucks parked haphazardly to the right of the house.
Children playing on a jungle gym large enough to shame most major city parks’ playgrounds caught his attention. Beyond the playground, a long boat dock and pier jutted out into the lake, next to an oversized boathouse. Several medium-sized fishing boats and one oversized pontoon boat swayed on the rolling waves of the lake.
He spent several moments taking it all in before he was aware of Tiffany still squeezing his hand. He turned to see the worry etched on her face.
“So, what do you think so far? Pretty different than the city, eh?” she said.
“Tiff, it’s amazing. I had no idea you grew up in an awesome place like this. It reminds me of my grandparents’ place. What a great spot to raise kids.”
Her eyes widened at his observation. “Yeah, well it was great as a kid to be sure. Well, except the days I had to walk to catch the school bus. The lane was long in the winter, trudging through snow.”
“I can imagine. You ready?”
“I don’t know. Please promise me you’ll stay calm if they say something rude. They mean well. They just worry about me being corrupted in Chicago, is all.”
“I promise. I assume this is your mother barreling down the steps towards us.” Lukus caught a glimpse of a dark-haired woman dressed in a flower-print dress covered with an apron, almost running towards them.
“Yep, that’s Mom. Here we go.”
She opened the car door just as Mrs. O’Sullivan arrived, scooping Tiffany into her arms for a big hug. Lukus turned off the engine and got out, making his way around to the women. He didn’t even reach them before noticing a large contingent of people pouring out of the house and onto the wide porch, like spectators lining up to watch a main attraction. He decided to throw them for a loop with a large wave.
“Hello there!” He was encouraged when he got several waves in return.
Mrs. O’Sullivan’s gaze tracked Lukus’s approach over her daughter’s shoulder. She was an attractive woman, probably in her early sixties. With her dark hair and brown eyes, Lukus never would have picked her out as Tiffany’s mother—until she smiled broadly.
“Tiffany Lauren, I can’t believe you’ve been keeping this handsome young man a secret from your family. No wonder you’ve been too busy to call your mother.” Her mischievous grin was Tiffany, through-and-through.
Lukus couldn’t help but grin back. “Mrs. O’Sullivan. It’s great to finally meet you. Tiffany’s told me so much about you and your family. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you all.” His Lukus charm came easy when greeted by such a warm smile.
Her mother released Tiff and moved towards him. He expected a handshake. She scooped him into a hug instead. “You can’t possibly understand how happy I am to meet you, young man.” She pulled out of their hug to look back at her daughter with a chastising look. “I’d love to call you by your name, but my daughter seems to have forgotten her manners by not giving me such important information.”
“Mom, please. We’ve been here thirty seconds. Let me introduce you now.” Tiffany took a deep breath before plunging ahead. “This is my boyfriend, Lukus. Lukus, this is my mom, Isabella.”
“Boyfriend, hey? Lukus. That’s a great name. So nice to meet you, even though I didn’t even know you existed until yesterday. I barely slept last night waiting for you to get here. How long have you been dating my daughter?”
Let the inquisition begin.
“I only met Tiff about six weeks ago, but honestly, we’ve been almost inseparable since then, so it feels a lot longer.”
Both women’s faces lit up, and he knew that was the right answer to question number one. He assumed there were many more questions coming and went on offense.
“You have a beautiful place here, Mrs. O’Sullivan. Tiffany didn’t tell me how awesome the B&B was, right here on the lakeshore.”
“Isabella. Don’t call me Mrs. O’Sullivan. It makes me feel like my mother-in-law.”
“Thanks, Isabella.”
“We expected you two an hour ago. I was just putting some lunch together for the men before us women have to leave for the shower at the church. Come and meet the rest of the family. My husband has been as anxious to meet you as I have been.”
Isabella linked arms with each of them, walking towards the house between the couple. Lukus and Tiffany’s eyes met behind her back. He sent her a supportive smile.
Several children bounded down the stairs, meeting them on the walkway. “Auntie Tiffany! Auntie Tiffany!” Lukus loved the easy smile on Tiff’s face as her nieces and nephew ran towards them. She opened her arms to hug them tightly as Isabella and Lukus stood nearby watching.
“Hi, kids! I’ve missed you all. Give me those hugs.”
