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“We could google him?” Jacy suggested, picking up her phone again.
“NO!” Dakota, Dena, William, and Chennie said together.
Jacy’s shoulders climbed up to her ears. “Okay, okay. There’s nothing wrong with a little cyber-stalking in the name of background checks, you know.”
“Dakota, you could give Dena a general description, couldn’t you?” His mother nudged his arm with her elbow.
“Or we could eat before all your hard work gets cold.” He motioned to the food spread out on the table.
Chennie narrowed her eyes at him, and he knew enough to start describing Carter. Immediately. Did all mothers have that superpower—the one where a mere glance produced instant compliance no matter how old you were?
“Carter is tall. Black hair. Hangs to about here.” He waved his fingers near his jaw.
“How grunge band,” Jacy said.
Dena made a face. “Is he grungy? I hate grungy.”
Dakota took in his sister’s appearance right now. Even at this casual family dinner, she had on what looked to be brand new jeans and a feminine flannel shirt he knew she’d ironed before she’d come to dinner. Every strand of brown hair was perfectly in place, and though she didn’t wear a ton of makeup, nor did Jacy, Dena did spend time fussing with her beauty products and her jewelry and her shoes. She didn’t have to tell him she didn’t like grungy.
“No, not grungy. His hair is long, but not dirty or greasy.”
“What color are his eyes?” she asked.
“What difference does that make?”
“I’m trying to visualize the entire package.”
Dakota slipped in a few bites of turkey because his stomach was growling and it smelled too wonderful to be waiting on his plate. “Brown eyes. He wears glasses, but they’re stylish.”
“No tape between the lenses?” Jacy snorted like a geek and lisped, “I… uhh… busthed my sthpectaclthes playing chessth lasth week.”
Laughter traveled around the table, and Dakota was reminded of all the times he and his sisters had gotten into trouble as kids for being silly at the dinner table. Some nights they hadn’t been able to tamp down the laughter once they’d started. It was always something stupid that got them going in the first place.
Like Jacy doing a spot-on impression of a dork.
“His glasses were intact when I met him, and they survived ziplining today just fine,” Dakota said. “I honestly think you might like him, Dena.”
“But you don’t,” Jacy said.
“I don’tnotlike him. He seems okay.” Dakota shrugged one shoulder, his focus on the gravy-soaked stuffing on his plate.
“Just stay away from your woman, right?” Dena grinned.
“Leah’s notmywoman.” The thought that hewantedher to be his woman surprised him, but he probably shouldn’t be surprised about anything when it came to feelings and Leah Greenstead. He had no road map for this. Uncharted territory. Good thing he liked to explore.
“Not yet.” Jacy held up her wineglass. “Let’s toast to the day she is because, let’s face it, no one is immune to Brenton charm.”
Everyone held up their glass as they laughed, clinked, and drank.
“Ah, does a father proud to see the skills he’s passed on to his offspring.” William puffed out his chest, his smile wide.
“They may have gotten the charm fromme, dear,” Chennie said, shooting her husband a wink.
William shook his head. “Nope. Intelligence, good looks, kindness, and all that greatness from you for sure, Chennie. The charm, however, was all me.”
Dakota loved hearing his parents tease each other. They had the most rock solid relationship he’d ever come across here in Maplehaven or anywhere he traveled. No two people were a better match. He hoped one day to have what they had.
Does Leah want that too?
