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“Hello,”Adamcalled, taking the desserts fromHazelso she could take off her coat and shoes.
Ayoung girl came skidding around the corner, barrelling intoAdamand throwing her arms around him. “UncleAdam,Dadsaid you’re bringing your new girlfriend.Isthis her?” she asked, peering up atHazel.
Adamnodded, ruffling the girl’s hair. “Chloe, this isHazel.Hazel, this is my nieceChloe.She’sJack’sdaughter.”
Hazel’seyebrows rose at the unexpected newsJackhad a daughter.She’dheard stories of his exploits fromAutumn,SiennaandLaurel, but none of them had mentioned that he was also a single dad.Granted, it made sense that he’d keep a firm line between those to parts of his life.
Anelegant woman with dark curls shot with silver came around the corner next, wiping her hands on the canvas apron tied around her slender waist.
“Hi, honey,” she said, pressing a kiss toAdam’scheek. “Youmust beHazel,” she said, turning to her and extending a hand. “I’mJulie, and we’re so happy you could join us today.Please, come in, come in.Wouldyou like a glass of wine?” she asked, waving for them to follow her into the kitchen.
“I’dlove one,” she answered honestly.Shewas feeling ten percent less nervous than she had in the car, but her stomach was still quivering with nerves.
“Hazel!” saidAutumnas they stepped into the kitchen, wrapping her in a hug. “I’mso glad you’re here!Wecould use some more estrogen in this place,” she joked, andJulielaughed.Adamset the desserts down on the counter, watching his family greet her with a soft expression on his face.
“Here,” she said, handingHazela glass of red wine.Hazeltook a sip and then smiled. “Thankyou.Thisis delicious.”
“It’saChiantifromItaly, my favorite,” saidJulie. “Youhave good taste.Thenagain, you’re datingAdam, so of course you have good taste.”
Hazellaughed, feeling a little bit more of the tension ease out of her.Noone was waiting to pounce on her, or trip her up, or humiliate her.She’dalways hated doing anything withSeth’sfamily.Allthey ever wanted to do was argue about politics, snark on whatever was popular at the time when it came to the arts, and try to one up each other.
“Well,I’dlike to think so,” she said, grinning up at him as he slipped an arm around her waist.
“You’vemetJack,” he said, who was leaning against the island and nursing a beer.Shelifted her hand in a wave, and he nodded, smiling warmly. “Andthis isBeckett,” he said, as his youngest brother walked over.
“Hey, yeah,Isaw you the other night with the girls atPourDecisions,” he said, smiling affably. “Butwe didn’t really get the chance to talk.It’snice to meet the woman who’s gotAdamswooning like—”
Adamelbowed him in the ribs. “Finishthat sentence andIwill end you.”
“Swooning?Whosaid anything about swooning?” saidBeckettwith a goofy smile, swiping his hand through his hair.
Adamrolled his eyes and led her to the other side of the kitchen, where a man who looked the most likeAdamout of all of his siblings stood in front of the stove, carefully frying what looked like breaded chicken cutlets.
“ThisisOliver,” he said, andOliverturned, wiping his hands on the kitchen towel slung over his shoulder before shakingHazel’s. “ThisisHazel.”
“I’veheard so much about you,” saidOliver, a slight smirk to his smile. “Gladyou could join us tonight.”
“It’sreally nice to meet you, too,” she said, leaning intoAdam’sside, taking comfort from his solid warmth.Themusic floated around them, the food smelled amazing, and everything felt warm and cozy.Safeand welcoming.
Beingin that kitchen with theShephards,Adam’sarm around her as he joked with his siblings, felt more like home than anything had in a long time.
“So,Hazel,” saidJulie, approaching and then leaning a hip against the island.Therewere appetizers strewn around it—savory puff pastries, little bites of bruschetta, and roasted hazelnuts.JuliehandedHazela small plate and then took one for herself, loading it up. “Howare you enjoying your time inGossamerFalls?”
Agenuine smile spread acrossHazel’sface, and she helped herself to some bruschetta. “Ilove it here,” she said with all sincerity. “It’squickly become my favorite place on the planet.”
“I’mhappy to hear that,” saidJulie, a hint of wariness in her eyes as her gaze flicked toAdam, who was talking toOlivera few feet away.Autumn,ChloeandJackwere doing a puzzle in the living room asBeckettset the table. “Weall love it here, too.Iwas born here, and so were my parents, and my late husband’s parents.Wego way back in this town.”
“That’samazing,” saidHazel. “Myfamily’s from the city, mostly.Butwe’re not…close.Notlike this, anyway.”Shegestured around them. “Everyonekinda does their own thing.”
“Howmany siblings do you have?”
“Justone brother, and he lives inAustralia, so we don’t see much of each other.”
“That’stoo bad.”
“Verydifferent than having a whole houseful,Ican tell you that.”
Julielaughed softly. “Youknow,Inever imagined myself having six kids.Ialways thoughtIwanted two, maybe three.WehadAdam, and thenJackcame along two years later.Ithought we were done, butJohnandIkept talking about trying for a girl.Afew years later we hadOliver.Wethought we’d try one more time, and we hadFinn.Atthat point,IthoughtIwas done, you know?Ihad four boys ranging from eight to a newborn.Andthat’s how it stayed, for a while, but then a few years later, we got a surprise when we found outIwas pregnant again.AlongcameBeckett, andIbookedJohnan appointment for a vasectomy.”Shelaughed, shaking her head, memories clearly playing behind her eyes. “It’sa good thing he cancelled it at the last minute though, otherwiseIwouldn’t have hadAutumnabout eighteen months later.Aftershe was born,Idrove him to the clinic myself.”
