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“Please, call us Katherine and Darren,” Faith’s mother said. “We’re so delighted to meet you.”
Dylan glanced at the door like he wanted to run. He wasn’t a fan of attention on the best of days. But he mumbled a greeting, and for that, Shane thanked his lucky stars.
“Buddy, what do you say?” he asked Hunter, who’d turned his face into Shane’s chest. His youngest could be painfully shy and only came out of his shell around a select group of people he trusted. Faith was one of those, but her parents didn’t make the cut.
Hunter peeked around. “Hi.” Then he buried his face again.
Shane expected them to dive into questions, such as how long they’d been seeing each other and why they hadn’t told anyone, but Faith must have fielded those already because instead Katherine launched into a monologue about the upcoming wedding, and weddings in general, and how wonderful and uplifting they were. Shane didn’t necessarily agree. His had been expensive and had provided an excuse for Diana to act like a diva for months.
Faith slanted a cheeky grin his way. “This is her way of dropping hints. Subtlety is not a family trait.”
Katherine waved a hand. “I have no time for that. The only one of us who ever has is Charity.”
“Charity?” Shane asked.
Katherine’s eyes widened, and she shot Faith a look. “Faith’s sister.”
“Oh, of course,” he said, wincing at how thoughtless he’d been. Faith never mentioned her sister, but he could remember the scandal from when she’d left. Everyone in the bay could.
“Leon, have you met our Charity?” Katherine asked, a calculating gleam in her eye that made Shane think she might have a new matchmaking plan in mind.
“Dylan, Hunter,” Darren interrupted. “Why don’t you come with me, and we’ll order some food? Shane, would you like anything?”
“A long black, please.” Shane tried to lift Hunter from his knee, but the kid clung to his leg. Bending over, he murmured, “If you want cake, you have to go with Mr. St. John, okay?” Reluctantly, Hunter released him and let Dylan take his hand and lead him away. Shane’s heart squeezed to see the two of them together like that. Dylan was insanely protective of his little brother, and Shane couldn’t have asked for a better sidekick in raising him.
Katherine followed his gaze. “They’re darling.”
“They’re very sweet,” Faith agreed. “Do you like children, Leon?”
Leon ran a hand through his mop of blond hair and aimed his bluebird eyes at Faith. Now that his sons were distracted, Shane had no compunction about sliding closer to her and resting his hand on her thigh. It was warm and soft, and her breath hitched in response. Everyone at the table followed the movement, and from the way Leon’s nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, Shane knew he saw it for the claiming it was.
Leon’s eyes flickered back to Faith’s, away from Shane’s hand on her leg. “I love kids. I help run the Sunday school program at your dad’s church, and it’s a joy to be able to spend my time with the young people of the parish.” He turned to Katherine, bestowing such a blazing white smile on her that Shane almost needed to shield his eyes. “And no, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Charity yet.”
The way he said “Yet", as if it were only a matter of time, and followed it up with a wink in Faith’s direction, had Shane seeing red. Sure, Faith wasn’t actually his girlfriend. But if she was, and this guy had the audacity to flirt with her in front of him, he’d want to wring the little shit’s neck. Never mind that Leon had the benefit of youth.
Shane smoothed his palm up and down Faith’s thigh, taking comfort from the knowledge that for now, he was allowed to touch her and Leon wasn’t. Unfortunately, when the boys returned, he’d have to let her go. Faith’s hazel eyes met his with a question in them. God, she was so gorgeous, with her creamy complexion, crimson lips, and soft features. He wished he were allowed to kiss her again.
“We’ll have to introduce you to Charity,” Katherine said, breaking the moment.
“When do I get to meet Charity?” Shane asked, knowing he was behaving poorly but not really caring.
“This weekend,” Faith said, a smile quirking her lips. “She’s coming to the wedding.”
“She is?” Katherine’s hand went to her chest. “Oh, that’s wonderful. She never told me.”
Faith shrugged, and he tried to ignore the way her breasts lifted. Her cleavage was temptation incarnate. “You know how she is with this town. She’s hoping to slip in and out without anyone knowing she was here.”
Based on what he knew of Faith’s sister’s past, that didn’t surprise him.
“Faith, I’ve heard you own an ice cream parlor,” Leon said, changing the subject. “I’d love to hear how that came to be.”
Forcing himself not to stare down his opponent, Shane instead looked at Faith, only to find her already looking at him. Behind her, he could see his sons on their way back and knew he’d have to stop touching her soon, but for a few seconds, he let every bit of yearning he felt for her show in his eyes, and he was pleased to see her pupils dilate in response. She drew in a shaky breath and started to answer Leon’s question, but she didn’t take her eyes off Shane.
“As soon as I was old enough to be allowed in the kitchen by myself, I loved making dessert for other people. It’s so lovely to see them enjoy what I make. Especially ice cream. People don’t give it enough credit, but ice cream can make a bad day so much better. It provides comfort, but it can also be fun or playful.” She shrugged. “I like to care for people, and to delight them with something new. The Shack is a great fit for me.”
