In Full Bloom [Second Chances 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 16
Even though she’d seen her yesterday, it felt like it had been forever since they really talked. After dinner, they stopped for a cup of coffee and discussed a myriad of topics. Cora had asked her lots of questions about sex, which hadn’t been all that surprising, considering it was all new to her.
At first Taryn had been vaguely uncomfortable going into detail, but gradually she had opened up and shared a little bit about how things were between her and Evan. Cora hadn’t been surprised in the least. Her only remark had been, “Yeah. Evan seems like the kind that would want to be in charge. He’s pretty hot for an old guy.”
Taryn nodded agreeably and said, “Really fucking hot, and not that old!”
As the evening wore on, they ended up at the mall. Cora dragged her into the lingerie department for what she called “supplies”. Deciding it was a wise move, she looked for a few items of her own. He had been really into the Halloween costume with the thigh highs.
She picked up a black sheer corset and examined it. She imagined his rough hands as he pulled it from her body. Oh yeah, she thought. This one was a definite yes.
She grabbed the matching panties and merry widow, then headed to the counter. As the clerk rang her up, she thought about the very enjoyable evening she’d have in store when she broke this out.
Cora approached the counter with a baby pink negligee and matching panties. Taryn whistled and said, “You’re going to destroy him, Cora.”
Grinning in response, she said, “That’s the plan.”
Around ten, Cora dropped her off. She dropped her shopping bags off and then made a beeline for Evan’s door. She had barely knocked before he opened the door. He tugged her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. In between kisses, he said, “Missed you tonight, baby.”
She sank into a slow, deep kiss and realized that she had missed him, too. She’d been away from him for roughly twelve hours and the sense of relief and pleasure at seeing him again was almost overwhelming. She had no idea what she would do when things ended between them.
When he tucked her against his chest, she pressed her lips against his neck and said, “I missed you, too, Evan.”
Taryn closed her eyes and relaxed against his chest. They would take things one day at a time. Right now, this moment. That was more than good enough. There was no need to rush things.
Chapter 14
“You’re looking a little pale over there, sweetheart. You doing okay?” Evan asked, reaching over the console to rub her knee.
“Oh, uh. I’m a little nervous, I guess,” she said, wringing her hands.
“Baby, you’re fidgeting. Calm down.”
“I can’t help it. I’m meeting your entire family for the first time. What the hell did you expect?” she asked, irritation lacing her voice.
Evan sighed and said, for what felt like the millionth time, “They’re going to like you because I do. It’s just turkey and football, baby.”
“Imagine this from my shoes,” she said. “It may be turkey and football for you but I’m meeting basically everyone that matters to you at the same time. They’re bound to have an opinion.”
“Probably,” he conceded. “My mom already likes you and she’s kind of a tough sell.”
She sighed but didn’t respond.
“If you have a terrible time today, you’re off the hook for Christmas,” he said, wheedling.
“Oh gee,” she answered with a smirk. “Good of you.”
More than pleased to hear the sarcasm in her voice again, he said, “I do what I can.”
Forty-five fidgety minutes later, they pulled into the drive behind his brother Michael’s car. He heard Taryn take a deep breath and then saw a slightly forced smile on her face as she said, “Okay. Let’s do this.”
He leaned in, cupping her chin, and said, “Thank you for coming with me. It means a lot to have you here with me and my family today.”
She gave her first genuine smile of the day when she said, “Your mother is formidable. I was too afraid to tell her no.”
“She’s tough,” he agreed. “But I love her.”
As she unbuckled her seat belt, Taryn said, “I know. I can tell.”
Together, they got out of the car and toward the front steps. He wrapped an arm around her waist and said, “We’re relatively early, so it’s just my brother Michael, his husband Will, and their daughter, Molly. At least you’ll get to settle in for a minute before it gets crazy.”
He opened the front door and ushered her inside. They wandered through the living room and dining room, into the kitchen. They found Michael and Will sitting on two of the stools at the counter, talking as his mother basted the turkey.
“Mom,” he said, moving over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “That looks great!”
“Hey, you two,” she said, glancing up from the turkey. “Let me slide this sucker back in the oven. I’ll be right with you.”
“Michael. Will. This is Taryn. Taryn,” he gestured at one man, then the next as he said, “Michael. And Will.”
She moved forward and shook Michael’s hand and then squeaked a little bit when Will pulled her into a hug. When he murmured something to her, she smiled and nodded. He watched the exchange, glad to see that Will had managed to put her at ease.
He knew that Will had once been in her shoes. He’d probably felt the same level of trepidation.
“Michael,” he asked. “Where’s my peanut?”
“Napping, thank Jesus. It was hell getting her to sleep. She was just so excited to see Grandma,” he said with a grin.
He heard the oven door close and then watched as his mother shuffled around the counter to pull him into a hug. As she squeezed him, she said, “So good to have you back here where you belong.”
“You’re stuck with me now,” he said as she pulled away. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Glad to hear it,” she said as she moved to give Taryn a hug.
When she was done squeezing the life out of Taryn she said, “Good to see you again, baby. Thanks for coming.”
He watched as Taryn hugged her back and said, “Thanks for having me.”
His mom waved her off and said, “Let me give you a tour of the house.”
Taryn gave him a backward glance as his mother ushered her out of the room.
“Ooh. She’s pretty, Evan,” Will said. “She looks somewhat terrified though.”
“She comes from a small family,” he said. “It’s a little overwhelming. I would have introduced her in small increments, but Ma basically cornered her when she dropped in. I wasn’t able to arrange it in time.”
Evan heard the front door open along with what sounded like wild screeching. He looked at Will, who immediately winced.
Michael said, “Shit. There goes nap time.”
He heard Doug say, “Inside voices, you heathens.”
One of the twins said, “We’re not heathens.”
“Yes, you are,” Christina said as they all crowded into the kitchen.
Hugs and kisses were quickly exchanged.
As she hugged him, Christina said, “She was sitting in the living room with Mom looking at picture albums. She’s cute.”
He felt his eyes widen and he said, “Crap. Baby pictures.” He scooped up Maddy and headed into the living room, giving her smacking kisses along the way.
His mother looked up, a gleam in her eye, and said, “There’s my little sugar cube!”
He quickly passed off Maddy who giggled in delight, then snagged the photo album from Taryn.
“Nothing to see here. Let’s move along,” he said.
She tugged it back and said, “Oh. I don’t know about that, Evan. You were pretty adorable as a kid. Especially the picture of you naked on the potty.”
He moaned and said, “I knew she was going to do something like this. I don’t know why I let her out of my sight.”
Clearly amused, his mother said, “Had to level out the playing field, son. She’s in a house full of strangers.
”
Taryn said, “Thank you for that. I feel immensely better,” as she continued to smirk.
Just like that, he saw her relax completely. His mother could often be pushy but in this case, she’d known the exact thing to do.
He heard his sister pipe up, “Yeah. He was a pretty adorable kid. We don’t know what the hell happened.”
“Thanks, Teeny.”
Ignoring him completely, Christina introduced herself and started introducing the brood that now lingered behind her, curious about the guest.
Over the next hour, the remainder of his family showed up. The men, along with his sister Maureen, gathered in the living room, while the rest of the women hung out in the kitchen, gossiping.
He wandered into the kitchen to check on Taryn and grab a beer. He found her peeling potatoes at the sink. Pressing a kiss against her cheek, he wrapped an arm around her waist and said, “She put you to work, huh?”
“Yep,” she said, grinning. “Peeling potatoes. It turns out I was just cheap labor.”
He heard his mother say, “Oh shush, you. Keep peeling.”
His heart warmed at the interplay between them. He’d been concerned that she wouldn’t have a good time. He’d really wanted his family to like her. Then again, it was equally important that she like them, too. It seemed to be going well so far.
He said, tapping her arm with his beer, “Say, is there any way you could bring me a refill in like, forty-five minutes?”
She stiffened against him briefly before, her voice all sass, she said, “Only if your legs are broken and the wheels of your wheelchair are flat, Evan.”
He heard the women hoot and said, “I had to try,” as he pressed a smacking kiss against the side of her neck. He left the kitchen as the women continued to cackle.
Christina followed him out to the living room and murmured, “She’s perfect for you, Ev.”
He nodded, unable to stop the grin from spreading across his face. “She is.”
An hour or so later, they all settled in for dinner. As always, it was a wild affair. He glanced around the table, feeling so overwhelmingly glad to be home. His brother Donnie sat at the end of the table, sneaking sweet potatoes onto the edge of his brother Michael’s plate while he was distracted feeding Molly.
He smirked and leaned over to nudge Taryn. His voice low, he said, “Donnie does that every year. He just put some sweet potatoes on Michael’s plate. Give it a minute or two. He’s gonna start gagging.”
Taryn said, “That’s kinda mean but funny.”
Maddy ran up to him, screaming, “Unca Evan!” as she waved her little fingers, which conveniently held olives at the end of each fingertip, at him.
Taryn dug into her pocket for her cell phone and took a picture of them as he picked up a squealing Maddy and brought her hand up to his mouth.
“Mine!” she squealed, giggling. When she wiggled furiously, he let her scamper off, olives intact.
A few minutes later, he heard, “Dammit, Donnie!”
Taryn snickered next to him and said, “I guess he found the sweet potatoes.”
Unable to stop himself, he tilted up her chin and pressed a kiss to her lips. She leaned against him, smiling for a moment, before she whispered, “Your family is great.”
Dinner long since over, Taryn was squeezed in next to him on the loveseat when his mother said, “Time for the Secret Santa drawing. Reminder. If you get yourself, throw your name back in. We don’t want another Jamie 2008 happening.”
“What?” Jamie asked, totally affronted. “It was so easy to buy for myself!”
Taryn smirked and said, “I can totally see him doing that, too.”
Evan laughed and said, “Mom was so pissed.”
When the bucket was in her hand, she moved to pass it then paused when his mother said, “Ah-ah. Pick a name, Taryn. You’re coming for Christmas, right?”
He watched her blink for a moment, then shrug and say, “Sure.”
She pulled a name and unfolded it. Leaning over, she whispered, “I got your Mom. I’m going to need a little guidance.”
“Sure thing, baby.”
She passed the bucket on to him and he pulled a name. Opening it, he saw that he had gotten Donnie. With a grin he folded the name and put it in his pocket, then passed the bucket along.
When it was time for pie, Evan wandered into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee for himself. He was unsurprised when his mother followed him in and said, “So, she’s the one, huh?”
“Christ, Mom. Your radar is uncanny,” he said, not even bothering to deny it.
“I can tell by the way that you look at each other. I’m not blind, son,” she said with that familiar smirk.
He shook his head and said, “No, you’re not. You see too much, Mom.”
“She’s a tough nut to crack, baby. I don’t know her history but I can tell it wasn’t an easy one,” she said.
“Be careful with her. If there was ever anyone that needed love, then it’s that one.”
“You’ve got no idea,” he said.
She pulled him into a hug and said, “She’s a keeper, I think.”
“I know she is, Mom. Just gotta convince her of that now.”
She gave him a kiss on the cheek and moved out of the kitchen, leaving him to get his coffee. He slowly stirred, taking a moment to enjoy the silence.
One of the twins let out a loud belch in the living room and he smirked. Relative silence.
When he moved back into the living room with his coffee, he saw Taryn gently wiping a smear of pie off of Maddy’s face with a napkin. Something about the moment struck him. He could see her doing that with his children. Their children. In that moment, he knew without a doubt that he was desperately in love with her, and that he probably always would be.
Jesus Christ, he thought, as he moved to settle down beside her. He was a goner.
On the drive home, she was quiet again. He asked, “Doing okay over there?”
She turned to him, rested a hand on her stomach, and then said, “Food coma. Your mother wouldn’t stop trying to feed me!”
“Those leftovers you’ve got there are worth their weight in gold, baby. Open-faced turkey sandwiches covered in gravy,” he trailed off, thinking about it. “You’re gonna share with me, right?”
“Maybe,” she said, a relaxed grin on her face.
A few more minutes of silence passed and then he asked her, “So what were you thinking for the gift exchange?”
She blinked and said, “I’m still surprised she included me in that. A little presumptuous.”
Angling a glance her way, he asked, “Is it?”
Taryn paused for a second, considering, and then said, “Maybe not.”
“So what were you thinking?”
“Well,” Taryn said, waffling for a minute, “She mentioned her stitch and bitch group. So maybe a gift certificate to Yarn Barn.”
He nodded and said, “She’d probably like that.”
“Also, I wonder if you could help me set it up. I noticed you didn’t have any recent family group photos hanging up. I’ve got a photographer friend whose husband works with me at the zoo. Could you get everyone together in one place, do you think?”
A pang in his chest, he smiled and said, “I’m sure I could work that out. That’s fantastic. She’d love it.”
She’d nailed the present for his mother. He could imagine the expression on his mom’s face when she opened it. She would probably get a little bit watery.
They both drifted along, the sound of the radio low in the background as they made their way back home. He needed to find a way to tell her what he was feeling that wouldn’t freak her out. Seeing her with his family though…
He knew she was pragmatic to a fault. He just wished there was some way that she could see herself through his eyes. She was beautiful, both inside and out, funny, and smart. She was everything he hadn’t even known he was looking for and more.
He also knew that if he told her an
y of that, she’d flush and then find some way to change the subject. Maybe, he decided, she wasn’t ready to hear it yet. He’d be patient. After all, she was more than worth the wait.
* * * *
When he woke up the next morning, she was already gone. She’d griped about an early meeting with her boss about San Diego. She’d been unable to contain her grin as she talked about it though.
He was absolutely thrilled for her. At the same time, he knew it would be a long, lonely week. He glanced at the clock and then slid a T-shirt on.
There was more than enough time to see to the plants, have a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast before he headed down to the shop. There were no deliveries today. Thank god.
Scratching his chest idly, he wandered into the kitchen and saw that she’d brewed a pot of coffee and left him a note. He picked it up and read:
Evan,
I brewed a pot of coffee. God, I hate early meetings. I made you something better than dried out PBJ for lunch. Check in the fridge. Hope your day is fantastic.
XOXOX,
Taryn
He set the note down and opened the fridge. He found two Tupperware containers with turkey and gravy along with another sticky note that said, “Just add bread.”
He let the refrigerator door close with a thud. He leaned back against it. She owned him. She really did. There was no other way to put it. And she had no idea.
By the end of the day he had received email, texts, and calls from everyone in his family. They had all really liked Taryn, which was great. He’d been surprised to hear from Maureen, too. She was usually a little standoffish, but even she had loved her.
He was cleaning up the shop, and very deeply considering closing up early for the day when he saw someone at the curb helping Taryn out of a car. She had a pair of crutches and was making her way toward the door of the shop as she waved to a middle-aged woman. He dropped the clippings and hurried to the door to meet her.
As he opened the door, he said, “Baby. What happened!”
She gave him a wry smile and said, “Sprained my ankle. No big deal. I’m on crutches for a couple days.”
He took in the bandage wrapped around her ankle and said, “Come in. Sit down, sit down.”