“We have company,” he says through a clenched jaw.
“Company?”
“My family. All of them judging by the cars.”
He points to his right, and I lean forward to look around his body.
“Okay? And that’s a bad thing? I thought you were excited to see your parents.”
I had spoken with Christian and Rebecca Masters a few times in the last few weeks and nothing in those conversations gave me the impression I should be worried about meeting them for the first time.
His father, just like Kane, has no problem expressing himself, and he’s told me each time we’ve spoken how happy he is that his son is so happy. He’s the father I had always wished I had. Open, affectionate, and supportive.
His mother was hilarious. She opened her heart and let me in as if I was one of her own. I knew from our last phone call that she was looking forward to meeting me as well.
So seeing Kane upset over his family being here is very unlike him.
“Kane? Why is this bad?”
He sighs, frustration and anger coming forward. “Fuck!” His outburst makes me jump, and he turns to me and offers his apologies. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’m not mad they’re here … well, most of them. I’m not upset that they finally get to meet the woman I love, even if I wish we had some time to ourselves. When I said they’re all here, I meant all of my family, Willow.”
“Your brothers?” He nods.
“Kyle?” Again, he gives me a nod. Well, that certainly explains things. I know he’s close with his brother Kole, but he’s made no secret that things with Kyle are strained. He didn’t explain in detail. I could tell it wasn’t something he liked to talk about, so I didn’t push.
“I haven’t seen him in almost five months, Willow. I have no idea why he’s here other than the fact he’s trying to play some part of good older brother to my parents, who as far as I know are blissfully unaware that their sons hate each other.”
I scoot over and wrap my arms around him. “Then let’s go in there and just ignore him.”
His eyes hold mine, and he looks as if he is about to say something, but when he hears a high-pitched feminine call, his attention moves from me toward his front door.
I knew from seeing his mother accompany him one year to the Oscars that she was a beautiful woman. Kane favored his mother in looks. He had her same dark brown hair, blue eyes, and thick lips. But that was all he got from his mother. She was what I pictured when I thought of the quintessential mother figure. She was short, plump, and smiled in a way that almost looked unnatural. The love she had shone through her every movement. And right now, that love was rushing down the four stairs that led up to his front porch and right to the car parked in the front circle.
“My baby boy,” she yells before pulling the door open. “Get out here and give me some love! It’s been too long, and you’ve neglected your mother long enough.”
He laughs against my body and slides out of the backseat, pulling me with him when he grabs my hand. I look up and see Cam laughing at Kane’s mother as she bounces up and down on her feet waiting for her son to give her a hug, her arms wide and her expression full of excitement.
“Hey, Mom,” he mumbles, letting go of my hand and bending down to wrap his arms around her.
“Oh, my big baby boy. Stop denying me the happiness of these hugs and come home more often.”
Kane laughs and tries to pull back but fails when she refuses to let him go.
My own laughter joins Cam when I watch Kane pick his mother up off her feet. Her smile brightens, and he laughs even harder. Her feet dangling in the air as her ‘baby boy’ gives his mother the love she’s been missing.
“Jesus, Becca! Let the man breathe,” a deep voice laughs from the doorway.
I look over at the man I assume is Kane’s father. He’s just as tall, if not a little taller than Kane. And this would be where Kane got every other one of his striking features. Strong jaw, chiseled cheeks, thick brows, and that one dimple. They have the same powerful build. Impossibly thick muscles—the kind that shows they work hard to stay fit without turning into hulks—trim hips, and long legs.
“Isn’t he handsome.” Kane’s mother laughs, and I look over from his father to see that he was no longer embracing her. She was now standing right in front of me with her beaming smile in place and this time directed at me.
I look from her to her son, now walking toward his father, and then back, nodding my head as my own beaming smile forms.
She throws her head back and laughs loud and long, pulling me to her in a hug that almost hurts. “Oh, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, honey. I can’t tell you how much I have been. I just knew you would be perfect.”
Her words hit me, harder than her hug, and I feel myself getting slightly emotional. “It’s great to finally meet you, Mrs. Masters.”
“None of that, dear. Call me Becca … or Mom. Whatever works for you. No place for formalities with family.”
Family.
God, she has no idea how much that means to me. I look up and meet Kane’s eyes. He gives me a look full of love, and I give him a big toothy smile, relieved to see his mood has lifted when he returns it.
“Let’s get inside and get you settled in. Kane told me you would be staying in the guesthouse, so I made sure the fridge was well stocked. Kole made sure that the sheets were changed, fresh, and dust-mite free since no one ever stays there.”
Kane laughs at his mother’s words as we walk through the doorway and into his home. “You made Kole do housework?”
“Well, who else was going to do it, young man? He knows better than to question his mother.”
“More like I’m afraid of her when she’s got a wooden spoon in her hand. That shit hurts.”
“Kole Henry Masters! You watch that mouth of yours.” Turning to me, she continues, “These boys seem to think that cussing makes them some big bad man, but I tried to teach them that it only makes them look too stupid to find a word worth expressing their feelings.”
“Being that Willow doesn’t curse, I believe you’ll have an ally in that fight to clean us up, Mom.” Kane laughs and I reach out playfully to slap his shoulder.
His brother walks toward the group, and he and Kane do that manly hand slap, body bump thing, and then he turns all of his attention to me.