Parker’s eyes then returned to Cassie. “There’s a group of people who’re anxious to meet you. Please come and let me introduce them.”
“All right,” she said, giving Parker the same semblance of a smile that he’d given her as she held his gaze steadily. Their opposing wills seemed to be squaring off, but in a sociable way. “I’d love to meet everyone,” she said.
Cassie glanced over at Brandon and he smiled at her, and immediately his strength touched her, gave her the added confidence she needed. She fell in love with him even more.
She inhaled deeply as the two men escorted her across the veranda to meet the others. As much as she didn’t want them to be, butterflies were flying around in her stomach at the round of introductions she was about to engage in.
She forced herself to relax and smiled when they came to a stop before a woman she quickly assumed to be Parker’s wife, from the way he was looking at her. He might have been a happy bachelor at one time, but from the way he gently placed an arm around the beautiful woman with shoulder-length dark hair and green eyes, it was quite easy to tell he was a man very much in love.
He smiled affectionately at his wife before returning his gaze to Cassie. “Cassie, I’d like you to meet my wife, Anna.”
Instead of shaking her hand, Anna gave her an affectionate hug. “It’s nice meeting you, Cassie, and welcome to the family.”
“Thank you.”
Without taking more than a step, Cassie came to stand in front of two men she immediately knew were her other two brothers, since their clefts were dead giveaways. The woman standing between them had green eyes and wavy red hair. And just like Parker’s wife, she was gorgeous.
“Cassie, welcome to Miami and I’m Stephen,” the man standing to her left said, making his own introductions while slanting a smile at her and taking the hand she offered. “And this is my wife, Megan.”
Like Anna, Megan automatically reached out and hugged her. “It’s nice to finally get to meet you,” Megan said, smiling at her with sincerity in her eyes. “And you have a three-year-old niece name Jade who I’m hoping you’ll get to meet before you return to the Bahamas.”
“I would love that and can’t imagine leaving Miami before I do.”
She then glanced at the other man, who was tall, dark and handsome-common traits, it seemed, with Garrison men. “And you must be Adam,” she said.
A broad grin flitted across his face and suddenly two words came to her mind regarding him-loyal and dedicated. He reached out and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Yes, I’m Adam, and remember, I’m to be the favorite brother.”
She met his gaze and had a feeling that he would be. “I’ll remember that.”
She then turned and saw two women and a very handsome man of Cuban descent. She knew immediately that the two women were her identical twin sisters.
“Cassie, I’d like you to meet Brooke, the oldest of the twins by a few minutes,” Parker said of the tall, attractive, model-thin woman with long dark brown hair and brown eyes. “And this is Brittany and her fiance, Emilio Jeffries.”
Cassie faintly raised a brow at the derision she’d heard in Parker’s voice when he had introduced Emilio. She then remembered what Brandon had shared with her about there being bad blood between the Garrisons and the Jefferieses, and how Brittany had basically fallen in love with one of her brother’s enemies. But still, she couldn’t help but admire Brittany for her bravery, as well as her good common sense. No woman in her right mind would let a hunk like Emilio slip through her fingers, regardless of how her family felt about it.
“It’s nice meeting all of you,” Cassie said, glancing around at everyone and very much aware of the moment Brandon came to stand next to her side.
“It’s good to know I’m no longer the baby in the family,” Brittany said, grinning.
The next few minutes Cassie mingled with everyone while answering numerous questions about her life in the Bahamas, without any of the inquiries getting specific about the relationship between their father and her mother. Stephen asked about the activities at the Garrison Grand-Bahamas and complimented her on the great job she was doing.
For the most part Parker didn’t say anything, and knowing the astute businessman that he was, she figured he was hanging low and listening for any details regarding her business affairs that might interest him.
“Dinner is ready to be served.”
Everyone glanced over in Lisette’s direction before the woman disappeared back inside.
“Would you give me the honor of escorting you in to dinner?” Adam asked as he appeared at her side. “I’m sure Brandon won’t mind,” he added, winking an eye at the man he considered his best friend.
Cassie smiled serenely, wondering how much her siblings knew…or thought they knew of her and Brandon’s relationship. Did they assume they were friends, lovers or what? Did she care? She knew the terms of their relationship, the boundaries as well as the life span of it.
She smiled over at Brandon before returning her gaze to Adam. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, she felt Brandon’s hand at her back when he said in a low tone, “I think we will both do the honor, Adam. I’ve appointed myself her escort for the evening.”
She saw the two men exchange meaningful looks. She was aware, as much as they were, that Bonita Garrison had not yet made an appearance. “I think having two escorts is a splendid idea,” she said.
When they reached the dining room she noted Parker had taken the chair at the head of the table. Brandon took the chair on one side of her and Adam took a chair on the other side. Emilio was sitting across from her and they shared a smile. She suspected that he felt as much an outsider as she did. There was the easy and familiar camaraderie the others shared, including Brandon. He’d evidently shared Sunday dinner with the group before because he seemed to be right at home.
“So when can I come visit you in the Bahamas?” Brooke asked, smiling over at Cassie.
Before she could respond, Adam said, “Trying to get the hell out of Dodge for some reason, sis?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Not particularly,” she said, not meeting his gaze as she suddenly began concentrating on the plate Lisette set in front of her.
“You’re welcome to visit me any time,” Cassie said and meant it. When Brooke glanced up, Cassie could have sworn she’d seen a look of profound thanks in her eyes. That made Cassie wonder if perhaps what Adam had jokingly said was true and Brooke was trying to escape Miami for a reason.
Conversation was amiable with Adam, Brooke and Brittany telling her about the establishments they owned and ran under the Garrison umbrella. Stephen discussed the Miami Garrison Grand and even asked her advice on a couple of things that he’d heard she had implemented at her hotel.
When Brooke excused herself for the second time to go to the bathroom, Cassie overheard Brittany whisper to Emilio that she thought her twin was pregnant. Cassie was grateful everyone else had been too busy listening to Megan share one of her disastrous interior decorating experiences to hear Brittany’s comment.
Suddenly, the dining room got deathly quiet and Cassie knew why when Brandon reached for her hand and held it tight in his. She followed everyone’s gaze and glanced at the woman who was standing in the entrance of the dining room. Regardless of what curiosity she had always harbored about her father’s wife, she never in a million years thought such disappointment would assail her body like it was doing now.
It was easy to see that at one time Bonita Garrison had been a beautiful woman, definitely stunning enough to catch a young John Garrison’s eye. But the woman who appeared almost too drunk to stand up straight while holding a half-filled glass of liquor in her hand looked tired and beaten.
“Mother, we weren’t sure you would be joining us,” Parker said, standing along with all the other men at the table.
“Would it have mattered?” Bonita snapped, almost staggering with each step she took. She made it to the chair on the other side of Parker and sat.
Resuming his seat, Parker glanced at Lisette, who had entered, and said, “Please bring my mother a plate as well as a cup of coffee.”
The woman glared at her oldest son. “I don’t need anything to drink, Parker. I have everything I need right here,” she said in a slurred voice, saluting her glass at him.
“I would say you’ve had too much, Mom.”
