“Guys, this is my fiancé, Tanner.”
Jaxson and his son Ben have a lot in common in the looks department. Both sandy-brown hair, both emerald-eyed. Only Ben has a few inches on him at six-foot-six. Even I have to look up as I say, “Nice to meet you, Ben. And this must be Shelby.”
Emma is eyeing the blonde and catches me staring at her. “Hi, I’m Ben’s cousin, Emma. We haven’t met yet.”
Shelby’s voice is quiet, either nervous or reserved. “Nice to meet you.” And she didn’t mean it, anyone could see that.
I shake hands with Jaxson and find him equally willing to forget the fundraiser as everyone else seems to be. He’s got such a grounded way about him that I begin to relax as he and Rachel ask about the orphanage, and I fill them in.
Jeremy—former Marine and the youngest of the brothers—walks up with his wife Meagan, both of them holding hands like newlyweds, like they haven’t been married twenty years and then some. They get in on the conversation and soon we hear Nancy shouting at Jason, “Don’t you dare!”
Emma whispers in my ear, “He just stole the ginger-ale pitcher.” Her eyes blink wide, mouth forming an O. “I forgot to introduce you to Grams!”
“Excuse us,” I tell our circle, and for the first time I’m looking forward to an introduction. I liked May the moment I met her, informally as it was.
Hannah exchanges a look with Emma as we pass through the crowd. She and Tobias stand with Ethan, Charlie and their baby.
Emma’s voice is shaky. “This is kind of a big deal, Tanner.”
“Hey, but no pressure,” I mutter, teasing her. It occurs to me that I never told her about how May said Emma would love me.
“I didn’t want you stressed out for days beforehand. This way you’d just…handle it!”
“Have to admit, it worked well,” I confess as we find May sitting on those same two cushions, only this time under a blue sky.
With eyes sharp as I remember them, May reaches for my hand as we approach. I kiss it and she smiles. “So it all worked out?”
Emma beams at her and gives her a hug, “Hi Grams, did they tell you I’m engaged?”
“Let me see that.” May Cocker takes Emma’s ring finger in hand, the diamond winking in the sunlight. “My my, that’s almost as big as your heart, Emma!”
I’m a tough man, but that melts me. I lean down and hug her myself. “Mrs. Cocker, you are a very special lady.”
She grins and wags a fragile finger at me. “I know things.”
“Hey Emm!” Hannah calls over.
Emma glances around and whispers, “Tanner, look at the house.”
Frowning I crane my neck to the backdoor and see Jen and Ryder walking out, searching for me. “What the fuck?”
May calls out, “Language!” and everyone who is nearby enough to hear me, starts cracking up.
Crimson heat flushes my neck as I apologize. “I’m sorry, May. That’s my sister and nephew over there. I thought they were in California!”
She reassures me, “I knew the surprise was coming. I’m just teasing you.”
“Will you excuse us?”
“Of course! Go say hello!”
Clasping Emma’s hand we make our way to the house.
Jen lights up and Ryder grins and gives a small, cooler wave, both dressed to impress a family they’ve never met, but will soon be a part of.
“How did this happen?” I grin, hugging them, and turning to Emma. “Did you do this?”
She nods, biting her smile. “Hi Jennifer. So great to meet you in person.” They embrace and over her shoulder, Jen gives me an approving wink.
Emma hugs my nephew next. “You must be Ryder!”
They pull away and he scans the layout. “How many people in your family, Emma?”
“Not enough. We’ve room for two more.”
Jen grabs her and hugs her again. “I was so nervous, but you’re such a sweetheart.”
“Let me introduce you around.”
Jen grabs my arm. “Oh my God, there’s Gabriel Cocker.”
Emma laughs, “You want to meet him?”
I’ve never seen my sister blush until now. “No, not yet. Maybe when I’ve had a little wine,” she swallows, looking terrified.
Ryder rolls his eyes and heads down the steps, having no problem walking up to a group of Emma’s male cousins—Nicholas, Nate and Wyatt, I think? I have yet to meet the ones outside her closer circle.
And believe me, there’s no rush.
As afternoon becomes night, we all take our places around the tables, having filled our plates buffet-style.
Emma is to my right.
Jen, my left.
Ryder sits on the other side of her, deep in conversation with the same cousins, but across from him Zoe is sneaking awe-filled gazes, and never once speaks.
Emma whispers, “Uh oh.”
Privately I lean into her ear and agree, “She has a crush.”
As the party wanes on, my future wife glows brighter and brighter. I can feel how proud she is of me, that I can keep up with the easy going conversation without coming off as stuffy as I was when we first met. It thrilled her that Jake wanted to sit across from us and is laughing as much as I am.
Everyone has accepted me.
The past drama, forgotten.
My future is here with this family.
How life can change in an instant. I stood outside that vacant property, a different man than I am today.
Jake calls out, “Hey everyone! Hush up a sec. Tanner is about to taste his first bite of the chili!”
Emma’s hand wraps around my leg, gripping tightly as I dig in and lift the fork to my lips. The yard is so silent we can hear the cicadas singing in the trees, but that’s it.
I take a bite, close my eyes, frowning like I’m thinking about it. Opening them I look at the fork and say, “That’s the
