Heading back inside the storage room, I barely pick up my computer when I hear Daniel’s voice through the open door, sounding as if he’s heading this way. “Martin, you did a great job.”
“Thank you, son.”
“Where’s Caroline?”
I jump at the sound of my name.
“In the back.”
Since I have my back to the door, I don’t see but rather feel him stepping inside the room. The air seems to charge instantly, the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A current of awareness shakes my entire body as I spin around to face him.
“Hey! I was just finishing up here. Thanks for stopping by and bringing your family.”
“My pleasure.” He smiles, leaning in to kiss my cheek. Heat zings through me. Oh boy! My entire body reacts to his presence. The memory of our night together is still too fresh in my mind, the feeling of his touch imprinted on my body. Not to mention our midnight confessions; I’m not likely to forget those anytime soon. Between the memory of his touch, and his words, he’s pulling me in like a magnet.
“When’s Niall arriving?” he asks, instantly cutting the tension.
“He was here before lunch, but he couldn’t stay longer. We’ll see him tomorrow for breakfast again.”
“Come out in the front, you two,” Dad calls from outside the room. “Ailish just finished a fresh batch of cookies.”
I head out of the room, Daniel hot on my heels.
To my delight, the Bennetts even brought some of the little ones. Pippa’s twins, Mia and Elena, Sebastian’s kids, Will and Audrey, and Logan’s son, Silas, are all here, and I’ve got just the thing to entertain them.
I do an inventory of the adults too. Ava and Sebastian, Logan and Nadine, and Pippa and Eric are on one side of the room. On the other side of the room are Blake and Summer. Their parents, Jenna and Richard Bennett, are a few feet away.
I greet everyone fast, tripping over my own feet as I inquire what they want to drink.
After they’re all set up, I turn my attention to the kids.
“I’ve got some coloring books for you,” I tell the younger ones, who seem to be hanging on to my every word. “Come on.”
“Kids are well entert
ained,” I announce to no one in particular when I join the Bennetts again. God, it’s so good to have all of them here. I’m beyond thankful. That’s when I realize I haven’t thanked them. I’ve been so beside myself, I forgot to say it out loud.
“Thank you all for being here.”
Blake puts a hand on my shoulder. “Anytime. Besides, we were all waiting for the day Daniel would come to his senses. Made a bet with Summer on when that would happen. I lost by about three years.”
This isn’t awkward at all....
“What... no, we’re friends,” I mumble, feeling my face go up in flames. At least Daniel is not within earshot, but at the other end of the room, inspecting the middle shelf of the Travel section. Thank heavens for small mercies.
Summer steps closer. “Yeah, you’re blushing worse than ever. Friends, my ass.”
Oh boy.
If I thought my face was hot before, now I’m expecting steam to come out of my ears. Between Blake and Summer, I’m toast. I’m out of practice fending off curious Bennetts, but I need to polish those skills until they shine like silver.
Summer grins, giving me a knowing look. Pippa, on the other hand, appears to be surprisingly uninterested in the topic, perusing the Lifestyle shelves. This is so unlike her that I instantly realize she’s up to something.
Ah, man. If any of the Bennett women get wind of what happened in the marina hotel, I’m a dead woman. And I’m not being dramatic. It’s the honest-to-God truth.
I don’t have time to dwell on this alarming idea because Ailish brings everyone cookies, and we dig in. My eyes sweep around the room, and I’m pleasantly surprised to see a set of parents from my school.
I immediately rush over to thank them, giving them a tour of the bookstore.