Brett rang the doorbell, and Jen waited for a uniformed employee to answer the door. Wealthy families hired people to handle those types of mundane tasks. At least in the movies they did. The bright smile the woman who answered the door gave Brett suggested she wasn’t an employee but a family member.
“I was so happy when Mark said you might be coming today.” The woman hugged Brett. “Everything was such short notice, and I know how busy you are with the campaign.”
Wrapped in Brett’s arms, the woman looked tiny. Before releasing her, he kissed her cheek and then took Jen’s hand. “Jen, I’d like you to meet Abby, Uncle Mark’s wife.” Brett didn’t give Jen a chance to speak. “Abby, my girlfriend, Jen.”
Twice now he’d referred to her as his girlfriend. Still, hearing the title attached to her sounded odd.
Abby turned her warm smile in Jen’s direction and she couldn’t help but return it. “Welcome. My husband mentioned Brett might be bringing a guest.” Abby gave her a brief hug too. “I’m so glad you could make it as well. Please come in and make yourself at home.”
They managed to make it through the door before the same little boy she’d seen at the block party zipped through the foyer running as fast as his little legs would carry him, which was rather fast considering the boy couldn’t be much more than a year and a half old. Seconds later another boy who looked very close in age came running after him. Neither paused nor acknowledged the adults as they turned a corner, but their giggling could still be heard.
“If those two hellions are here, Jake and Trent are around too,” Brett said, sounding amused.
Abby nodded. “When Garret and Kendrick get together, you never know what kind of mischief they might stir up. If they were a little older, I wouldn’t be surprised to find Jake and Trent tied up in a closet somewhere.”
“Sounds like both little guys are taking after their fathers,” Brett said before glancing in Jen’s direction. “The second blond streak who went through is my cousin Trent’s son. Kendrick is a couple months younger than Jake’s.” He looked back at Abby again. “If they ever need help tying my cousins up, I’m there for them. I’ll have to let them know that.”
Abby flicked Brett’s ear and shook her head. “Don’t you dare, they’d go in search of some rope.”
He’d addressed the woman by her first name rather than using the title aunt although she was married to his uncle. The way they joked with each other hinted at a good relationship though. If she thought of it later, she’d have to ask him why he didn’t call her Aunt Abby. She’d never think to call any of her aunts by their given names. And if she’d ever tried as a child, Mom and Dad would’ve corrected her in a heartbeat.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Sherbrooke, I’ll make sure he behaves while he’s here today,” Jen said, dismissing the other matter from her thoughts.
“Excellent, someone who can keep you in line, Brett.” The older woman touched Jen’s shoulder. “But please call me Abby.” She glanced back toward Brett again. “Most of the family is out on the east lawn, but we are still waiting for a few people. I’m going to check on lunch, I’ll be outside shortly.” She walked away, leaving Brett and Jen alone.
“We can still retreat. No one but Abby knows we’re here,” Brett said.
“You survived meeting my family yesterday. I’ll manage.” If the rest of his family was as friendly as the few relatives she’d met so far, today would be a breeze.
“Who said I was worried about you? I was thinking about how much I’d rather be alone with you.” He kissed her cheek then took her hand and started walking through the house. Like the exterior, the inside of the home could only be described as classic and elegant.
She tried to act calm, but little things kept giving her away—such as her sweaty palm. He knew his family though. They’d do their best to put her at ease and make her feel welcome. If they had any questions or concerns, they’d speak to him about them in private.
Brett led her down a hallway and out to the east lawn. When he and his cousins had been younger, they’d played hide-and-go-seek in this section of the estate. Back then a large maze of hedges, various flowering bushes, and fountains had occupied the space, making it a perfect place to hide. Following Aunt Donna’s death, Uncle Mark had remarried and his second wife had wiped out the entire area. One of the first things Uncle Mark did once he divorced the woman was have a new garden planted. While not as elaborate as the maze that had been there, it was a nice reminder of Aunt Donna, a woman his uncle had never stopped loving. It was also a popular spot for the family to gather. During Brett’s last visit the previous year, he’d noticed Abby had once again added to the area.
Today a large white tent had been set up just past the row of rosebushes. The sides of it were pulled open, and he could see the round tables inside. At the moment, no one was using the tent. Instead his various family members we seated on the padded patio furniture and benches situated inside the garden.
“Now this is a flower garden,” Jen said softly as he pulled the French doors closed behind them.
He’d never cared much for flowers, but he knew she liked them. To someone who enjoyed gardening, this part of the estate as well as the greenhouse would be an absolute paradise. “Take your time and look around. We can check out the greenhouse too.”
Across the garden, he saw his dad and mom exchange words. Then they both stood and started toward them.
“Maybe later. Your parents are headed this way,” she answered as she took a step closer to him. “You look a lot like your mom. But you probably already know that.”
It wasn’t the first time someone had told him the same thing. He considered it a plus. His dad resembled his two older brothers. They all had the trademark Sherbrooke blue eyes and dirty-blond hair, although they all were sporting a fair amount of gray these days, especially Uncle Warren, the eldest of the bunch. Many of Brett’s cousins had inherited those same features, and it made flying under the media’s radar difficult and at times all-out impossible. He’d always had a much easier time of it thanks to the fact he’d inherited his looks from his mom’s family. His younger brother hadn’t been so lucky. Curt took after their dad, although his hair was a few shades darker. His younger sister was a nice mix of both parents.
Brett didn’t know when he’d started doing it but whenever both his parents were around, he always greeted his mom first. So, when his parents reached them, he stepped forward and hugged her before even casting a glance toward Dad.
“I hoped to see you today,” Mom said, returning his hug. “Your dad told me not to get my hopes up because you’re busy with the campaign.” She released him and looked at Jen before meeting his eyes again, her question quite obvious. Mom wanted to know who this was and why he’d never mentioned Jen before if she was important enough to bring to a family-only party.
He put an arm around Jen and looked at his parents. “You already know this, Jen, but these are my parents. Mom, Dad, my girlfriend, Jen.”
His dad’s eyebrow inched up the slightest amount. In fact, if he hadn’t been watching for a reaction, Brett would’ve missed it. Dad was wondering why Brett hadn’t mentioned Jen during any of their recent calls or meetings. He was also wondering how she might affect Brett’s campaign. Mom gave him a look that said “we’ll talk later” and then she smiled at Jen.
“It’s wonderful to meet you,” Mom said as she moved in to give Jen a hug. “I look forward to hearing how you and my son met. But first I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Brett got the hint. Dad wanted a private word with him and he wouldn’t wait. “Thanks, Mom.” He squeezed Jen’s hand. “Go ahead. I have a few campaign updates to discuss with Dad. I’ll be right over.”