Maria was at a loss for what to do that evening. She loved to read, but reading didn’t seem like any fun. She loved movies, and she’d gone alone to them for years, but the idea of going alone to a movie now was just depressing.

She even went into the living room to watch television with the Andersons for a little while, but she just couldn’t quit fidgeting. Finally she said, “I’m going to take a drive.”

Mrs. Anderson nodded at her. “Have a good time, dear.”

Maria wasn’t sure if what she wanted to do was have a good time, or to shake Ephraim from her mind. She’d been attracted to him from the first moment they’d met, but she was just as much attracted to his family. Being a part of something as amazing as they all were sounded like a dream come true to her.

She got in her car and started driving, heading through the small town of Bagley, looking for something—anything—to do. The only thing that seemed to be open at eight on a Saturday night was the grocery store, and that wasn’t her idea of fun.

She turned the car out of town and found herself on the road to the ranch. She wanted to see Ephraim, but she hadn’t been invited out there that night, and she didn’t know why. Well, yes she did, but she wanted to be with him anyway. What was wrong with her?

Maria sighed, pulling off the highway onto ranch property. How could she already miss him when she’d seen him just a few hours before? There was something wrong with her, and the only answer seemed to be that she was falling in love.

Instead of going to the cabin where Ephraim lived, she pulled into the driveway for the main house. Talking to Lillian seemed like just what she needed. If she couldn’t have Ephraim, she’d go bug his mother.

She stood at the door for a moment, wondering if she’d lost her mind. She was sure she had, but she knocked anyway. Standing there in the chilly night air, hoping someone would come to the door and not think she was crazy.

Peter came to the door instead of Lillian, and he grinned at her. “Come in! We’re sitting in front of the fire, talking about Christmases past.”

Maria walked into the house, feeling as if she was somewhere she shouldn’t be, but at that moment, she just didn’t care. She walked into the living room where Peter and Lillian had been sitting alone together, and she stood for a moment, wondering if she was truly welcome.

Her worries were immediately put to rest when Lillian jumped to her feet and hugged her. “I heard all about what happened yesterday. Are you coming to grips with everything all right?”

Maria nodded. “I think I am.”

“Sit down and let’s talk. Do you want some hot chocolate maybe?”

“Not unless you have sugar-free,” Maria responded. Jasper was at her feet, but she wasn’t going to risk her health by letting her sugar get too high.

“I do have some sugar-free. Sit down with Peter, and I’ll be right back with it.”

As soon as Lillian left, Maria realized it was Peter she wanted to talk to anyway. “You’ve raised seven amazing boys. What’s your secret?”

Peter shrugged. “It helps that I always knew they were about to get into trouble before they did,” he said with a grin.

She laughed. “I’m sure it did! Did you never worry they would not want their powers?”

“They all went through phases where they felt like they were the oddballs at school, or they’d never fit in. They’re good boys, but who wants that kind of burden when you’re a teenager?”

“Who had the hardest time with it?”

“Gideon. No question. He has some of all the powers, and he knows it’s his responsibility to keep the ranch going. The good thing about Gideon is I was able to relate to him well. I always knew what he was going through, because I’d gone through it all myself. Before I met Lillian, I was sure that I was the wrong man for the job.”

“Really?” She leaned forward, liking hearing that. “What about Ephraim? Has he ever questioned it?”

“Oh, sure. They all have. Of course, Ephraim has one of the ‘cool’ powers. He gets to talk to animals. He’s a real-life Dr. Dolittle, and no one could complain about that.”

Maria grinned. “My dog seems to think he’s the bee’s knees.”

He laughed. “Bee’s knees. One of my favorite expressions, but not one you hear nearly often enough. Tell me, do you think Ephraim is the bee’s knees?”

“I think I’m falling in love with him, but I worry about it.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not sure if it’s him I love, or his family. I miss having a tight-knit family with parents who took care of me. I can see I’d have that closeness again here at the ranch, and it makes me long for what I used to have. So do I love him, or do I just want to be part of his amazing family?”

“Only you can answer that, but I’ll tell you a secret. If you have feelings for my son, then falling for his family isn’t wrong. It’s right. You’ll be one of us from the moment you say ‘I do,’ so you’ll be loved, and we like being loved in return.”

She made a face. “But isn’t that being deceptive?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. Just don’t tell him you’re not falling in love with the crazy pack of wonderfulness that is the McClains, and I think you’re good.”

She grinned at that, accepting the hot chocolate that Lillian brought her. “Thank you.”

Peter got to his feet then. “I think the two of you need to have a little chat.” With those words, he left the room, going to another part of the enormous house. It had to be enormous to raise seven boys there, generation after generation.

Lillian looked over at Maria with a smile. “You’ve been alone for a very long time, haven’t you?”

Maria nodded. “When my parents first died, I felt like I had Michael, but after he came to live here, I was completely alone.”

“No close friends?”

Maria shook her head. “I was so deeply in mourning when I got to college that I didn’t pledge any sororities. I didn’t hang out with my roommate. I didn’t try to make any friends at all. Anyone who was kind to me was pushed away, and I spent all my time alone.”

“And you’re ready to not be alone anymore, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I think I am. Until I realized that Michael truly was treated well and happy here, I didn’t feel like I should have friends, if that makes any sort of sense to you. I know the logic is a bit twisted.”

Lillian nodded. “It’s twisted, but I certainly understand it. Now that you know Michael’s happy, you’re allowed to be happy, too.”

“Yes! But…I worry that I’m falling in love with your big family and not your son. I was telling Peter that while you were getting my hot chocolate.”

Lillian nodded. “Let me ask you something.”

“Anything.”

“I saw you walk over to my son at the barbecue last night and kiss him—rather dramatically, I might add.”

Maria blushed a bit. She hadn’t considered the fact that his mother was watching. “I did.”

“What did you feel when you kissed? Were you bored and wondering when the kiss would end so you could move onto something else? Or were you wishing there weren’t over fifty people watching you so you could carry on as you were?” Lillian watched her closely after asking the question.

Maria squirmed. “I don’t think I’m supposed to talk about this with his mother!”

Lillian chuckled. “Probably not. I’m sure he’d be mortified if he heard us. But I think you’ll find your answer to your worries in the answer to that question. You don’t have to answer me, because I think I know the answer. If you wished you were alone, then you’re not more interested in his family than him. Period.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Lillian laughed aloud. “I assure you I am. I’ve raised seven sons, and in the past two months, I’ve accepted four daughters into my life. I hope you’ll be the fifth.”

Maria drank the last of her hot chocolate, staring into the fire. “I’ll put this in the kitchen sink on my way out.”

“Go see him,” Lillian urged.

“Oh, I couldn’t interrupt their evening.”

“Trust me. He’s waiting for you to make a move. I know my son.”

Maria took a deep breath as she got to her feet. “Maybe I will.” Jasper walked with her as she stopped in the kitchen to put her mug in the sink and rinse it out. She saw that Lillian was watching her, leaning against the door that led to the living room. “G’night! Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome.”

Maria saw herself out and got into her car, resuming her drive toward the cabin where Ephraim lived with her brother. It was just after nine, so past lights-out now. She hoped that he’d still be awake, but she knew he was an early riser like she was.

She knocked on the door, and it was swung open by Ephraim. He didn’t speak, but he took her into his arms and he kissed her deeply. When he raised his head, he smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I’m glad you came over.”

She grinned at him. “Me too. I wasn’t sure if I should, but…I figured if it was a bad time, you’d tell me.”

“Not a bad time at all. I’m thrilled to see you.” He took her hand and led her to the couch. “Daniel is visiting Claire at her place tonight. Tomorrow is their big day.”

“I’m sure they’re excited.”

“Oh, trust me, they are. Daniel’s talked of nothing else but Claire since she arrived at the ranch.” He looked down at her hand for a minute, and then looked up again. “He said he’s willing to try the chlorophyll. He did a bit of research after I suggested it, and though it’s very alternative medicine, he’s all for it. Of course, healing someone by putting your hand over their injury is a bit too alternative for most doctors.”

She laughed. “I can see where it would be.” Settling onto the couch beside him, she rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying being in the circle of his arm. “What are your plans for tomorrow?” She knew he’d probably be too busy to see her, but after spending this evening feeling lost, she was going to at least ask.

Ephraim smiled. “Well, we have church in the morning, family meeting in the afternoon. We usually have family meeting on Saturday, but we had the tree today. So we’ll do that tomorrow, and then tomorrow night is the wedding. You’ll be at the wedding, right?”

She nodded. “I’ll be at church as well.”

“Come find me at church. We can sit together, and you can come home with us after for lunch. You can’t stay for the family meeting, because that’s sacred men time, but I’d love it if you’d come home with us after the wedding as well. That will make it so my mom doesn’t have to come over until bedtime.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” That would give her just enough time alone to get ready for the wedding. Why she suddenly didn’t want to be alone, she didn’t know, but she really did want to spend all her time with him. Did that mean she was in love? She was afraid to even think about it.

“Not at all. I’d love to have you spend every minute of every day with me.” He looked at her. “Dad didn’t tell me I was destined to marry you. He’s been awfully silent about our future wives, until we ask him.”

“How’d you know then?” She’d figured his father had been the one to tell them all who they were destined to marry.

“I looked into your eyes, and I knew you had to be mine.” He shook his head. “Right after you left on Thursday, we talked, and Daniel asked if I should trust you. I told him we had to, because you were mine.”

“Wow. I’m not sure what to say to that. Because I looked into your eyes, and as sexy as I thought you were, I was just mad. I wanted my brother back.”

He nodded. “I saw that in your eyes, too.” He looked at her. “You believe this is a good place for him now, right?”

“It’s the best place for him,” she responded. “I can’t argue with that. It’s written on his face, and y’all treat him with the kind of love and kindness I’d expect only a family member to be able to treat a teenager with.”

He laughed. “Teenagers can be hard, but my family has had a lot of practice loving them. The boys’ ranch started at the beginning of the twentieth century.”

“Really? It’s been here that long? I had no idea!”

“Yup. It’s a McClain tradition for over a hundred years, so we kind of feel we’re professionals at it. We’re trained in how to run this ranch from the first time we’re put on a horse…so you know, before we’re two.”

She grinned at that. “I can’t imagine knowing what my life would look like from such a young age. Will your sons help run the ranch?”

“My kids will have a choice, just like we did. Gideon was the only one who had to stay. The rest of us had every choice in the world.”

She hid a yawn behind her hand. “I think I need to go home and sleep. I’ll see you at church in the morning.”

He nodded. “I’ll be the one surrounded by obnoxious teenage boys.”

“Hey! One of those boys is my brother!”

“And your point is?”

She sighed. “Yeah, he’s obnoxious all right.”

He walked her to her car and kissed her goodnight, watching again as she drove away. This was the first time she’d come to him without him asking. He was pretty sure she was ready. He pulled the ring he’d purchased that afternoon out of his pocket and looked at it. It was just right for her. He knew it was.