Chapter Fourteen

 

While not as opulent and grandiose as the Gilded Age mansion along Bellevue Avenue, his cousin’s home was more or less exactly what she’d expected. Located on Ocean Drive, the home sat on a piece of land jutting into the ocean. Sprawling green lawns spread out in all directions around the front of the home, providing a buffer between the house and the street. She could see at least three chimneys and various decks as Curt passed through the gates and down the driveway. They’d left all the vehicle’s windows down, and the sound of crashing waves entertained them along the way, getting louder the farther they drove.

“Are you sure it’s only family today?” She checked out the eight other cars parked around them, three with license plates from as far as Virginia. She recognized all the makes and models, even if she couldn’t afford most of them. Two, though, didn’t belong in the group with the others. The dark-colored pickup trucks, both with Virginia plates, stood out among the Mercedes and Porsches parked around them.

“Positive. Trent would’ve told me otherwise.” Curt got out, then came around to open her door. “It doesn’t look like my parents are here yet.”

He’d never told her his parents would be here, too. She would’ve remembered a detail like that. “Your parents are coming?”

He closed the door Reese had left open when she climbed out. Eager for some exploration, she went off to check out the flowers near the garage. “I thought I told you.” He sounded genuinely uncertain.

“Nope.”

“Mom texted me Wednesday and said they’d be here.”

She’d prepared herself to meet his cousins and uncle Mark. Meeting the guy’s parents fell into a league all its own. Her boyfriend senior year of college had been the last one to introduce her to his parents. None of her relationships since then had even approached the level of seriousness that required an introduction to parents.

“Taylor, don’t worry, they’ll love you.” Curt kissed her cheek and smiled. “Ready to go, short stuff?” he called out, before she answered or voiced her sudden apprehension.

An older woman with light brown hair and dark eyes answered the door. She didn’t resemble any of the Sherbrookes Taylor had seen in pictures. However, dressed in tan-colored shorts and a floral print top, she didn’t appear to be a staff member either. Curt confirmed her theory by hugging the woman.

“I was so glad when Trent said you were coming. I don’t think I’ve seen you since New Year’s,” the woman said. She looked Taylor’s way, a genuine smile spread across her face. “Trent mentioned you were bringing friends.” The woman extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. My stepson said you live next door to Curt.”

Taylor matched the new pieces of information with what she already knew about the Sherbrooke family. If this was Trent’s stepmother, then she was Mark Sherbrooke’s wife. “Yes, along with my mother and niece. That’s how we met.” She wondered what other details Curt had shared with his cousin.

“Abby, this is my girlfriend, Taylor, and her niece, Reese.” Curt finally got a word in. “Taylor, Abby is my uncle Mark’s wife. Did Trent put you on door duty? Do you need me to set him straight for you? I’ll go do it right now.”

“He’d never do that and you know it. I was on my way upstairs when the doorbell rang. Everyone is outside. I’ll be back down soon.” Abby walked away, leaving the three of them in the foyer.

“This place is ginormous.” Reese’s voice sounded extra loud in the silence. She turned in a small circle, her head tipped back as she gazed up at the two-story ceiling.

Well, she’s not wrong.

While the house Curt owned was large, it would fit into this one with room to spare. “Let’s keep that comment to yourself.” Taylor wished she’d gone over the type of comments Reese should try to refrain from blurting out.

“Don’t worry about it. Both of you just have fun today.”

He led them down a few hallways and finally stopped at a set of glass doors. On the other side, several people sat relaxing on the patio furniture, and she could see a few more guests on the sand. She put her hand over his before he pushed open the door.

“How about a quick run through of who’s who out there.”

“You met Trent already. The woman sitting next to him is his wife, Addie.”

She’d guessed as much, but didn’t interrupt him.

“The guy walking up from the beach with the baby on his shoulders is Trent’s brother-in-law as well as my cousin Allison’s boyfriend, Rock. The baby is Trent’s son, Kendrick. Allison’s not on the deck, so she must be down on the beach.”

At least five people sat on the beach, and two of them were women. They both faced the water, making it impossible to see their faces and identify them.

“I’m guessing you recognize my cousin Jake.”

Once referred to as Prince Charming by the media, she’d been seeing pictures of Jake Sherbrooke, the president’s son, since she was a teenager. “Yep. He looks a little familiar.”

Curt laughed. “Can’t imagine why.”

“And I’m guessing the redhead with him is his wife.”

“Correct, Agent Walker. And the baby trying to wiggle down from Charlie’s lap is their son, Garret.”

“Since he’s the president’s son, shouldn’t there be Secret Service agents lurking around? Last time I checked, the president’s children got secret service protection while he was in office no matter how old they are.”

“Who’s the president’s son?” Reese asked, letting Taylor know she was paying attention even if she didn’t appear to be.

“My cousin Jake.” Curt answered Reese first. “And he declined the protection right after Uncle Warren took office. Found it too intrusive.”

“I’m not sure I’d do that, but okay.” Put in a similar situation she’d probably opt for the protection, even if it meant someone looking over her shoulder all the time. “What about the ones at the table with the umbrella?”

“The man with the gray hair is Trent’s father-in-law, Sal. Next to him is Trent’s mother-in-law, Marta. Uncle Mark is sitting across from them.”

“Got it.”

“I saw Gray’s car. He and Kiera must be down on the beach. Alec, too, because we parked next to his car.”

“And who’s the guy walking up from the beach now?” While handsome and around the same age as Curt’s cousins, he didn’t look anything like a Sherbrooke. Actually, he resembled the guy Curt called Rock quite a bit.

“Must be one of Addie’s brothers. She has four. I’ve only met two, Rock and Jon. He’s either Tom or Frank.”

She stored all the names and faces away. “Besides your parents, are a lot more people coming?”

“Beats me.” He shrugged and opened the door. “Ready to formally meet the fam?”

Ready as I’ll ever be.

Taylor’s apprehension lasted for all of ten seconds after stepping out onto the deck. Immediately, Trent and Addie came over to welcome them. He proceeded to introduce her and Reese to everyone gathered on the deck before asking if they wanted anything.

“I thought you’d be here earlier. Did you drive down from New Hampshire this morning?” Trent asked when he came back with a bottle of juice for Reese and flavored water for both his wife and Taylor.

“We came down yesterday and spent the night at my house.” Curt sat in a chair near his cousin Jake while Taylor sat next to him, Reese taking a spot on her lap.

“I had trouble getting someone out of the water this morning,” Taylor added, twisting open her water after she helped Reese open her juice.

After breakfast, Reese had begged to go for a swim in the ocean. Taylor found the water a little chilly, but it hadn’t bothered Curt or Reese.

“Did he throw one of his legendry temper tantrums?” Jake asked.

She caught the mischievous glint in Jake’s eyes—eyes that were identical in color to Curt’s—and she knew some embarrassing story must be on the way.

“We used to spend at least two weeks at Cliff House each summer. Every night before bed we were supposed to shower. Get all the sunscreen and stuff off. Curt would pitch a fit. Throw himself on the floor, roll around, and kick. He hated showers and baths.”

If looks could kill, Jake would be dead. “Old age is causing you to be confused.”

She didn’t know Jake’s exact age, but he didn’t look much older than Curt.

“It was Alec who did that every night,” Curt said.

Jake reached down and picked up his son, who decided he wanted someone’s lap to sit in again. “Are you sure?”

“He’s right. It was my brother who hated showers,” Trent said, joining the conversation. “Curt threw tantrums when your mother made us eat whatever Henri prepared for dinner.”

Jake snapped his fingers and nodded. “That’s right. If Mom was there she’d make him sit at the table, even after we all finished and left, until he at least tasted what was on his plate. He fell asleep sitting there at least once.”

A man who hadn’t been on the deck when introductions were made stopped behind Jake’s chair. “Are you talking about the night Curt face-planted into his plate because he wouldn’t touch the vegetable on the side? One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.”

“No one asked you, Gray,” Curt snapped.

Taylor giggled at the image of Curt falling asleep and landing face-first in his dinner. “Seriously, he fell into his meal?” While it’d make a funny scene in a movie, she didn’t see it actually happening.

“When he pulled his face out he had this white creamy sauce Henri served with the meal dripping off his chin and nose,” Gray said. “I think that was the last time he refused to eat what Henri served. Well, at least when Aunt Elizabeth was there. She was the only really strict one about that. And Aunt Marilyn never did it.”

“I never fall asleep at the table. But I did fall asleep at the movies.” Never one to be left out of a conversation, Reese jumped right in. “It was a boring movie.”

“Boring movies put me to sleep, too,” Gray said.

“And when he does you know, because he snores,” Curt said, perhaps sharing some embarrassing information as way to get even.

“Can I go play on the beach and build a sandcastle?” Reese asked. She’d asked about building a sandcastle both last night and this morning. Once she got an idea in her head, it didn’t leave.

“There are already some buckets and shovels down there. I can show you where to change and then bring you down and make introductions. Alec, Allison, and Kiera are all still down there,” Addie, Trent’s wife, said.

She’d anticipated Reese wanting to hit the sand and water when they arrived, and planned accordingly by having Reese put her bathing suit on under her clothes. Since she didn’t plan on touching the water, she hadn’t packed one for herself.

“I already have my bathing suit on. See?” Reese lifted her T-shirt, revealing the black-and-white-striped bathing suit top underneath. “Can we go?” She bounced on the balls of her feet and looked at Taylor. “Please.”

Not many things were more boring to a child than sitting around and listening to adults talk. “Sure.”

 

He watched Reese skip ahead, Taylor and Addie following closely behind her. He hadn’t been worried about whether or not his family would welcome them today. Even though none of them brought guests on a regular basis, he’d never known his family not to accept someone at a gathering. Taylor’s comfort around them had concerned him, but judging by her interaction with his cousins so far, his concern appeared unnecessary. Too bad he couldn’t say the same about his comfort so far this visit. He could’ve done without Jake sharing an embarrassing story the moment they sat down.

“Glad to see things worked out. I was worried when I left your house the other day.” Trent picked up his son, who’d made his way over to him. “Still, you should’ve listened to me and Gray in the first place.”

“What did our cousin do?” Jake asked.

Trent and Gray happily filled Jake in on all the details. Neither gave Curt a chance to get a word in and defend himself.

“Stupid idea, Curt. But it looks like everything turned out okay.” Jake looked toward the beach, where Taylor stood talking to Addie while Reese began work on her sandcastle.

“And don’t worry, we’ll wait to tell her more stories about you some other time. Don’t want to scare her away yet,” Gray said.

Jake let his son climb from his lap back into Charlie’s when she returned with a bowl of grapes cut up into small pieces. “We just need to get them all in before the wedding so she knows what she’s getting ahead of time.”

“Get what in before whose wedding?” Charlie asked.

“Curt’s wedding,” Jake answered.

Charlie’s hand stopped, a grape almost to Garret’s mouth, and she looked at him instead. “You’re engaged? When did you propose?”

“No, your husband—”

Jake interrupted him before he finished. “You brought Taylor and her daughter to a family cookout. You’ve never brought a woman to a family-only event.”

Except for when he’d introduced them to Abby inside, he hadn’t mentioned Reese was Taylor’s niece. Because of the close bond between them, most of the time he thought of Reese as Taylor’s daughter. And Jake was correct. He’d brought dates to large fundraisers or events like the annual New Year’s Eve party where hundreds of people would be around, but he’d never invited a girlfriend to a private family gathering like this cookout.

“Reese is her niece, not her daughter. Taylor’s her guardian.” He hoped his cousins didn’t ask for more specific details, because they weren’t his to share.

“Irrelevant. You still brought them with you today. A wedding’s in your future, cuz. Should I congratulate you today or wait until she has the ring on her finger?” Jake asked.

“He’s ri—” Gray started but stopped, touching his forehead with two fingers and shaking his head. “Don’t know if I can say this.” He took in an exaggerated breath. “He’s….” His voice trailed off.

“Right,” Trent said, finishing the sentence for his brother. “I know. Difficult to comprehend, but Jake’s right.” He pretended to shudder.

They drove each other crazy and gave each other a hard time whenever they got the opportunity, but they also knew each other well. Jake, Gray, and Trent were right. He wouldn’t have invited Taylor along this weekend if he didn’t view their relationship much differently than any of his previous ones. And while he didn’t intend to propose next week, he could see it happening in the future.

“Hey, he’s right more than you think,” Charlie said, dividing her attention between her son and the men. She’d spent enough time around them all to comfortably participate in any of their conversations, including those that involved busting each other’s asses. “At least once every two months Jake is right about something.”

“Not possible,” Trent responded.

“I didn’t say he was right about anything important,” Charlie added, and from the tone of her voice she was really getting into the spirit of the conversation. “But usually if he says we’re out of milk or Garret needs a diaper change, he’s right.”

Curt tuned out his family and focused on Taylor. Kiera and Allison had joined her and Addie. From here she appeared at ease, listening to his cousin’s fiancée while Reese played a short distance away. An unexpected wave of tenderness washed over him at the scene on the beach. He started to walk away, his departure catching his cousins’ attention.

“The SOB has it bad,” Jake said.

“Yeah. Looks like Tasha’s only got two Sherbrooke men left to go after,” Trent said.

Curt didn’t bother to stop and rejoin the conversation. Especially a conversation involving Tasha Marshall, a woman who’d been obsessed with Jake until he got married. Since then she’d tried to catch the attention of all Curt’s male cousins, as well as him. And Trent was right. There were only two Sherbrooke men now available: Brett, Curt’s older brother, and Alec, his younger cousin. Everyone present knew Tasha didn’t have a chance with either man.

***

They finished the first phase of the sandcastle, a large square structure with four round towers at each corner and walls connecting them together. In the center stood a fifth tower, this one taller than the other four, and a seashell was perched on top of it. Together they built a fifth wall, which would connect to the second phase of the castle. Reese insisted the second part be circular so that the horses could run around and not bump into any corners, because every castle had horses in it. He was working on smoothing out the sand so they could start the walls, when his parents stepped outside.

His dad, Jonathan Sherbrooke, was a slightly younger version of his two older brothers, Warren and Mark. So much so that anyone could easily confuse Jonathan as Jake’s or Trent’s father rather than their uncle. Following in both his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, Jonathan studied business and joined the corporate world. He’d expected both his sons to follow suit. Brett, his oldest, never even tried. Curt hadn’t thought twice about traveling the Sherbrooke path; at least not until he discovered he preferred life outside a suit and tie.

Dad wasn’t happy when Curt broke the news that he’d left Nichols and the investment world behind. Business was the man’s life. They hadn’t spoken much since that unpleasant conversation. The last time they had, Dad tried to convince him he belonged in the world of high-rise office buildings and dollar signs. He hoped Dad didn’t try again today.

On the other hand, Judith Sherbrooke, his mom, understood his decision. Although she came from a family entrenched in business, and had a law degree, she’d never practiced. Her true passion was art and music. She could spend hours sketching and painting, or wandering the halls of an art museum. He’d called her before anyone else when he learned his first novel would be published. Mom had also been the first to learn of his decision to leave Nichols and devote himself to his passions.

Regardless of everything else, both his parents were an important part of his life. He knew they’d both accept his decision to be with Taylor. With the exception of his recent career change, both had always supported and accepted every decision he’d made. However, he wanted them to like her, too, because he saw Taylor and Reese as permanent parts of his life.

He paused in smoothing the area intended for phase two. “My parents are here.”

Taylor put the down the shell she held. She and Reese were using shells to make a walkway from the middle tower to an outer castle wall. “Did you tell them Reese and I would be here?” She glanced toward the house.

Curt nodded. When Mom texted him, he’d replied with a message of his own. Mom would’ve shared the information with Dad. “Of course.” He put the shovels they’d been using into a bucket. “How about a break, short stuff? We can finish this up later.”

Reese didn’t even look up from what she was working on. “Do I have to?”

All the times they’d been together, Reese had never refused one of his requests or suggestions. He wasn’t sure how to respond to her question. Thankfully Taylor stepped in, taking care of the problem for him.

“This isn’t going anywhere. Come on. Let’s go, Reese. Curt wants us to meet his parents.”

Her sigh probably reached his family members on the deck, but she stood up and brushed some sand from her knees.

The message he’d sent Mom merely said he was bringing his new girlfriend and her niece. He hadn’t included how they’d met, or how long they’d been together. All he’d shared was their names. Always one to show affection no matter the company, Mom immediately embraced him and kissed his cheek. A little more reserved, Dad didn’t like public displays of affection no matter if it was just family around them or not. Instead, he gave Curt a thump on the back and a “Good to see you again.”

“I’m glad I get a chance to meet you today. Let’s sit and chat. I want to make sure my son’s been behaving himself and treating you properly,” his mom said once he finished making introductions.

“Curt’s teaching me to play lacrosse,” Reese said. “And I’m giving him soccer lessons. And tomorrow he’s taking Auntie Taylor and me to Pirate’s Cove. I can’t wait to play mini golf. I’ve never played. He says I’ll like it.”

Mom looked at him, one perfectly curved eyebrow raised, as Reese continued to talk her ear off. He interpreted the look easily. She knew how serious his relationship was and wanted to know why she and Dad were only now meeting Taylor. He shrugged. What else could he do? It was either that, or admit to her he’d tried to keep his identity a secret. Unlike his cousins, Mom would never understand his actions.

“That sounds like so much fun. I wish I could go. I’ve never played mini golf either,” Mom said, leading Reese and Taylor toward three patio chairs, leaving him alone with his dad.

Mom played golf regularly, but he couldn’t picture her anywhere near a mini golf course.

“How long are you staying in Newport?” Dad asked.

He stopped trying to picture Mom hitting an orange golf ball into a windmill and headed for some empty chairs. “We’ll head back tomorrow night. Reese is still in school and Taylor has work.”

“Speaking of work. I saw Jim Burke at the club recently. He wanted to know what it would take to get you to come back. You’ve had a nice break. Maybe you should reconsider and give him a call.”

Up until this moment, the day had been so relaxing. “Not interested, Dad.”

“Really?” He sounded baffled by the prospect of anyone turning down the life Jim Burke represented. “You’re satisfied living in New Hampshire, writing books, and working on an old house?” He shook his head. “It’s great to have hobbies or things to do outside the office, but is that how you want to spend the next twenty or thirty years? Wouldn’t you be happier living in Boston again? Meeting me and Mark or Harrison at the club for a round of golf?”

Dad didn’t sound upset, merely confused. A definite step up from their last conversation. “No.”

Dad rubbed his chin. Curt guessed his father worked at digesting the response he’d given. “When do you think you’ll finish the renovations and move back to Boston?”

Never. “I see no reason to move back.” He looked toward Taylor and his mom, chatting away like two old friends. Between them, Reese sat enjoying a slice of watermelon. “Everything I want is in Pelham.”