"Change?" he echoed, frowning in confusion. "But you look great."
Ellie flushed, and he winced, realizing what he'd just said.
Clearing his throat, he coughed into his hand and quickly revised, "I mean, you look fine. And our family get-togethers are incredibly informal. I wouldn't be surprised if my baby sister, Cheyenne, showed up in these flannel pajama pants she likes so much. Besides," he added. "I don't particularly want to embarrass myself in front of my family. And if you looked any better, I don't think I'd be able to handle it."
Tugging with the barest of pressure, Boston started to back toward the door, urging her to join him. She probably would've followed him anywhere at that very moment. The pull of his stare was a hundred times more magnetic than the tow of his hand. He nearly had the door shut behind her before a smidgeon of reality returned.
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"Oh, wait! My keys. My purse."
Boston nodded and let go of her hand to let her escape back inside. Scurrying frantically, Ellie ran back to her room and yanked up her purse and keys. She paused at the dresser, however, and tried to fluff some life into her limp hair. Moaning in distress when the locks only flopped back against her head, she blew out a breath and gave up. There was no need for her to impress his family anyway. It wasn't like she and Boston were dating anymore.
Hustling back to the living room, she was a little surprised that he'd actually waited for her at the exit. It struck her with a sudden rush of nostalgia. He'd always waited patiently at her door when she wasn't quite ready, and like then, she was freshly amazed he hadn't left without her.
Ellie didn't take his hand again, but they walked side by side from the house, which was disconcerting in itself. As Cassie saw them approaching, she opened the passenger side door and sent a worried look from Boston to Ellie.
"What's wrong?" she said. "Did you guys have another fight?"
Boston chuckled as he reached out to rustle her hair. "No, we did not have another fight. We decided your mom should come too. Now, get in the back, kiddo. Let her ride up front."
"You're coming?" Cassie said, and her gaze darted to her mother. "Oh, wow, Mom, this is going to be so awesome."
She shot out of the car and scurried to get into the backseat.
All the while, she kept talking. "I'm going to introduce you to my grandma and grandpa and Aunt Shannon and Aunt Olivia.
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meet all of Dad's nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles..."
Oh, joy, Ellie thought, a little panicked. Boston was dragging her right into the lion's den.
The trip to Kansas City was a total blur. Ellie knew her daughter was constantly chattering from the backseat. And Boston would occasionally comment. But she was too nervous to pay attention to anything they said.
She sat in the passenger seat with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, staring straight ahead out the windshield.
Boston's Infiniti was a smooth ride. It was like floating on top of a glass lake. And he had the temperature acclimated perfectly. If Ellie were in any other state beside utter dread, she would've really enjoyed this cruise in his luxury automobile. As it was, she didn't even feel the leather seats at her back or hear the low, soothing music coming through the speakers.
She was going to meet his family. His entire family.
Ellie had always wondered what they would be like. She used to snatch up any scrap of information he'd give her about them. Heck, she'd gone and given him her virginity the first time he'd told her about his dad's occupation, if that were any indication as to how special she found his opening up to her to be.
The more he had dodged family topics, though, the more she'd wanted to know about them. She'd been so sure he must have awful parents who were pressuring him to do well in school and get into Yale. They had to be rich and socially elite, only concerned with upholding a superior reputation.
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But then she'd been in calculus class one day and the teacher had been handing back graded tests. When he'd called out the name Montgomery Kincaid, a guy, looking astonishingly like Boston, had lifted his hand. Blinking, Ellie studied him for so long, he'd glanced her way as if he could feel her stare. Flushing, she quickly jerked back around in her seat.
From then on, she'd paid sharp attention to Mr.
Montgomery Kincaid. And it didn't take long to realize he was indeed related to Boston. She'd actually heard him mention his brother to his friend he always hung out with.
So sure he had this high-nosed snob of a family, Ellie had been shocked to realize Boston had a normal-acting brother.
It confused her that Boston wouldn't even mention him.
Today, on the way to see them again, Ellie held no such disillusions. Boston's family wasn't awful. In fact, they seemed pretty close to him. From everything she'd heard Cassie tell her, they were very involved in his life. He'd only kept them from her because she hadn't been important enough to meet them.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, realizing the only reason she was meeting them now was because she was Cassie's mother. And it did nothing to ease her anxiety. Instead of trying to be nice because she was with Boston, they were going to study her and ask themselves what was wrong with her, what had she done to lose him?
They were going to hate her.
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automobiles, her heart literally stopped beating for a nanosecond. When it thumped back into gear, it started again so hard, it nearly cracked her ribcage.
"Libby's already here!" Cassie cheered from the backseat.
Her daughter was out of the car as soon as Boston pressed on the brake. Feeling deserted, Ellie watched Cassie race across the lawn to where a group of kids were already gathered and playing.
Next to her, Boston chuckled. "Such enthusiasm," he said, killing the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt. He opened his driver's side door and began to exit before he realized Ellie wasn't following. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
She sent him a panic-stricken expression. For the life of her, she couldn't control the fear. She couldn't even appear to be strong in front of him. "I can't do it," she blurted out. "I can't go in there."
"What? Why not?"
She gnashed her teeth, refusing to tell him. But the words still bubbled their way from her throat. "You know what they're going to think of me."
Boston's eyes flared. He pulled his foot back into the car and turned to her fully. "Ellie," he said calmly. "No one thinks badly of you. And no one is going to say anything bad to you either. Trust me. They're all more disappointed in me because I didn't stick around long enough to make sure you really weren't pregnant." Quietly reaching out, he took her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze.
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"Come on," he murmured. "I promise I won't let anyone stamp any large letters on you or call you any names."
Ellie snorted at his joke. But it helped to make her realize how much of a weenie she was being. Blowing out a long breath, she pushed open the car door.
They entered his parents' house through the back. Ellie could hear the multitude of voices as soon as Boston opened the door and stepped aside to let her go first.
"Good," he said from behind her. "We made it in time for the food. They're too loud to be eating."
They'd just entered a kitchen when a beautiful, busty yet petite blonde walked into the room. She grinned when she saw them, or rather when she saw Boston.
"Boston! Baby, what took you so long to get here?"
He paused and sent th
e woman a hot, flirtatious grin.
"Miss me?"
The blonde fluttered her lashes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Always," she answered and gave him a long, yet closed-mouth kiss as she leaned into him.
Ellie couldn't help but arch an eyebrow as she watched.
Boston pulled away and grinned at the woman, pressing his forehead to hers and murmuring a quiet greeting. And even as the envy and irrational jealousy zipped through her bloodstream, Ellie felt someone sidle up beside her. When a male arm looped companionably around her shoulder, she jumped and turned.
The dancing green eyes she found twinkling her way surprised her almost as much as the wide, welcoming smile.
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was bringing you along. But thank God you're here. Because I really need some help keeping this guy in line." He finally glanced toward Boston then, his eyes narrowing as he sighed in disappointment.
"You know," he said conversationally, tilting his head toward hers as they studied Boston and the blonde together.
"The jerk saves my life once, and now he thinks he can maul my wife all the freaking time."
Letting go of Ellie, the green-eyed man stepped forward, snagged the hand of the blonde hanging all over Boston, and yanked her to his side. Baring his teeth at Boston, he put his arm around the woman's shoulder and firmly stated, "Mine."
Boston only laughed. Ellie's stomach churched. Here was a playful side of him she hadn't seen in over ten years. It reminded her that there'd been a reason why she'd fallen for him so hard.
"You know," Boston told Cameron, "maybe if you'd quit acting so possessive of her, I'd quit—"
The other man snorted and muttered, "As if." Then he turned his wife toward Ellie. "Honey," he told the woman.
"Look who it is."
The blonde smiled in polite greeting and held out a hand.
"Hello. Are you— Oh my God!" she said and yanked her hand away as she gaped with widening blue eyes. "You're Cassie's mom. I remember you from Chuck E. Cheese's."
Ellie offered the woman a tense smile. But before she could think up a response, the blonde opened her arms and launched herself at Ellie, pulling her into a huge encompassing hug.
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"This is so utterly amazing," Cameron's wife went on. "I've been dying to meet you. Oh! I'm Olivia, by the way. Cam's wife," she added, vaguely motioning to the green-eyed man beside her.
Ellie nodded mutely.
"I just can't believe I'm finally meeting you," Olivia went on. "Cassie is an absolute doll. I really only got to talk to her a few minutes, but that's all I needed. I just love her to pieces. Meeting her made me want to have Cam knock me up."
"Uh...thank you," Ellie managed to say. Her eyes unconsciously moved toward Boston. He quirked her an I-told-you-so sneer and then grinned, flashing a dazzling smile.
Ellie flushed.
"You know, as soon as I met Cassidy," Olivia was saying,
"I said to myself, that girl has to have one amazing mother. I mean, I knew right then and there you couldn't be a bitch or anything. There's no way you could raise such a sweet girl and be anything but amazing. And just look at you!" she said with pride. "You're so beautiful and wholesome. I've always wanted to know what one of Boston's women would be like.
But Mr. Private here never lets us meet any of them. So, naturally I've always been curious to know—"
"Okay, enough!" Boston broke in, manually pulling Olivia away from Ellie and nudging her Cameron's way. "Give her some space, will you?"
Olivia sent him an irritated look and moved back toward Ellie, hooking their arms together. "El doesn't mind if I talk to her. Do you?"
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"Uh—" Ellie started, sending Boston a panicked look as she was swept into another room.
"I had no idea he could be so overprotective," Olivia murmured as she dragged Ellie along. "What does he think I was going to do to you? Geez."
Ellie figured that was a rhetorical question, so she didn't answer.
"Well, here's a new face," a dark-haired woman said, stepping into their path. Ellie stumbled slightly at the sight of the stunning brunette.
"This is Helena," Olivia informed her. "She's Boston's older sister."
"Yep, I'm the boss," Helena agreed, snagging Ellie's hand in a friendly fashion.
"And this is Ellie," Olivia told the brunette. "Cassie's mom.
You didn't get to see her the other week at Chuck E.
Cheese's. You were off somewhere with Gabriel when she came in."
Helena's eyes widened. "Yes, I was," she murmured and tightened her grip on Ellie's finger. "I was taking my son to the bathroom when you made your appearance. And I was so disappointed I didn't get a peek. But, now, this is a treat,"
she murmured, taking in Ellie's entire form. "Cassidy's mother. She looks like you, you know."
"Thank you," Ellie rasped out.
"You're welcome." Boston's sister grinned and tugged her from Olivia's grip. "Welcome to the family," she added, throwing her arm around Ellie's shoulder. "Let me introduce you around."
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Ushering Ellie through a doorway, Helena kept talking as she walked them down a short hall and into the next room.
Ellie pulled to a stop when she saw all the people. Her eyes went wide at the sight of so many. But Helena just tugged her along.
"Hey, everyone!" she yelled over the noise of a dozen different conversations. "This is Cassie's mom!"
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Chapter Fourteen
Talk about a conversation stopper.
Ellie wanted to crawl through the floor.
When the room fell quiet, she feared the silence would deafen her. It was a complete one eighty from the loud voices and laughter that had been echoing through the house five seconds earlier.
"These are Cam's parents," Helena said, dragging Ellie along, either ignoring or not even aware of all the people who had stopped talking to gape.
"Chuck and Allison Banks," Helena continued.
Ellie turned form the curious eyes and focused on the couple before her. They looked about as startled as she felt for being singled out in the crowd.
"Er...it's nice to meet you," Allison said, holding out her hand as well as a pitying smile, like she knew exactly how absolutely flustered Ellie was. "Cassie looks just like you."
"Thank you." The two women shook, and Ellie actually felt comforted by the dry, warm fingers that took hers.
"I didn't catch your name," Chuck said, holding out his hand next.
"Ellie," she said. "Elora Trenton."
His gaze sparked with recognition. "Any relation to the Trentons in Olathe? Brad and Glenna?"
"Ah...no. Sorry. Cassie's my only family here in Kansas.
I'm originally from Tennessee, and any Trenton I was related to died years ago."
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Chuck stared at her with an almost comical look of horror.
"I'm sorry," he said instantly. "I didn't mean to—"
Ellie smiled. "It's fine," she said, waving aside his apology.
"There's no reason to apologize."
It stunned her that Boston's family seemed more concerned with not insulting her than trying to snub her. And here she'd been expecting the cold shoulder as well as the third degree.
"Don't mind my husband," Allison stepped in, apologizing as well. She set a hand on Chuck's arm. "He thinks he should know everyone, or at least everyone's family."
After that, the introductions were a blur. But Helena seemed determined to personally intro
duce Ellie to every single person present.
When they turned toward Shannon March, Ellie was relieved to see a face she knew she'd remember. Shannon was famous, her features spread across magazine covers nationwide. But when she sent Ellie a shy smile, she certainly didn't act like a star.
"I'm Shannon," she said quietly. "Monty's wife."
Ellie wanted to say, "Well, duh. Of course you're Shannon."
But she was too bowled over to speak. Shannon March was talking to her, and giving her a wide-eyed stare as if Ellie were the famous one.
"I was so worried when he first got that letter," she confessed to Ellie with a relieved laugh. "Then when he remembered he had actually had a class with you, I totally freaked out. But this worked out nicely. It's so good to meet you, Ellie."
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They were still holding hands and grinning at each other when an authoritative female voice called, "Out of my way. I want to officially meet Cassidy's mother."
The crowd parted immediately for two people: a man who looked just like Boston, but maybe thirty years older, and a woman who was so familiar, Ellie held her breath.
She remembered Boston's mother vividly from Chuck E.
Cheese's.
Oh, good Lord, Boston's parents.
Ellie's skin tingled with apprehension as her gaze unwillingly latched onto the woman who stopped before her.
"These are my parents," Boston introduced from beside her.
Ellie jumped, not aware he'd been anywhere in the vicinity.
She hadn't even known he'd followed her from the kitchen.
"Diane, my mother. And Lincoln, my father."
Ellie prayed she didn't faint.
"So, now we finally get a formal introduction?" Diane murmured, her eyes glittering with humor. Then she reached for both of Ellie's hands. "You will not believe how upset I was, thinking none of my boys had given me any grandchildren yet," Diane said, casting an arch look toward her two sons. "I've been on both their cases for years about it. Their sisters were kind enough to obey. But not these two."
Then she grinned, glancing out a window that showed where all the youngsters were still playing.