Page 29 of Love Songs (Harmony Lake #3)

“DON’T WORRY, DADDY,” Jaylin said as we parked the rental car at the curb in front of Conor’s parent’s home.

After checking out my new house yesterday, we’d gone for lunch together and Conor had invited us to his family’s Memorial Day barbecue.

He’d been quiet as we ate our burgers and eventually shared that it had been a dream of his to buy the Ferguson house for years.

I was even more certain now that this was meant to be— Jaylin, Caldwell Crossing, Conor.

That I could not only give Jaylin a real home and the perfect place to grow up, but that I could honor Conor’s dream, too .

. . Happiness swelled in my chest, almost too big to contain.

I couldn’t wait to start this next chapter in my life.

But first, I had parents to meet. Just the thought made my palms clammy.

“What do I have to worry about?”

Aside from everything .

I flashed a reassuring smile at Jaylin while my nerves jangled.

The only parents I’d ever met were Kirk’s, but I’d known them almost my whole life. They didn’t count the same way as meeting the parents of someone I cared for romantically.

“You look nervous,” Jaylin said. Understanding in her eyes. “But don’t worry. They’ll all love you, too.”

I reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “How is it you’re so wise?”

And what does she mean by ‘they’ll love me too ’ ?

“I was born smart like that,” she chirped with a shrug and an amused grin, then leaned over and kissed my cheek before hopping out of the car.

She waited for me at the front bumper while I grabbed the bottle of wine we’d brought for Conor’s parents, then she took my hand free hand.

I marveled at how the reassurance of a fourteen-year-old made me feel better, and at how meeting Conor’s family meant more to me than I could’ve imagined.

It was important to me that they approved of me and Jaylin.

But I knew they would love her. I glanced over at her.

I didn’t know how anybody couldn’t. Call me biased, but not loving Jaylin was impossible.

I took in the large house painted an inviting yellow with bright white shutters bracketing the windows as we walked up the stone pathway to the front door.

The lush green front lawn, trimmed with obvious care, followed a wave of flower beds bursting in a riot of colors.

A large oak tree stood in the yard with a rope swing tied to a thick branch, and I pictured Conor climbing as high as he could, laughing the whole way and daring his sisters and best friends to join him.

We climbed the front steps together and stopped on the porch. I took a deep breath, and Jaylin gave my hand a squeeze.

“You’ve got this, Dad,” she assured.

The smile that tugged at my cheeks warmed me all the way to my toes, and I wished, not for the first time, that I’d known Jaylin her whole life.

I knocked on the door and a few seconds later it swung wide to reveal an older version of Conor with gray eyes instead of blue, and a smile just as big and infectious.

“Well, you must be Dallas and Jaylin,” he boomed enthusiastically. “I’m James, Conor’s dad.” He stepped back, sweeping an arm in welcome. “Come on in.”

“Thank you,” I said, nerves freezing me again until Jaylin elbowed me in the ribs and raised her eyebrows. Right ! I thrust our host gift toward him. “This is for you and Mrs. Holliston.”

“Oh, you didn’t need to bring anything but yourselves,” James said even as he reached for the bottle. “Thank you.”

He led us through a large kitchen that would be the envy of any Michelin Star chef, and out sliding glass doors into a huge backyard that I could only describe as happy chaos.

I knew Conor had three sisters, but that those sisters would be there with their significant others and their children hadn’t registered in my mind.

I counted five kids—two boys maybe eight or nine years old, and three girls, two of whom were identical, about Jaylin’s age—running around the yard tossing a ball for a large golden retriever or splashing in the pool.

Five women who I guessed were Conor’s sisters, his mom, and grandmother, sat in lawn chairs around a fire pit, drinking from orange, red, and yellow tumblers and chatting animatedly, while two men stood with Conor at the barbecue, laughing at something he’d said—no doubt tales from work—while Conor flipped burger patties and smokies.

Tantalizing aromas of rich, sweet smoke rose from the grill and made my mouth water.

A sharp whistle rent the air too close to my ear, making me jump.

Every head turned toward us, but the only one I had eyes for was Conor. He glowed with happiness and the smile he sent my way weakened my knees. Pretty safe to say I was gone for that man.

“Listen up,” James bellowed, and everyone turned their attention to us. “This is Conor’s friend Dallas and his daughter Jaylin.”

A hearty chorus of welcomes, waves, and how ya doings greeted us.

“Alright,” James said to me, his voice was serious, but he had a mischievous glint in his eyes. “There will be a test later.”

That earned some chuckles and hoots from the rest of the family as he introduced me and Jaylin to every member of the Holliston clan. I hoped James had been joking about that test, because no way would I remember everyone’s names and who belonged to whom.

Conor’s sisters and their husbands came forward to shake mine and Jaylin’s hand or give us a hug in the case of his grandmother and his mother—who gave us a kiss on the cheek—and any nerves I’d had about meeting them disappeared into the air like the smoke from the barbecue.

Last in the welcome line was Conor, holding a microbrew in each hand.

“Thank you for coming,” he said, standing close enough for me to smell the fruity sunscreen on his lightly tanned skin and the underlying scent of fire. “Both of you.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” I said in a low voice.

I wanted to reach out and pull him into my arms so badly just then. Feel that muscular body pressed against me. Kiss him senseless.

The youngest of the girls, Hazel’s daughter, who was about Jaylin’s age and whose name I couldn’t remember, approached. She smiled up at me, then to Jaylin said, “Come hang out with us.”

Jaylin looked up at me, a question in her bright eyes.

“Go ahead.” I grinned. “Have fun.”

The two ran off and joined up with Emma’s twins, their animated expressions and brilliant smiles warming my heart.

“You have a big family,” I stated the obvious, taking the beer bottle Conor offered me.

Our fingers touched, sending a wave of desire cascading through me, and Conor’s smile, as he slowly lowered his hand, said he felt the same.

He snickered. “Be glad all the extended family members and friends aren’t here, too.”

Conor led me to a couple of lawn chairs set back from the patio, where we sat and watched the goings on.

I’d never felt so relaxed in a crowd of people I didn’t know before.

I’d always been Dallas Blade, the rock star, and had had to portray a celebrity image that, while it hadn’t been totally fake, had never been truly me either.

I’d always been “on”. But here, with Conor and his family, I didn’t feel the need for putting on a public face.

I could chill and simply be Dallas, Jaylin’s dad.

And just maybe Conor’s boyfriend.

“This is nice,” I said.

Conor snorted. “Enjoy the calm before the storm. I told them not to all bombard you at once.”

“Oh-oh,” I intoned lightly. “Do I need to worry?”

“Nah.” Conor snickered. “Just the usual ‘hurt my son-brother-uncle and we’ll disappear you’ kind of thing.”

“So, the basic Spanish Inquisition, then,” I replied with a laugh.

Giggles drew my attention to Conor’s nieces and Jaylin, huddled in a circle and no doubt conspiring to take over the world.

I’d hoped that Jaylin would find a good group of friends when the house was done and we moved to Caldwell Crossing permanently, but it looked like she was already well on her way.

“Conor. The burgers are burning,” the red-headed man shouted. He was married to Conor’s second oldest sister, Hazel, and his name was . . . Liam?

I hoped again that Conor’s dad wasn’t serious about that quiz later.

“Flip them your own damn self,” Conor shot back with a playful smirk on his lips. He turned to me, paused for the briefest of seconds, then leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Be right back.”

With a wink, he got up and sauntered over to the barbecue, all loose-limbed and sexy. Before I could fully admire his gorgeous ass, someone dropped into his vacated seat. His mother. I looked away, but not quick enough. She grinned at me knowingly.

“He’s a good man,” she said, thankfully not calling me out for ogling her only son.

“Can’t argue with you there,” I said with a smile. He was the best I’d ever met.

“So, Dallas.” Mrs. Holliston shifted in her seat to look at me more fully and mischief sparkled in her warm hazel eyes. “Do you make it a habit of setting stages on fire?”

And so begins the inquisition . . .

For the next ten minutes that felt like ten hours, Mrs. Holliston, who’d insisted I call her Crystal, peppered me with questions about my life, Jaylin, and my plans for the future.

I heard the unspoken “and my son” in that last one.

I answered honestly, not holding back about my growing feelings for Conor.

She paused in her questioning to take a long sip of her cooler, watching me over the rim of her glass, and I felt like she was coming to a final judgment. She nodded, more to herself than to me. Judgment made.

“I think you’ll be good for him,” she said.

“I would like to be good for him,” I replied without hesitation. I wanted nothing more.

She beamed at me. “He’s always been adventurous, and I would hate for him to lose that sense of fearlessness, but sometimes I would really like him to be a little less reckless.

We’ve done our time in the emergency room with him.

” She chuckled, her face soft with fondness.

“I think having you and your daughter in his life will balance him out.”

“I wouldn’t want to change him,” I agreed with her. “Except for the reckless part. I worry enough with a teenage daughter.”

She burst out laughing, drawing a curious look from Conor.

“Believe me, I know what that’s like,” she said as she rose from the chair and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I raised three of them. Give me a call anytime you need help.”

“Thank you,” I said. Touched by her offer.

She walked away and Conor made to return, but one of his sisters beat him to his chair.

He raised his eyebrows and mouthed, “ Are you okay ?”

I nodded. I was one hundred percent okay, and if having his family like and accept me meant sitting in this chair all night answering pointed questions, then I was more than happy to do it.

“My turn,” my next inquisitor said, staring at me with eyes almost as intense as Conor’s. “I’m Emma, Conor’s oldest sister.”

“Let me guess,” I teased, my tone conspiratorial. “Hurt your baby brother and you’ll break both my legs.”

She flashed a broad smile at me, confirming I’d said exactly the right thing. “Yes. But don’t worry. I’m a doctor so I’ll fix you right back up after.”

I snorted a laugh and raised my beer bottle to clink against her glass. “Ooh, I think I like you.”

“As you should. I’m the favorite, of course,” she retorted with a wry grin, then motioned toward the girls who were now in the pool having a battle between an inflatable bright pink flamingo and a large yellow rubber ducky. “You have a good girl there.”

“The best,” I agreed warmly and settled into an interrogation, that was more like a test of puns and comedic banter.

I learned that Conor was one of the reasons she’d ended up becoming a doctor.

She got a lot of practice forever patching up his countless cuts and scrapes when they were growing up.

I also learned that I was the first person Conor had ever brought home to meet the family, and that made me inexplicably happy.

My attention shifted to the man in question as he made his way back over a few minutes later.

“ Shoo .” He pointed a spatula at his sister. “That’s enough harassing my guest.”

“We’re having a perfectly civil conversation here,” Emma said, slanting a cheeky glance at me.

I nodded my head. I was no fool. “Absolutely.”

Conor narrowed his eyes, glancing between us, and harrumphed. “Dinner’s ready. Round up the troops.”

He leaned down and kissed me, his smoky citrus scent a welcome comfort as it swirled around me.

“Come dish up,” he said, his mouth a breath away from mine. “I make a mean burger.”

One of the boys ran by and Conor scooped him up, throwing his nephew, who squealed with delight, over his shoulder and then pretending to toss him into the pool but eventually setting him on his feet in the dinner dish-up line.

I sat back for a minute to take in the scene before me, marveling at how much I loved this day. These people. Conor.

This was what I didn’t know I’d been looking for. What I wanted more than I could have imagined.

I’d never expected to be a father, but in the year since Jaylin had come along, I still got a thrill whenever she called me Dad.

I’d never expected to be so charmed by the small town of Caldwell Crossing and the big old house on Harmony Lake that I’d want to call it home.

And I’d sure as hell never expected to fall in love with a sexy firefighter who knew how to stoke my every desire and make my heart sing.

But now that I’d fallen, I never wanted to get back up again.