Page 13

MERIT

I choke on my words. “Something’s wrong here.”

Holt’s voice holds an edge of concern. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

I can’t even swallow. My throat is uncomfortably thick. “Why is everyone here so good-looking?”

Holt chuckles. “Excuse me?”

My eyes scan the crowd. It’s like I just walked into a scene from a soap opera. Not even a soap opera—these people look better than that. It’s like a telenovela of sexy.

“I knew you were impossibly hot.” I can’t help but take the opportunity to check him out. He smirks, liking my hungry eyes on him. My heart stops beating when I see the large bulge in his shorts twitch. I try to ignore the heat it stirs in my own body. “And I knew Raylee and Will and Cullen were all perfect-looking.” I wave my hand over to the side where three people are huddled together in conversation. “But all these other people are hot too. It’s…” I shake my head, thinking, “inhuman.”

He leans into my personal space. “Well, first of all, I like it when you look at me like that. Feel free to do that anytime, anyplace. Second, the fact that you just called Cullen and,” he nods to the two guys standing to the side, “Ridge and Crutch hot? Well, that makes me want to violently strangle them all. So, it’s fine with me if you keep that opinion to yourself.”

Then he winks at me. That make-me-weak-in-the-knees, sexy little wink.

I don’t have to look around to know everyone is watching us. I can feel their eyes on me, burrowing little holes into my armor. “Maybe you should back up. Everyone’s watching us.”

The side of his mouth tilts up. “So?”

“So, I don’t really think having our bodies pressed up against one another, like we’re trying to stave off hypothermia, is the best way to make a good first impression with your family.”

“Hmm. Maybe not. But it sure as hell is a lot of fun.”

I raise my eyebrows, begging myself not to snort in laughter. “Really, sir ?” Fortunately, I win this battle. Growling under his breath, Holt takes a step away, giving me some breathing room.

First, we head over to the large patio area. At the center, there’s a gigantic, from the looks of it, custom-made, round dining table. I’ve never seen one so huge. There has to be fifteen seats. Next to it is a smaller picnic table. I guess that’s the kids’ table. The men all stand to greet me.

“Merit Browning, I’d like you to meet my parents, Ray and Teresa Hill.”

I pray they can’t see the tremble of my hand or feel the cold sweat pooling on my palm. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hill. And it’s good to see you again, Mrs. Hill.”

Holt cocks his head. “You know my mom?”

Teresa affectionately squeezes Holt’s shoulder. “Son, I have gone shopping with my grandkids before. Of course, I’ve met Merit.” She turns to me, smiling widely. “I’ll say it again, Merit, your store is beautiful. Just like you.” She gives me a little wink.

Must be where Holt gets it.

“And please, call us Ray and Teresa,” Holt’s dad says.

Not knowing what to do, I simply nod and fold my hands in front of me.

Holt clears his throat and points across the table. “You met Jeff inside. This is his wife, Dana Conway.”

We’re too far away from each other to shake hands, so I just wave.

“And this is Patrick Marcum and his wife, Nancy. You can just call Patrick, ‘Marcum’. We all do.”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard him mention these people before. Who are they? Relatives? Neighbors and best friends like the Conways?

My curiosity has me opening my mouth to ask, but I realize that would be rude so I shut it, using my willpower to clamp it in position.

My willpower is easy.

I just pretend I’m with Edward.

Holt bumps my hip. “You wanna know who they are, don’t you?”

Everyone at the table chuckles. My face turns hot, spewing red heat like a flare gun.

“Oh honey, don’t be embarrassed,” Nancy says kindly. “We are kinda hard to explain.”

“Marcum was the original detective on my cousin’s case,” Holt says. “As you can imagine, we all grew extremely close over the years. They love Carrie just like the rest of us, even though they’ve never met her.”

“A rose among the thorns.” My own voice catches me off guard. I chastise myself. So much for keeping my mouth shut.

Teresa smiles. “My mother used to say the same thing. Something good from something bad.”

I nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

Nancy reaches over and squeezes Dana’s hand. “Well, Carrie definitely shined her light on Patrick and me when she brought us all together, that’s for sure.”

“C’mon, let’s meet everyone else.” Holt tugs at my folded hands, boldly grabbing one and leading me around.

We bypass the large grill, causing Cullen to raise his hand and yell out. “What about me!”

“She already knows you, dumbass.”

We walk over to the two guys I don’t know. The woman has walked away and is talking on the phone. Adonis Number One is taller than everyone else. He has light brown hair, and his eyes are the palest color of green I think I’ve ever seen. It’s like they’re translucent. Adonis Number Two is just a smidge shorter than Holt with dark brown hair—the same color as Cullen’s—and dark brown eyes, rimmed around the edge with a light brown color.

Holt nods to Adonis Number Two. “This is Ridge Conway. And the best day of his life was when his parents moved next door to my parents.”

Ridge rolls his eyes. “Keep telling yourself that, brother. I was only six months old. If I could’ve walked, I would’ve hightailed it right out of there.” He’s so handsome, I actually get nervous shaking his hand.

“And this is Ryland Crutchfield,” Holt says, talking about Adonis Number One. “You can call him Crutch. Poor bastard fell in love with Ella. Now, he’s stuck with us.”

Crutch’s voice is all gravel and seduction. I’m pretty sure I blush when he talks. He glances over at the woman with her back to us, whom I can only assume is Ella. “Lucky bastard would be the better definition.” His stare is so full of emotion, it almost feels like we’re invading their privacy. Eventually, he turns back to me and shakes my hand. “Nice to meet you, Merit.”

“It’s really nice to meet both of you. If I remember correctly, Ridge, you’re a firefighter and Crutch, you’re a detective with the sheriff’s department, right?”

They both nod, taking a drink from their beer bottles.

Holt pretends to whisper in my ear. “They’re being modest.” He uses the opportunity to snake a hand around my waist. Both Crutch and Ridge notice right away. I hold my breath, afraid to breathe. “Ridge is a firefighting badass. He’s a paramedic and he’s trained to fight wildfires. And Crutch is a sergeant.” Holt’s voice gets stuck in the back of his throat. “Without him and Ella, we wouldn’t have justice for Carrie.”

Holy crap. Who are these people?

All I do is sell shoes and clothes.

A sweet voice captures my dumbfounded attention. “I’m so sorry about that. It was work. I promise that is my last call for the night.”

Ella looks like a model. She’s super tall with honey and caramel-colored hair. The setting sun frames her body like she’s an angel as she walks back over to join us. And what makes her even more beautiful is the perfectly round pregnancy belly leading the way.

Holt didn’t tell me she was pregnant.

I study her graceful movements. She also has really good posture I think to myself.

“Ella Crutchfield, this is Merit Browning.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Merit. Holt has told us so many wonderful things about you.”

“Oh.” I freeze. I can’t think of a single thing to say. She’s so beautiful and intimidating, I’m completely tongue-tied.

After a moment, I watch in horror as Ella’s lips thin. She lifts her chin in the air and gives me a tight, fake smile. “At least the weather is pleasant tonight. Not too hot.”

I look down at the ground, trying to gather my thoughts.

She hates me. “Yes. There’s a nice breeze tonight,” I respond stoically.

Huh.

This may turn into an ‘Edward-like’ party before you know it. Fucking lovely.

I’m caught by surprise when Crutch growls. The noise is low and dangerous. He leans across and traces his mouth up and down Ella’s jaw. Settling against her ear, he orders, “Stop it.” She visibly shakes.

The moment seems intimate. Too intimate. We shouldn’t be watching it.

I’m surprised even further when Holt sways against me. He knocks my hands loose—from where I subconsciously folded them—and they fall limply to my side. Rubbing his lips against the shell of my ear, he whispers, “The same goes for you.”

Now, it’s my turn to visibly shake.

Once I’ve recovered, my face scrunches in confusion. “Huh?”

I’m less tactful than Ella, no matter how hard I try.

Her laugh plays like music. “I’m sorry, Merit. It’s my fault.” She shakes her head back and forth and rolls her shoulders to loosen them. “Sometimes, it’s hard for me to talk to new people. Unless it’s about work, that is. I can be a little… stiff. I revert back to old habits and use the same talking points I learned from the gazillion boring parties I had to attend throughout my life. You know—talk about the weather, the stock market. Boring stuff.”

I chuckle. “I know exactly what you mean,” I say rhetorically. “I used to watch the Weather Channel for hours before a party just so I would have something safe to talk about. I mean, when it was finally my time to talk.”

Ridge licks beer from his lips. “Well, that certainly sounds ominous.”

I can’t believe I’m always sticking my foot in my mouth.

No wonder Edward kept me on such a tight leash.

Holt’s deep blue eyes search my face. “I know. She’s said stuff like that to me too. I fully plan on getting to the bottom of it, but I don’t think I’ll have to dig too hard. Her ex-husband is a real asshole.” He nods to Ella. “An asshole you know, as a matter of fact.”

Her eyes widen. “Who?” she asks me.

I take a deep breath. “I was married to Edward Ezzell.”

Her chin lifts in the air. “As in, Charles Ezzell’s son? Of Plott, Ezzell, and Crispin, Attorneys at Law?”

I nod, swallowing the bowling ball-size lump in my throat. “How do you know him?”

“I actually went to school with Edward when he attended North and Camden Academy. He was a few years ahead of me. Something happened when he was a freshman, though. I don’t know the whole story, but he transferred to some boarding school in New England. I’ve seen him at a few business functions over the years, but I never sought him out for small talk.” Her beautiful face contorts into an emotionless statue. “But that’s not what Holt is talking about.”

Crutch wraps an arm around her waist, binding their bodies together. She exhales, like what she’s about to say is painful. “Hudson Plott is my ex-husband.”

Oh hell, yes, being married to him would definitely be painful.

I can’t believe Ella was married to someone besides Crutch. I’ve only known them for two minutes. Literally. And I can’t picture them with anyone but each other.

“Holy crap. Seriously?” I ask, completely dumbfounded.

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, my face must look pretty funny because Ridge immediately snickers. He tries to cover it with a fake cough, but fails. He holds up a hand in his defense, apologizing. “I’m sorry, I… It’s just… your face…” His voice trails off, unsure how to finish.

Fortunately, Ella starts giggling too. As soon as she relaxes, Crutch loosens up and smiles.

She clears her throat. “Let’s just say I was young and stupid.”

I snort. “Must be a prerequisite for marrying an attorney in that firm.”

Everyone bursts out laughing at that revelation, including Holt.

Even though I was being completely serious, I laugh, nonetheless.

Once we settle down and Ridge wanders away to check on Cullen at the grill, I nod to Ella’s stomach. “Congratulations.”

Her hand protectively rubs her baby bump. “Thank you, Merit.”

“Your first?”

All of sudden, it feels like the oxygen is sucked out of my lungs. The world around us falls silent.

Something’s wrong with the question I asked.

I can feel it.

We all can feel it.

I’m startled when Holt’s fingers scratch against my thigh, searching for my hand.

Shit. I’ve really said something wrong this time.

I’m so embarrassed; it feels like my blood is on fire. Like steam is pumping through my body—not liquid. Needing Holt’s touch to calm myself, I sigh in relief when his hand wraps around mine. He immediately circles his thumb against the soft skin of my wrist.

He doesn’t jump in and say anything, though. Watching Ella and Crutch, he patiently waits to see what they’ll do.

The silence is killing me.

I’m completely sucking at making a good first impression.

Ella’s staring at her stomach, like she’s trying to see past her own skin, to the baby growing inside of her. Crutch steps behind her and wraps her in his firm embrace. His hands splay across hers, and together they hold their unborn child.

His words chill my soul, making the heat of my embarrassment feel like an iceberg. “This is our second child. Our daughter passed away a few hours after she was born.”

My heart shatters. “Oh, Ella. Crutch. I’m so sorry for your loss. That’s devastating.”

“Thank you, Merit,” she says simply with a small smile. And I’m touched that the soft turn of her mouth is genuine. Not fake.

Holt nudges me. “C’mon, Mer. We’ll give them a minute.”

I don’t mean to ignore him. But I do.

My whisper is raspy. “My baby brother died.”

Ella blinks and swallows. “What?”

A tear races down my cheek, making the back of my throat tickle. I wipe it away. “I know it’s not the same as losing a child. But I saw what my parents went through, and I just want you to know that I really am sorry for your loss. I’m not just trying to be nice.”

Holt’s hand leaves mine, but it doesn’t go far. It slides up the curve of my spine and lands on my neck. Pulling me closer to him, he bends down and kisses my temple. He murmurs my name.

A murmur of sweet, unspoken adoration.

“He was two months old. Exactly two months, to the very night. He was fine when my parents put him down.” I wipe another tear. “The doctors weren’t sure what happened. They just called it SIDS.”

I grab Holt’s waist, holding him tightly.

I just… need him. There’s no simpler way to explain it.

So much for not wanting my body pressed against his in front of his family.

This entire conversation has stirred up memories from long ago, memories that I’d shuttered while married to Edward.

“His name was Daire.”

Ella looks like she’s about to cry, but she doesn’t. Her bravery is damn impressive. “Our daughter’s name was Reality.”

I’m about to open my mouth to comment on the beautiful and unusual name when we’re interrupted by the excited screams of children. Two little girls in swimsuits round the opposite corner of the house, through a gate in the wrought iron fence. I recognize Anna right away. I assume the other girl must be Laura. A teenage boy lags behind them, dragging two large pool floats, each shaped like a unicorn.

The girls race up to us, and Anna immediately tucks herself against Holt’s free side. I step away giving them a little space. “Uncle Holt!” She points at the unicorns. “Thank you so much for the floats. Don’t they look beautiful?”

Holt squints his eyes and pretends to study the creatures really hard. “Well, now that you mention it, I don’t reckon I’ve ever seen an ugly unicorn.”

Ella lovingly strokes the hair of the other little girl. “Are you sure you wanna swim before supper? I thought you said you were hungry?” she asks her.

“I was hungry. Until I saw the float,” she answers. “Just thirty minutes, and then we’ll take a break to eat. Is that okay, Aunt Lulu?”

That’s cute. Lulu . Must be a nickname.

Ella pretends to think about it, even though we all know the answer is yes. “Okay. Deal.”

“I was about to send the search party after you guys. What took so long?” Crutch asks.

She looks up at Crutch and pushes a small pair of glasses up on the bridge of her nose. “Well, Uncle Ry, that’s Nate’s fault. It would’ve gone quicker if he let me help. But he wanted to do it all by himself.” She cocks a hand on her hip, staring at the boy in accusation.

The boy sighs in frustration and blows a strand of hair out of his eyes. “She kept pulling the hose out of the air pump. It nearly hit her in the head three times.”

Crutch just laughs and tips his chin at the boy. “Thanks for looking out for her, Nate.”

Holt uses the opportunity to introduce me. “Merit, this is Nate Marcum. He’s Patrick and Nancy’s grandson.”

Nate politely nods and excuses himself to dispose of the unicorns in the swimming pool. Anna chases after him, but not before giving me a quick hug.

Holt reaches for Laura’s shoulder. “And this is—”

Laura abruptly cuts him off, loudly clearing her throat. He throws his hands in the air. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Her back straightens, and she walks forward, perfectly mimicking Ella’s good posture. She sticks her little hand in the air. “Hello, my name is Laura Margaret Crutchfield. Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

Being around kids every day, I’m quick on my feet. There isn’t much they do that shocks me. I even had one little boy drop his training pants and take a poop right in the middle of the store.

I gave Kyra hazard pay that day.

I squat down on one knee and shake her hand. “My name is Merit Eliza Browning. And the pleasure is all mine.”

She leans closer, studying my face. Like she’s judging everything about me in this first ten seconds. Her scrutiny makes me vulnerable. It leaves me feeling naked. Eventually, she steps away.

Holt’s gaze darts between the two of us. “Well?” he asks her.

She smiles brightly and nods. Holt laughs and gives her a high five. Spinning around, she hands her glasses to Crutch and then runs away, full speed, diving into the swimming pool.

Holt helps me stand back up. “Well, that was…intense,” I say, honestly.

Holt grins. “You passed the test. She took it pretty easy on you. Just wait until she meets one of Ridge’s dates. She’s made some of them cry before.” Holt points at Crutch. “I swear you’re training her in the art of interrogation.”

“Hey, man, that’s all her.”

My mouth falls open. “She’s made grown women cry before? Seriously?”

“They’re being a little dramatic. I’ve never seen tears.” Ella wobbles her head back and forth. “Maybe sniffles,” she jokes.

“Why is she so hard on Ridge’s dates?”

Holt smiles and tucks a hair behind my ear. My skin tingles in his wake. “Because she has a crush on Ridge.”

I bite my lip, trying not to giggle or blush in giddiness. “Really?”

Crutch growls. “Yeah, it makes me pretty damn furious to know she’s already boy-crazy. And she’ll be only eight in a couple of weeks. I’m gonna fucking lose my mind when she turns sixteen.”

Ella wraps a hand around her husband’s arm and kisses his neck. “She not boy-crazy. She has two crushes. That’s completely normal.”

“Two?” I ask.

Holt snorts and nods to the corner of the pool. “Nate.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Aghhh. Gotcha.”

Right then, Raylee and Will walk out of the house. Ty’s squirming around in Raylee’s arms. “C’mon! Food’s ready!”

Ella and Crutch urge us to go ahead and fix our plates while they stay outside with the kids. We’re walking back up to the house, hand in hand, when I pull away and fold my arms across my chest. My eyes narrow into small slits.

Holt furrows his brow. “What?”

“You said I passed the test. How many other women have passed the test?”

He rolls his eyes. “I told you I don’t bring women home.”

“Uhh. Bunny?”

He chokes on a laugh. “Okay; well, she did meet Bunny.”

“And?”

“Let’s just say Laura is a very good judge of character.” His arms wrap around me. His fingers find the hem of my shirt, and he traces a line across the sensitive skin of the small of my back. “Now, c’mon. I’m starving.”

Me too.

Just not for food.