After getting dressed, putting on a little makeup, and blow drying my hair, Josiah came back. He stopped just inside the doorway and the corners of his mouth hooked ever so slightly. Max ran over to greet him.
“You look good.” He absently petted Max’s head.
“Thanks.”
Of course, my preparations had nothing to do with going to his parents’ house. I wasn’t nervous or anything. It was probably just a quick stop. I didn’t even know if I’d go inside.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“What about him?” He nodded toward Max.
“He can stay here. After our hike, he’ll just pass out.”
Josiah didn’t shower, but I didn’t mind. I liked the way he was often a little dirty and he always smelled amazing. I brushed the sawdust out of his beard and off his t-shirt and we headed out.
Nervous energy thrummed through me as we drove to the Haven family home. They lived up a long gravel driveway that snaked its way up a small hill. The trees opened up on a gorgeous log home with friendly lights in the windows.
“Do they know we’re coming?” I asked, fighting the tremor in my voice. “Do they know I’m coming? Is this going to be weird? I’m probably going to make it awkward somehow, just warning you.”
“Audrey.” Josiah’s voice was low but gentle.
“Yeah?”
He didn’t say another word. Just leaned over and kissed me.
It helped.
With a deep breath, I hopped out of his truck and steeled myself to step into his family’s world.
He didn’t knock, which struck me as sweet. Upon opening the door, he walked right in. “Mom? Dad?”
No one answered. “They’re probably out back.”
I followed Josiah inside. The décor was cozy and welcoming. A couch and denim armchairs faced a wood stove and there were photos in mismatched frames all along the mantle. Lots of smiling little boys in various states of rough and tumble disarray.
There were more on the walls and one photo in particular caught my eye. Six boys lined up on a couch with what had to be Josiah in the middle, holding a newborn baby. It must have been their sister, Annika.
They were all looking at the baby dressed in pink, as if she were the most exciting thing in the world. It was so precious it made my heart ache. As an only child, I’d never known what it would be like to have siblings.
Maybe six brothers would have been a lot to handle. But it would have been nice to have had one or two.
“Is this you and all your siblings?” I asked.
“Yeah, right after Annika was born.”
“Tell me about your brothers. What are they like?”
“Pains in the ass.” He cracked that almost smile of his and pointed out each brother in turn. “You’ve met Garrett. He wanted to be a cop from the time he was a kid. He was married for a while but she was the worst. They got divorced a few years ago, thankfully. Now he’s raising their son, Owen.”
“He seems like a nice guy.”
“He’s solid. This one is Zachary. He’s the smartass of the family. Despite the fact that he’s a man-child, he does well for himself. He’s an electrician; owns his own business. And that’s Theo. He played professional football for about a minute but he got injured. Now he’s the high school football coach. That one is Luke. You met him, too. He inherited our great-uncle’s custom auto shop.”
“Who’s that one?” I pointed to a boy on the far left. He was a little chubbier than the rest of them, with round cheeks and a bit of belly showing beneath his shirt. The type of kid well-meaning grown-ups referred to as husky.
“Reese.”
“That’s so weird, I knew who your other brothers were, but I don’t know if I’ve ever heard his name. What’s he like?”
He paused for a long moment. “I don’t know. He left Tilikum a long time ago. Hasn’t been back.”
Before I could ask why, he walked away, toward the kitchen. I understood. He didn’t want to talk about it. Despite my curiosity, I decided not to press the issue.
The back door opened and Marlene came in. She smiled warmly and adjusted her glasses. “Hi. Sorry, I was in the shop with your dad, I didn’t hear you drive up.”
“No problem,” Josiah said.
“Nice to see you again, Audrey.”
“Thanks. You too.”
“Is Dad around?” Josiah asked.
“He was right behind me.”
The door opened again and Paul came in. He was like an older version of Josiah, with the same perpetually furrowed brow and thick arms stuffed in flannel. He tipped his chin to me but didn’t say anything.