Almost. If only he’d let those last shields dissolve.
As he opened the door to the restaurant, the loud echo of voices and laughter spilled out, along with the delicious aroma of food. The restaurant was built on the site of an old cottage where Logan’s wife, Courtney, once lived. It was a low, cosy building, keeping with its heritage. No fuss, no glamor, just good company and great food.
“From the earth to the plate,” Daniel murmured, reading the information on the wall. The menu was designed around the crops and livestock grown on the farm, changing seasonally to provide nothing but the most delicious meals.
“Logan doesn’t like to do things halfway.” Becca smiled. “Remind you of anybody?”
“No.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Nobody at all.”
“You made it,” Courtney said, walking over to them with George in her arms. He immediately reached for Becca, babbling something that sounded like her name. Becca lifted him from Courtney, and kissed him on the cheek, laughing as he pulled at her hair.
“Courtney, this is Daniel Carter,” she said. Daniel reached forward to shake Courtney’s hand. “And this is George.” She turned to him and he swallowed hard, as though surprised at the sight of her with a baby in her arms.
The moment passed as the rest of her family joined them, and she introduced Daniel to Aunt Gina and her dad, and then her brothers and their partners in turn. Mia’s sons, Michael and Josh, were at the table, leaning over Michael’s phone, as they watched something on the screen. Presley and Marley were fighting over a toy one of them had stolen from Maddie’s bag of entertainment, neither of them willing to give in. She could tell from Daniel’s shifting eyes that he couldn’t keep up with them all.
She hadn’t noticed how loud and overwhelming her family was, until she tried to see it from somebody else’s point of view. She tried not to compare it to the elegant ball Daniel’s brother had thrown. There were no screaming babies, no sister-in-laws squeezing Daniel into a bear hug, and no brothers giving him the third degree in Charleston.
Just a brother he couldn’t stand and an ex that made her jealous. Becca couldn’t help but think she’d gotten off lightly compared to him.
“We should sit down,” Gray said, after they had all shaken Daniel’s hand. Logan had closed the restaurant for the evening – wisely deciding not to antagonize any of his customers by having them spend time in the midst of a Hartson family get together.
Becca slid her hand into Daniel’s and squeezed it. He squeezed back, and she felt it again. The connection, the need. “You can sit with me,” she told him.
“Oh no, we’ve got the guys at one end, the girls at the other.” Gray gave Daniel a smile. “That’s not a problem, is it?’
Daniel seemed unperturbed. “Not at all.”
Becca gave her eldest brother the stink-eye. “Be nice,” she warned him.
“I always am.” With a lopsided grin, he walked over to where Cam and Logan had taken a seat, Presley and Marley on their laps, still fighting.
Daniel kissed Becca on the cheek, and George grabbed his nose. “Stop worrying,” he said softly, tickling George under the chin. “I promise not to die from Hartson overload.”
“If they get to be too much, send me a signal.”
“What kind of signal?” He grinned.
“Send me a text. Or scream. Whatever.”
He laughed. “Go sit with your family and have fun. I won’t need to text. How bad can it get?”
“Bad. Very bad. I’m going to owe you big time.” Becca grimaced.
“Then I look forward to claiming my favors.” He kissed her again, and walked to the table, looking as casual as could be.
A complete contrast to her body full of nerves.
“Let me take this guy,” Courtney said, lifting George from Becca’s arms and sliding him into a highchair, grunting as she tried to fasten the straps around his wiggling body. “At least dinner will be fast. Logan told the chefs he wants it to be done in an hour, otherwise the kids will start to go stir crazy. And by the way, your boyfriend is gorgeous.”
“I’m not sure that he’s my boyfriend,” Becca murmured, a frown pulling at her lips.
“Of course he is,” Maddie said, sitting on Becca’s other side. “Do you see the way he keeps looking at you? Oh, I remember the days when it’s impossible to keep your hands off each other.”
“To be fair, you and Gray still can’t keep your hands off each other,” Becca teased. “Remember the last time I babysat? I found you guys half naked in your car, your ass pressed against the horn.”
Courtney spluttered out her water. “Man, I would have paid money to see that.”
Van laughed, too, though she was looking a little green. Becca hoped the second trimester treated her better than the first.