Part 10 (1/2)

Chapter 10.

Adam scanned the dining room as he held the door to the restaurant open. His perusal was done without thinking, the habit one of long standing. He relaxed when he realized he knew everyone there. He nodded to Mich.e.l.le as she emerged from the kitchen and then smiled as he watched her pivot on her right foot and return to that back hub.

Ginny stepped in past him, her soft thank-you brus.h.i.+ng his skin like soft velvet. Man, he had it bad. I've been patient for months. Why now do I have to work so hard to control the urge to throw her over my shoulder and carry her to bed? But he knew the answer to that. His waiting was nearly over, and his inner animal was getting ready to claim his mate.

In the next instant those thoughts scattered as the late afternoon diners-not more than twenty of l.u.s.ty's own-burst into spontaneous applause when they caught sight of Ginny and Benny.

”Oh, my word!” Ginny clapped her hands over her cheeks, completely taken aback by the unprompted welcome. Then the kitchen door burst open, and Kelsey, followed by Tracy and Mich.e.l.le, raced out.

”There you are!” Kelsey wasted no time as she fairly ran up to Ginny and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her hard. ”Welcome home.” She stepped back to make room for Tracy, whose hug was just as exuberant. Mich.e.l.le, Adam could see, had tears s.h.i.+mmering in her eyes as she hugged Ginny, and then Benny.

”I've missed you both. Welcome home.” She stepped back and wiped at her eyes with a tissue she pulled from her ap.r.o.n pocket. She set a hand on Kelsey's shoulder. ”I'll go finish getting those orders up and served,” she said to Kelsey and Tracy. ”You two visit for a bit.”

”I'm so glad you're back.” Tracy met Adam's gaze over Ginny's shoulder, her eyes smiling.

”Are you glad I'm back, too?” Benny looked up at Tracy, and Adam saw complete adoration on his young face.

Our boy's got his first case of puppy love. He looked over at Jake, who chuckled and ran a hand over Benny's small head.

”Am I ever! In fact, I'm so happy you're back, I'm going right back into the kitchen to make a special dessert just for you.”

”I can come in to work tonight if you want me to,” Ginny said to Kelsey.

The owner of l.u.s.ty Appet.i.tes led them to a table, her arm firmly around Ginny's waist. ”Not on a travel day, you don't.” She turned her and held both of her shoulders. ”Tomorrow will be soon enough, but only if you're ready.” Kelsey's voice had dipped softly, and Adam knew she was referring to the situation that had found Ginny making a hasty exit from l.u.s.ty in the first place.

Adam ran his hand down Ginny's back. Just thinking about Walters, who was still at large, made his need to touch her visceral.

”I'll be ready. I need to work, Kelsey. You understand how it is.”

”I do, yes.” Kelsey ran her hands up and down Ginny's arms in an affectionate and, Adam thought, sisterly gesture.

He saw compa.s.sion on his cousin's face. Kelsey would understand the need to work when outside forces closed in. Not that many years before, he knew she'd used work to help her deal with her own very personal, and very tragic, situation.

”I'm hungry!”

Adam chuckled and scooped up Benny, pleasure coursing through him when the boy easily put his arm around Adam's neck. ”Can we eat soon?” he asked.

”You bet.” He grinned at Kelsey. ”Our boy is running low on fuel.”

”They always are,” Kelsey said. ”Sit. Do y'all want the special today?”

Ginny grinned. ”Fried chicken with biscuits and gravy and turnip greens. That sounds like home. I'll have that.”

”It sounds like home, because it is home.” Kelsey reached out and laid her hand gently on Benny's head. He grinned at her in return.

Adam and Jake both opted for the special, but Benny wanted a burger with fries-mom said okay to that-but she insisted on milk instead of cola.

They sat at one of the round tables near the back. Jake saw Ginny seated, and Adam plunked Benny down in the chair between him and his brother. It was the way they tended to sit when they were out together, a sign to Ginny that she could eat her meal in peace, that he and his brother would see to her son. Their son, Adam thought.

”You know, Benny Rose, you keep on ordering burgers every time we come in here, why you're going to grow a great big burger belly.” Ginny said that then winked at Adam.

Instead of being discouraged, Benny got a pleased look on his face. ”Cool! My friend Gavin said that he and his dads and his uncles go camping all the time, and they always eat snake! I wonder if he's going to get a snake belly?”

Adam tried not to laugh. Jake coughed, signaling the same problem.

”Actually, snake tastes pretty good. Like chicken,” Adam said.

”Now that's something I just don't understand,” Ginny said. ”Everybody is always saying that things like snake and gator taste like chicken. Why not, then, just eat chicken and leave the icky stuff alone?”

”But, Mom, eating snake would be way cool!”

”Tell you what.” Jake reached over and ruffled Benny's hair. ”When summer comes we'll go camping, and you can give it a try.”

”No, thanks,” Ginny said.

”Moms don't go camping.” Adam leaned over and kissed her cheek. ”Moms get to stay home and do mom stuff. At least that's what Mother always claimed, and I believe her.”

”What's mom stuff?” Benny wanted to know.

”Likely stuff like taking lots of baths, eating cooked green vegetables, and brus.h.i.+ng their teeth,” Jake said.

”Eeew, that's gross!” Benny scrunched his face, showing his disgust.

Ginny laughed, and Adam shared a look with Jake. It had been interesting, experiencing a bit of New Jersey with their woman and boy, but he knew they both shared Ginny's sentiment of earlier. It was good to be home. And home, to Adam, meant more than just l.u.s.ty. It meant having Ginny laughing, Benny scrunching his face, as they awaited a meal, together.

Movement on the sidewalk caught his eye, and he watched as the rest of his brothers, all four of them, along with Tamara made their way toward the restaurant. He had no doubt that before their food had been served, they'd be joined by a lot more family-Kendalls, Benedicts, and Jessops alike.

Yes, it sure was good to be home.

Ginny's heart felt so full, she honestly didn't know if her body could hold all the joy bubbling inside of it.

First Adam and Jake's brothers and then their parents came into the restaurant. Next Susan Benedict Evans-Magee, and her mother Bernice, Grandma Kate, and Bernice's husbands and Mike Murphy joined the impromptu gathering. Matt came by, followed by Steven. Tracy's mom Heather, Julia Benedict, her fiances, and her triplet brothers streamed in.

Ginny had grown accustomed to the rhythms of the restaurant and knew without doubt these people were all there not because of a sudden urge to eat something, but to welcome her home.

A man she didn't recognize joined the party, but she didn't worry, because Adam and Jake seemed to know him, as did the senior brothers Benedict.

Samantha Kendall sat beside her, ousting Jake from his chair, and Adam gave up his seat so that Grandma Kate could sit on the other side of her.

Benny simply glowed with all the attention the adults showered upon him. He told them about meeting Aunt Maggie, and about the ocean, and how Adam and Jake had helped him build ”the best sand fort ever.”

”They had a huge place with roller coasters and everything,” Benny said. ”Me and Adam walked all the way down the beach to see it. But Aunt Maggie said they weren't open yet. We have to go back sometime in the summer.”

”Sounds like you had fun anyway,” Bernice said to him.