It actually was a reasonable request. “All right. I want to go skiing at Whistler in a few weeks. I have a house up there. Will you both come?”
Before they could speak any more, Adrian heard Miles’s footfalls and eased himself away from Gillian.
“We’ll talk later. Let’s get going to Erin’s.”
He let it go but knew he’d be back to it.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have brought anything?” she asked him, unsuccessfully hiding her nervousness as they approached Erin’s door.
“You already made me stop and pick up dessert at your friend’s shop on the way over. I love that logo. Clever, retro. Sexy.”
She blushed and it shot straight to his belly. “Who doesn’t like pie and tarts with coffee? And thank you. I assume you know I designed it.”
Before he was able to knock, the door whipped open and it was Rennie who stood there, a huge grin on her face. “Uncle Adrian!” She threw herself at him as he knelt toward her, hugging him tight.
“Yo, Rennie. I missed you, sunshine.”
After he delivered a few kisses, he put Rennie down and straightened before stepping into Erin’s place.
Rennie, being Rennie, didn’t waste any time. She planted herself in Miles’s path and stuck out her hand. “You must be Miles. I’m your cousin, Irene. But everyone mostly calls me Rennie. Did you know they have four gaming consoles here? It’s awesome. You have pretty hair. Most boys like your age have dirty hair. Yours is nice.”
Miles seemed caught off guard and charmed by Rennie, as everyone else always was upon meeting her. He nodded respectfully as he allowed her to pump his arm up and down several vigorous times as she shook his hand.
Brody came into the room, toting Marti, who laughed and reached out when she caught sight of Adrian.
“Come in, please.” Ben stepped forward, extending a hand toward Gillian. “I’m Ben Copeland. I’m one of Adrian’s brothers-in-law. Jeez, Adrian, where are your manners? Invite them in and let’s get their coats.”
Gillian shook his hand, looking as if she dealt with this sort of thing every day. Adrian had to admit to himself how impressed he was, especially as she looked even smaller compared to Ben’s bulk. Miles looked him up and down, a little awed.
Adrian took coats and her bag. He handed the bakery boxes to Elise, who took them with a sweet smile of reassurance.
“Gillian Forrester. Thank you for having us today.”
“We’re glad to do it.” Ben smiled and turned to Miles. “I’ve been waiting to meet you. Welcome to the family, kiddo.”
Miles nodded and stammered his way through a thank-you. Adrian noted the way Gillian would touch him every once in a while, just to give him a little reassurance.
Erin pushed her way through the group, who’d been creeping closer but hadn’t quite broken through their manners to be their normal, nosy selves and push into Gillian and Miles’s personal space.
“Hey there, Miles.” She hugged him, and he seemed a little stunned but then went with it.
“Hey.”
“Gillian, it’s good to see you. I hope you two are hungry. Todd’s out on the terrace grilling up a storm.”
“Let’s get the introductions out of the way.” Adrian put an arm around Miles’s shoulders and a restraining hand on Gillian’s arm to keep her from sidling away. “Everyone, this is Miles and Gillian. We don’t expect you to remember names; there’s a lot of us. But here goes.”
He pointed Miles toward Brody. “This is Brody. He’s my older brother and your uncle. The baby is Martine and we call her Marti. That pretty blonde there is your aunt Elise. She’s Brody’s wife and Marti and Rennie’s mom.”
Gillian gasped, surprising Adrian. “Oh my goodness. Elise Sorenson! I’ve seen you dance many times. I’m a huge fan.” Gillian blushed nearly as deeply red as Elise did.
“Really?”
“I saw you dance Coppelia four times. And Giselle. Oh, and the Sleeping Beauty. Brilliant. You’re amazingly gifted.”
“You did? Where?” Adrian and Miles stood back and watched the two.
“The Met most of the time, and then Lincoln Center. I lived in New York for several years.”
“I’m very flattered. Thank you. Those are some of my favorite roles. You’ve made my entire week.” Elise smiled at Gillian. The two women did have that sort of elegant, graceful manner. Brody had been right about that. Funny how he and his brother seemed to have similar tastes.
“Irene, wait until Miles has met everyone before you go dragging him off somewhere.” Brody looked toward his daughter and she sighed heavily.
“Fine. I just was gonna show him the Mario Kart game.”
Miles appeared shell-shocked and Gillian subtly moved a little closer, sliding a hand up and down his back.
“Okay, everyone, let’s stop crowding. Why don’t you two sit down.” Adrian ushered them into the living room and sat with them. “So you met your uncle and aunt and two of your cousins. And you met Ben.” He’d discussed the situation with Gillian and they’d both been up front with Miles about it. Miles didn’t seem to care one way or the other, so they left it at that. Gillian told him Miles would come to her if he was having any problems.
“You met Erin. That’s Todd, Erin’s other husband, and Alexander, their son.”
“Yo! Yo!” Alexander waved, pushing from his dad’s grip and heading to Adrian, who scooped him up, settling the boy on his lap.
Before they could speak any more, Adrian heard Miles’s footfalls and eased himself away from Gillian.
“We’ll talk later. Let’s get going to Erin’s.”
He let it go but knew he’d be back to it.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have brought anything?” she asked him, unsuccessfully hiding her nervousness as they approached Erin’s door.
“You already made me stop and pick up dessert at your friend’s shop on the way over. I love that logo. Clever, retro. Sexy.”
She blushed and it shot straight to his belly. “Who doesn’t like pie and tarts with coffee? And thank you. I assume you know I designed it.”
Before he was able to knock, the door whipped open and it was Rennie who stood there, a huge grin on her face. “Uncle Adrian!” She threw herself at him as he knelt toward her, hugging him tight.
“Yo, Rennie. I missed you, sunshine.”
After he delivered a few kisses, he put Rennie down and straightened before stepping into Erin’s place.
Rennie, being Rennie, didn’t waste any time. She planted herself in Miles’s path and stuck out her hand. “You must be Miles. I’m your cousin, Irene. But everyone mostly calls me Rennie. Did you know they have four gaming consoles here? It’s awesome. You have pretty hair. Most boys like your age have dirty hair. Yours is nice.”
Miles seemed caught off guard and charmed by Rennie, as everyone else always was upon meeting her. He nodded respectfully as he allowed her to pump his arm up and down several vigorous times as she shook his hand.
Brody came into the room, toting Marti, who laughed and reached out when she caught sight of Adrian.
“Come in, please.” Ben stepped forward, extending a hand toward Gillian. “I’m Ben Copeland. I’m one of Adrian’s brothers-in-law. Jeez, Adrian, where are your manners? Invite them in and let’s get their coats.”
Gillian shook his hand, looking as if she dealt with this sort of thing every day. Adrian had to admit to himself how impressed he was, especially as she looked even smaller compared to Ben’s bulk. Miles looked him up and down, a little awed.
Adrian took coats and her bag. He handed the bakery boxes to Elise, who took them with a sweet smile of reassurance.
“Gillian Forrester. Thank you for having us today.”
“We’re glad to do it.” Ben smiled and turned to Miles. “I’ve been waiting to meet you. Welcome to the family, kiddo.”
Miles nodded and stammered his way through a thank-you. Adrian noted the way Gillian would touch him every once in a while, just to give him a little reassurance.
Erin pushed her way through the group, who’d been creeping closer but hadn’t quite broken through their manners to be their normal, nosy selves and push into Gillian and Miles’s personal space.
“Hey there, Miles.” She hugged him, and he seemed a little stunned but then went with it.
“Hey.”
“Gillian, it’s good to see you. I hope you two are hungry. Todd’s out on the terrace grilling up a storm.”
“Let’s get the introductions out of the way.” Adrian put an arm around Miles’s shoulders and a restraining hand on Gillian’s arm to keep her from sidling away. “Everyone, this is Miles and Gillian. We don’t expect you to remember names; there’s a lot of us. But here goes.”
He pointed Miles toward Brody. “This is Brody. He’s my older brother and your uncle. The baby is Martine and we call her Marti. That pretty blonde there is your aunt Elise. She’s Brody’s wife and Marti and Rennie’s mom.”
Gillian gasped, surprising Adrian. “Oh my goodness. Elise Sorenson! I’ve seen you dance many times. I’m a huge fan.” Gillian blushed nearly as deeply red as Elise did.
“Really?”
“I saw you dance Coppelia four times. And Giselle. Oh, and the Sleeping Beauty. Brilliant. You’re amazingly gifted.”
“You did? Where?” Adrian and Miles stood back and watched the two.
“The Met most of the time, and then Lincoln Center. I lived in New York for several years.”
“I’m very flattered. Thank you. Those are some of my favorite roles. You’ve made my entire week.” Elise smiled at Gillian. The two women did have that sort of elegant, graceful manner. Brody had been right about that. Funny how he and his brother seemed to have similar tastes.
“Irene, wait until Miles has met everyone before you go dragging him off somewhere.” Brody looked toward his daughter and she sighed heavily.
“Fine. I just was gonna show him the Mario Kart game.”
Miles appeared shell-shocked and Gillian subtly moved a little closer, sliding a hand up and down his back.
“Okay, everyone, let’s stop crowding. Why don’t you two sit down.” Adrian ushered them into the living room and sat with them. “So you met your uncle and aunt and two of your cousins. And you met Ben.” He’d discussed the situation with Gillian and they’d both been up front with Miles about it. Miles didn’t seem to care one way or the other, so they left it at that. Gillian told him Miles would come to her if he was having any problems.
“You met Erin. That’s Todd, Erin’s other husband, and Alexander, their son.”
“Yo! Yo!” Alexander waved, pushing from his dad’s grip and heading to Adrian, who scooped him up, settling the boy on his lap.
