Rules of Contact
Page 61

   “It was great, thank you. And thank you for letting me spend Thanksgiving in your home.”
   “One of the things I love the most is when the family is home for the holidays. And extra family is always welcome.”
   “Thank you for that.”
   The men all came in bearing the rest of the groceries, so she moved out of the way while everything was put away in a matter of minutes.
   Aubry had pulled lemonade out of the refrigerator and filled glasses.
   “Lemonade?” she asked her.
   “I’d love some.”
   Within the next few minutes, the front door opened and she also met the striking Katrina, Grant’s fiancée, along with her younger siblings, Anya and Leo. Then Easton’s three brothers appeared, along with their wives, and she was overwhelmed by people. Flynn must have sensed her trepidation though. While she sat in the dining room getting to know everyone, he sat next to her rubbing her back. She was glad he wasn’t shy about being familiar with her in front of his family.
   “How’s the restaurant going, Flynn?” his mother asked.
   “Great, actually. Amelia takes good care of the customers.”
   She warmed at the compliment. “Did Flynn mention that he prepared a signature dish for the restaurant?”
   Lydia looked over at him. “He did not. Tell us about it.”
   Flynn explained the dish he’d created, and Amelia was happy that the focus was off of her and on Flynn, as it should be.
   “So now you’re the chef in the family, huh?” Easton asked. “And all this time I thought it was your mom.”
   “Oh, it’s still Mom,” Flynn said. “Always will be. I would never have learned to cook if it hadn’t been for her.”
   “Mom will always be the best,” Grant said.
   “I don’t think we’ll talk about my cooking when we have a professional chef in our midst,” Lydia said, smiling over at Amelia.
   “Home cooking for your family always trumps restaurant food,” Amelia said.
   “I’m glad you think that. Now I won’t feel so pressured to come up with five-star meals the entire time you’re here.”
   Amelia laughed. “Even I don’t make five-star meals, Lydia. Please, don’t feel any pressure just because cooking is my job. I’m really looking forward to spending time with your family. And, of course, I’d be delighted to help with the cooking.”
   “I’d be delighted to let you help with the cooking.”
   “That’s our mom,” Mia said. “Always willing to corral bodies to help slice and dice in the kitchen.”
   Amelia laughed. “I’m always in the kitchen. Even though I work at a restaurant, when I’m home, I’m usually trying out new recipes. So trust me when I tell you I’ll be happy to hang out in the kitchen with you.”
   Lydia looked over at Flynn. “I like her.”
   Flynn’s lips ticked up. “Knew you would.”
   It wasn’t long before Lydia got up and moved into the kitchen. Mia followed, as did Aubry, Harmony, Katrina and Anya, so Amelia naturally went with them. Lydia started pulling things from the refrigerator, and without knowing what they were going to fix, Amelia dived in to assist.
   Then it was a melee of cooking and conversation. Amelia felt right at home talking with the women as she diced onions and tomatoes while conversing about Aubry’s medical residency, Harmony’s interior design firm and Katrina’s modeling career. It was equal parts bizarre and utterly fascinating, but she enjoyed every moment of fixing dinner with this unique family. Eventually some of the guys made their way into the kitchen, including Flynn, who created a rub for the ribs and carried those out back to be grilled.
   “How did you decide to become a chef, Amelia?” Lydia asked her.
   She spent some time explaining her love of food and her background to Lydia and the rest of the women.
   “My plan is to go to culinary school and become a chef,” Anya said. “First I have to get my undergraduate degree, because Katrina and Grant won’t allow me to do it any other way.”
   “You’ve got that right,” Katrina said.
   Amelia laughed and nodded. “It’s the smart road to take, Anya. And I’ll be happy to recommend some wonderful cooking schools for you if you’d like.”
   “I would definitely like that.”
   She’d found a kindred spirit in the young Anya, who was in her first year of college. Obviously Grant and Katrina were looking out for Katrina’s siblings in the best way.
   She ended up working side by side with Anya. Together, they made salsa and guacamole, along with hummus and baked beans to go with the ribs. Lydia also made potato and green salads. There was a Caprese salad, and Mia had prepped corn on the cob for the guys to roast on the grill. Amelia had found time to whip up a dessert, too.
   By the time dinner was ready, her stomach was gnawing with hunger. Katrina had baked bread and Amelia was ready to tear into the food. Aubry had made margaritas, and Harmony had squeezed lemons for another round of lemonade and sliced limes to go with the margaritas. Lydia had opened some wine, the guys had beers, and the spread at the dining room table was to die for.
   Amelia had a margarita in hand and had already had a few sips. It was delicious.
   “Let’s eat, everyone,” Lydia said after Easton had placed a huge plate of ribs in the center of the table.
   Dinner was loud, with several conversations going on at once. Flynn placed his hand at the small of her back.
   “Everything going okay?” he asked, his voice low so only she could hear.
   She smiled up at him. “It’s perfect. You have an amazing family.”
   He grinned. “Thanks. I think so, too.”
   The food was wonderful. Amelia tried a little bit of everything, and it was all delicious. By the time they’d finished, she was full.
   “Amelia made dessert,” Lydia said.
   Flynn looked over at her and raised a brow.
   “Nothing fancy. Just a raspberry ricotta cake and an apple pie.”
   “While we were outside cooking you made two desserts?” he asked.
   “I told you they weren’t fancy.”
   “I don’t care if they’re fancy or not,” Easton said. “They both sound good. Let’s have at them.”
   “Then I guess you boys better clear off dinner so we can have dessert,” Lydia said.
   The guys cleared the table, and Amelia went into the kitchen to bring out desserts, while Anya and Leo brought out plates and utensils.