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“Everyone,” Norma said in a loud voice, “this is Shaye.”
Adien turned and smiled. “You made it. Welcome. I hope you brought earplugs. We’re loud.” She laughed. “That’s my sister Sabrina. Mom, let’s avoid giving her the kids’ names. There are too many.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sabrina, as pretty as Adien, said with a weary smile. “They’re a little wild today. I apologize in advance.”
“Nice to meet you, as well.” Shaye turned back to Lawson’s mother. “I made some cookies. I decorated them in honor of Christmas in July.”
“Oh, you bake!” Norma looked at her daughter. “She bakes. That’s good.” Norma set the container on a table overflowing with food. “Let’s go outside and meet the rest of the family.” She looked at Lawson. “You’ll have to watch your father with the burgers. He doesn’t like to cook them enough for the kids.”
“Dad knows, Mom.”
“He knows, but does he listen?” Norma linked arms with Shaye. “A five-year-old doesn’t want a raw burger, am I right? It’s not good for them. Yes, we get the meat from a local rancher, but still. Cook the food. They’re babies. Be kind to their tummies. Not that he’s the one who they come to when they have to poop for three hours in the middle of the night. No, then it’s the mother. Always the mother.”
Shaye honestly didn’t know what to say as she went outside with Norma. She met Lawson’s father and both his brothers-in-law but she wasn’t sure which man went with which sister. Something that would sort itself out over the course of the afternoon.
Henry Easley was tall and handsome, with a charming smile. The man obviously adored his wife which, after so many years of marriage, was lovely to see.
She was invited to join a game of croquet with the older kids—all of whom were still under the age of ten. Lawson stayed with her, helping her keep names straight and settling a couple of disputes about the rules.
The sun was warm, the sky clear, and the sound of laughter and happy conversation added to the party atmosphere.
“Is it like this every weekend?” she asked him when the game ended and they all lined up for lemonade.
“We do the big dinners about once a month,” he said. “My parents always host, but my sisters take turns cooking. In the summer, we usually barbecue like we are today, but when it’s colder, the meals are a little more formal.”
“And with the roast you lied about?” she asked, her voice teasing.
“Yes, with that.”
She looked around at the kids running everywhere and his dad talking to his sons-in-law. “You must have missed this while you were overseas.”
“More than I can say.”
She believed him. While this wasn’t anything like her small family had been, she still felt the same kind of love and support. This was what she’d been missing in her life. A family. Belonging.
His mother appeared at the back door. “Shaye, I need your help in the kitchen.” She shooed Lawson away. “You can talk to your pretty girl later. Now it’s my turn.”
Lawson grimaced. “You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to. Remember that. I’ll check in on you every ten minutes.”
She laughed. “I like your mom. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
Once in the kitchen, she was put to work peeling carrots for the veggie plate. Norma positioned herself close.
“So, Shaye, tell us about yourself. You’ve been married before?”
She nearly dropped the carrot she’d been holding. “What? No.”
“Any children?” Norma held up a hand. “I’m not judging. I’m asking. You can have children. It’s fine.”
“Mom!” Adien shot Shaye a sympathetic look. “Could you at least try to be subtle?”
“What’s the point in that? I want to know if she has children. I like children. It would be nice.”
Shaye cleared her throat. “No, um, children.”
“But you want them?”
“Mom!” Sabrina joined in with Adien. “Stop.”
