AllFreeNovel
Share Us
7
“Doyou know what this is about?” Ford asked as he and Keaton walked up the steps of Lanterns. Ford’s wife and kids had already arrived. He’d been working on a house that he and Knox were flipping so he was meeting them at the restaurant.
“No idea.” Keaton didn’t want to speculate as to why Seb had summoned them all because he hated when people did that to him.
“The girls are really excited that you agreed to do the show. I know you don’t want to do it. Thanks.” His cousin patted him on the shoulder. Ford was a man of few words, which made every single one he spoke even more special.
“Of course, man.”
It was the least Keaton could do, not only for his niece and aunt but also for his cousin. Ford had really stepped up to help out his aunt with the boys, himself included, when she was working double shifts at the hospital.
Ford drove him to tournaments before Keaton had a car. He’d been the one to make sure that dinner was on the table, clothes were clean, and homework was done. And that none of the boys got arrested, which was not a small feat when it came to raising Savage men. Both Keaton’s dad and Ford, Knox, and Seb’s dad had had their share of run-ins with the law for everything from vandalism to reckless driving.
Ford hadn’t had an easy job, but he’d done it. Had he been happy about it? Hell no. More often than not he was grumpy as shit about his extra responsibilities. But what teenager wouldn’t be? He’d never taken his bad mood out on Knox, Seb, or Keaton. He’d just silently brooded. Or maybe silent brooding was just his baseline, Keaton could never be a hundred percent sure. It was the classic chicken/egg conundrum, which came first? Or the nature vs. nurture debate. Was he predisposed to silent brooding or was it due to his environment?
Either way, it was strange to think that Ford was only four years older than him. Now, it obviously didn’t seem like that much of a difference. But at the age of eight, which was how old he was when he’d moved into his aunt’s house, Ford was twelve and he was already nearly six feet tall. He’d seemed so much older at the time.
When the men stepped inside the restaurant that had a Rapunzel theme, the hostess Jana smiled widely. “Hey Keaton. Hi Ford.”
That was one of the many perks of living in a small town, it was like Cheers, everyone knew your name.
“They’re all out on the deck.” Jana motioned toward the back of the restaurant.
“Thanks.” Keaton smiled while Ford’s response was a curt nod.
When they got out to the patio, Keaton looked at the large table filled with his loved ones and felt like he’d just stepped into theTwilight Zone. He was still adjusting to going from being the only Savage who lived in town, to his cousins and their significant others, his nieces and nephews, and his aunt all there.
He and Ford were the last to arrive. Seb, who had sent out the family dinner bat call was at the head of the table and Keaton was not at all surprised to see Kennedy Dawes seated beside him.
Beside them were his Auntie Lan and her new boyfriend Michael, who happened to be Kennedy’s father. Next to them Chrissy, Ford’s wife, and her four kids were all lined up. Ivy and Iris sat across from them and filling out the table were his cousin Knox and his new bride Laura, along with their four-month-old twins, Jackson and Jasmine.
Ford walked to the opposite side of the table and sat next to his wife. Keaton lowered down into the empty seat between Laura and his niece Ivy.
“Can you hold her for a second?” Laura asked as she was already handing Jasmine over to him.
“Of course.”
Keaton stared down at the tiny bundle of cuteness in his arms and his chest ached. He’d always thought he was going to be a dad. And not just any dad, the best dad that had ever walked the earth. But lately, he’d been wondering if he’d missed his chance.
He didn’t just have the one that got away. He had two that got away.
Camilla and Avery were both women he’d seen a future with. Camilla was now engaged to another man, and Avery was, well, she had almost walked down the aisle herself. She hadn’t so she was technically single. But her status didn’t have anything to do with Keaton and didn’t change the fact that she’d ghosted him.
The only consolation he had was being surrounded by family since they’d all migrated to Whisper Lake. Family was all that mattered to him. It was all that had ever mattered to him.
“If things go well on the show, maybe you’ll have one of those of your own soon.” Iris leaned over Ivy and wagged her brows.
He didn’t share her optimism, but he appreciated it.
Drink and food orders were taken and Jasmine and Jackson both got passed around the table giving each person time to see them. His aunt was labeled a baby hog and was told to ‘puff, puff, pass’ by Knox who then got swatted on the arm by Laura for using a weed reference in relation to the twins. Everyone commented on how big the newborns were getting and how much they loved the smell of babies. The conversation flowed from the show to the flip project Knox and Ford had just started to Chrissy’s event business doing well.
Once the drinks were delivered, Seb stood up, calling everyone’s attention to him by clearing his throat. “First off, I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight on such short notice. Some of you might know or have guessed that Kennedy and I have been seeing each other for a few months over the summer.”
Kennedy smiled widely as she stared adoringly up at his younger cousin. The look on her face made Keaton want to have what they shared. Love and adoration radiated off them both.
“We kept things on the hush for several reasons,” Seb explained. “One, because Kennedy was supposed to be going on the show that Keaton is now going to be on.”
The entire table erupted in cheers. Keaton, trying to be a good sport, smiled and tipped his glass accepting the applause.
