into a hug.
“I knew if anybody could get you to come it would be Tara. She said you were bringing a friend. But I assumed it was one of the guys. This is a nice surprise.” Pulling away, she patted his chest as she looked at me. “I’m Cris, Collin’s mom. And you are just gorgeous. Isn’t she just gorgeous, Collin?”
Scratching his brow, Coll smiled, and his mom sighed.
“And she bakes.” She reached for the plate of cookies then gestured for us to follow. “The boys are going to love these. They won’t last a minute. Just you watch. They’re all here tonight. All my boys under one roof. Can you believe it?”
I couldn’t, actually.
We rounded the corner and my eyes went wide to take in all the people standing around the kitchen. I shared a small smile with a familiar face.
“Hey guys, this is … Oh God.” She turned back to face me. “I didn’t even ask your name.”
“Hailey,” Russell answered for me.
Cris looked from him to me then down at the plate in her hands before setting it down on the counter. “Okay so, guys, this is Hailey. Your brother’s friend.” They all simultaneously oohed. “Behave yourselves. I mean it.”
Coll placed his hand on my back, encouraging me to move farther into the kitchen where everyone individually introduced themselves, their wives, and their kids. Each of Coll’s brothers—Quin, Kyle, and Camren—looked like him with their dark hair, dark eyes, and matching families. The youngest, Cade, favored Russell with his light hair and pale blue eyes.
Even Russell’s grandma was there.
“Oh, it’s the one who likes my pie. Come here, sugar, and give me some sugar,” she said, shuffling over to give me a hug. The kitchen filled with soft chuckles, and I looked up and gave Russell a small smile before she let go and demanded we all eat.
Abiding, we each filled a plate and found a seat on whatever piece of furniture we could. I planted myself as close as I could next to Coll on the couch and picked at the food on my plate, listening in on the surrounding conversation, trying to figure out who and where Tara was. I nearly choked when she came down from upstairs.
“He’s finally asleep, so I’m gonna hit the road.”
“Oh, good. Just let me grab your check,” Cris said, getting up from her seat to dig around in her purse. “Oh, and, Tara, honey, I want you to eat something before you go. Taking care of that man can really take it out of you.”
“Stubborn ass is what he is,” Grandma said under her breath.
“Ma …” Cris chastised her.
Tara shook her head as she took the check. “Thanks, but I’m really not that hungry.” She looked at me as she said it. I looked over at Coll, who was looking down at his plate.
“You sure? Maybe just some dessert for the road then. Hailey here baked cookies. Go grab one and you can go.” Tara stood there staring at me while Cris jutted her thumb toward the kitchen. “Go on, then.”
Giving me one last blank look, Tara headed into the kitchen and came back out with a cookie in hand. She stuck it in her mouth to put on her coat then pulled it out and waved with it as she shut the door behind her.
“I tell ya, I don’t know where that girl gets her energy to take such good care of him. I never see her eat,” Cris said.
Grandma laughed. “She weighs about a buck nothing, and that’s mostly up top.”
“Ma.”
“It’s a wonder she doesn’t tip over.”
Everyone in the room laughed except Coll, Cris, and me. A strong wave of anxiety washed over my body, like it was being attacked personally. I barely heard anything else but my heartbeat until Cris plopped down next to me on the couch.
“So, Hailey. Tell me about yourself. What is it you do for a living?” she asked, trying her best to change the subject.
Wiping my mouth, I finally swallowed the piece of chicken I’d been chewing. “I’m a teacher at Clallam Elementary.”
“Oh, nice. You know, the boys’ father was a teacher.” I
“I knew if anybody could get you to come it would be Tara. She said you were bringing a friend. But I assumed it was one of the guys. This is a nice surprise.” Pulling away, she patted his chest as she looked at me. “I’m Cris, Collin’s mom. And you are just gorgeous. Isn’t she just gorgeous, Collin?”
Scratching his brow, Coll smiled, and his mom sighed.
“And she bakes.” She reached for the plate of cookies then gestured for us to follow. “The boys are going to love these. They won’t last a minute. Just you watch. They’re all here tonight. All my boys under one roof. Can you believe it?”
I couldn’t, actually.
We rounded the corner and my eyes went wide to take in all the people standing around the kitchen. I shared a small smile with a familiar face.
“Hey guys, this is … Oh God.” She turned back to face me. “I didn’t even ask your name.”
“Hailey,” Russell answered for me.
Cris looked from him to me then down at the plate in her hands before setting it down on the counter. “Okay so, guys, this is Hailey. Your brother’s friend.” They all simultaneously oohed. “Behave yourselves. I mean it.”
Coll placed his hand on my back, encouraging me to move farther into the kitchen where everyone individually introduced themselves, their wives, and their kids. Each of Coll’s brothers—Quin, Kyle, and Camren—looked like him with their dark hair, dark eyes, and matching families. The youngest, Cade, favored Russell with his light hair and pale blue eyes.
Even Russell’s grandma was there.
“Oh, it’s the one who likes my pie. Come here, sugar, and give me some sugar,” she said, shuffling over to give me a hug. The kitchen filled with soft chuckles, and I looked up and gave Russell a small smile before she let go and demanded we all eat.
Abiding, we each filled a plate and found a seat on whatever piece of furniture we could. I planted myself as close as I could next to Coll on the couch and picked at the food on my plate, listening in on the surrounding conversation, trying to figure out who and where Tara was. I nearly choked when she came down from upstairs.
“He’s finally asleep, so I’m gonna hit the road.”
“Oh, good. Just let me grab your check,” Cris said, getting up from her seat to dig around in her purse. “Oh, and, Tara, honey, I want you to eat something before you go. Taking care of that man can really take it out of you.”
“Stubborn ass is what he is,” Grandma said under her breath.
“Ma …” Cris chastised her.
Tara shook her head as she took the check. “Thanks, but I’m really not that hungry.” She looked at me as she said it. I looked over at Coll, who was looking down at his plate.
“You sure? Maybe just some dessert for the road then. Hailey here baked cookies. Go grab one and you can go.” Tara stood there staring at me while Cris jutted her thumb toward the kitchen. “Go on, then.”
Giving me one last blank look, Tara headed into the kitchen and came back out with a cookie in hand. She stuck it in her mouth to put on her coat then pulled it out and waved with it as she shut the door behind her.
“I tell ya, I don’t know where that girl gets her energy to take such good care of him. I never see her eat,” Cris said.
Grandma laughed. “She weighs about a buck nothing, and that’s mostly up top.”
“Ma.”
“It’s a wonder she doesn’t tip over.”
Everyone in the room laughed except Coll, Cris, and me. A strong wave of anxiety washed over my body, like it was being attacked personally. I barely heard anything else but my heartbeat until Cris plopped down next to me on the couch.
“So, Hailey. Tell me about yourself. What is it you do for a living?” she asked, trying her best to change the subject.
Wiping my mouth, I finally swallowed the piece of chicken I’d been chewing. “I’m a teacher at Clallam Elementary.”
“Oh, nice. You know, the boys’ father was a teacher.” I
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