“Can you please come talk to Grams before she completely flips out?” Cedar asked.
Chase was torn. He’d come here to find and talk to his family and now they’d sought him out. But if he turned his back, would Ashley run like she had every single time? He wanted to beg her to stay right here or come with him, but he didn’t know what to say with these men watching. He stood and said to Ashley, “I’ll be right back.”
She stared at him as if she wasn’t certain who he was anymore.
Chase felt full of frustration, but now wasn’t the time. Cedar and the other guy stood on either side of him. They strode toward a knot of Chadwick family members.
A beautiful, pipsqueak of a lady with silver-gray hair stared up at him and demanded, “Who are you and where did you get those blue eyes? What are you doing hiding that handsome face behind a beard?”
It was time to face the music. Chase glanced back at Ashley. She hadn’t left the table. Would she wait for him? He’d prefer she stood by his side, but there wasn’t time to ask that of her.
He cleared his throat and looked around at all the interested faces. His gaze lit on a gorgeous blonde with blue eyes. Iris. His baby sister. The James Bond-looking guy had his arm around her, but those blue eyes were so familiar to him, as if they were his own. She looked so innocent and welcoming. He really, really wanted to be part of her life. A little sister of his very own.
“My mother is a dermatologist in Missoula,” he began. “Wren Hamilton. When she was in medical school, she came home for a short summer break and dated a man named Peter Chadwick. They became … very close.” Did he have to spell out that he was the result of that closeness?
Everyone sucked in a collective breath.
“How old are you?” the older lady demanded.
“Well, ma’am…”
“It’s Grams to you.”
He felt warmth erupt inside him. Even though she was obviously upset, she knew who he was and she was ready to claim him as her own.
“Grams.” He smiled at her, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace from how stirred up he was. He checked Ashley’s position. She hadn’t moved, sipping on her water. He looked back at the pretty blonde. His sister. “I’m thirty-one.”
There was an eruption of muttering and questions. Chase focused on the man standing next to him. Aster, he was pretty sure. The oldest Chadwick brother. He looked tough, like a construction worker. Where was Quill? For some reason, he wanted Quill to be here.
“Right smack between Quill and Ren,” Aster muttered, his fist clenching. “The scum-ball.”
“Excuse me?” Maybe Chase wasn’t as welcome with his siblings as he might have hoped.
“Not you. Our father.” Aster met his gaze. “Your father too, right?”
Everyone was listening. Chase cleared his throat. “My mom never told me who my father was, no matter how many times I asked, but Kris Bellissima lured me here. She said she had information about my half-brother, Quill Chadwick.”
That caused another stir. A petite beauty with dark skin and hair and unique green eyes gave him a look that said he had ticked her off. Oh man, he was stepping on landmines everywhere.
Grams was staring expectantly at him, so he continued. “My mother finally admitted the truth to me yesterday.”
“Why would she keep you from us?” Iris asked with a cute little fist planted on her waist.
His sister wanted him in their lives? That made him feel warm inside. “Peter begged her to give me up for adoption and not ruin his family. She left to finish her last year of medical school. She told me she couldn’t give me up. She had me two days after she graduated.”
“You’re my grandson?” Grams asked with a waver in her voice.
He nodded shortly, somewhat terrified of her response. He wasn’t trying to ruin anyone’s Christmas or come in as the stain on the family that they didn’t want to talk about.
“You’re my grandson,” Grams repeated. Her blue eyes were bright as she marched up to him and opened her arms.
He bent down and wrapped his arms around her. Grams hugged him fiercely, as if making up for thirty-one years of lost hugs. Tears streamed down her weathered cheeks. His own eyes grew moist, his throat was thick with emotion. He already had grandparents. His mom’s parents had been great to him. They had always helped his mom as much as they could without raising him or crippling his mom’s passion about being self-reliant. But it wasn’t possible for a body to have too much love and he knew—deep down, he knew—that Grams loved him.
When she released him, the other family members moved in for hugs, questions, and expressions of acceptance. It felt amazing. He had lots of friends, but expanding his family circle was incredible.
They almost went in order: Aster and his wife Chelsea, Cedar and his wife Hope, Iris and her new husband Devon. He also met Uncle Jay, his cousins Cruz and Cat and their spouses, as well as Ren’s girlfriend Mavyn who was the saucy brunette with green eyes. She demanded information about Kris.
Apparently, Ren was off fighting a fire and Quill and his girlfriend, Cora, were at his hockey game. Grams said that Chase could meet Quill and Cora tomorrow if he’d come to her house for Christmas.
As the excitement and the questions slowed, he wanted them all to meet Ashley, but then he remembered they knew Ashley. She was their wedding and party planner. He turned to find her, bring her into this circle of welcome and acceptance, but she was gone. He almost cursed. He’d thought tonight would be his chance to finally connect with her. He was thrilled to be with his family, but missing out on Ashley sharing her secrets and him sharing his was a punch to the gut.
“Do you think your mom would want to come meet us?” Grams asked. “We wouldn’t want to push her too hard, but she’s our family too, right?”
“I think she would like to meet all of you, but …” Chase looked around at all the interested faces. “I wouldn’t want to upset Peter or taint the memory of your mom.” He nodded to Aster, Cedar, and Iris.
Aster’s brow furrowed. “Thanks, but it’s not Mom’s fault our dad cheated.” Chase appreciated that they didn’t seem worried about how people in the town would perceive them. “Dad’s in South America. I doubt he’ll ever come back.” His voice lowered. “So you knew Mom passed away twelve years ago?”
“Yes. I’m sorry about your mom.”
They all nodded their acceptance of that statement.
“We’re sorry you didn’t have a dad growing up,” Iris said. “Our dad left when I was sixteen and it sucked.”
Chase smiled at her. “I always wanted a dad. For a while, I talked myself into believing my dad was Santa Claus.” Everybody laughed. “But I was okay. My mom is a strong, impressive lady and she was always there for me.”
Cedar nodded. “Our mom was a rock star too.”
There was a pause as if they were all honoring their moms. There was a still a hole left from their dad disappearing, but at least they could weather it together.
Grams broke the silence. “This is a party! I want to dance with my new grandson and eat some chocolate cake.”
Chase grinned and took his small grandmother in his arms for a waltz around the room. She grinned up at him. “You’re every bit as handsome as my other boys, but maybe you could shave that face.”