“Not for one second,” she said. “Everyone has been so nice and easy to talk to. I think the distraction is helping, but thank you for offering.” Her stomach fluttered nervously at the sight of his parents, although as they stepped from the porch hand in hand, their friendly smiles had a calming effect.
His mother’s shoulder-length hair was the same dirty-blond shade as Cash’s, and behind her amber-framed glasses, Lizzie noticed that she shared his warm brown eyes, too. His father, also wearing glasses, had dark hair like Blue, peppered with gray, and surprisingly, he sported a silver soul patch, which gave him a younger, edgier look than Lizzie had expected. He was a big man, like his sons, well over six feet tall, with a broad chest, and she noticed as he made a beeline for Blue and pulled him into a hug that he also shared his sons’ confident gait and warm blue eyes.
“I’ve missed you, son.” His father’s voice was deeper than Blue’s and filled with emotion as he hugged his son longer than Lizzie had ever been hugged in her entire life by her own father.
“Baby,” Blue’s mother said. “Oh, honey, I have missed you so much.” She held his shoulders as she searched his eyes with an inquisitive gaze. “You look happy.”
Blue smiled at Lizzie. “More than happy, Mom. And it’s all thanks to Lizzie. Lizzie, this is my mom, Andrea, and my dad, Ned.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you,” Lizzie said.
“We greet with hugs,” Andrea said, opening her arms. Lizzie stepped in and was surprised how comfortable and natural it felt to be in his mother’s arms and how different his parents’ greeting was from that of her own parents. “Welcome to our home.”
“Step on in here, young lady,” Ned said, arms open wide. He hugged her with a firm embrace, just like Cash and Duke had.
Blue stayed close to her, keeping one hand on her lower back, as their parents hugged each of the others and then they went inside. If love and family had a scent, it enveloped her the moment she walked into their house. The house was decorated in earthy tones, and not only were family photos hung on nearly every wall they passed, but she could feel the importance of family all around her. Jackets were hung on hooks in the foyer rather than neatly tucked away. A pair of slippers was tucked on the first riser of the staircase, giving the house a lived-in feel, which she found herself wondering over. What would it be like to be part of this warm and inviting family?
There were framed pictures of Siena modeling, and she wasn’t even officially part of the family yet. Photos of Blue standing before his house at the Cape, the landscaping out front newly planted and a proud grin on his lips, were hung beside pictures of Ned and Andrea and Blue’s other siblings.
As they walked into the living room, Lizzie noticed more pictures of the boys caught midlaugh or wrestling in the yard. Pictures of Trish gazing adoringly up at Blue and Duke, or arm in arm with her father or mother. In one photo Cash had his younger brother Jake in a headlock and was grinning ear to ear. There was so much love in their eyes, and the way they touched and held each other, the laughter that was evident in so many of the pictures, made it easy to feel the positive energy of the family radiating from every single picture.
“Let’s sit in the living room and chat a bit,” his mother said.
Blue’s parents sat beside each other on the couch, and the minute they sat down Ned reached for Andrea’s hand. Lizzie loved that they were so openly affectionate, which was so different from her own parents. Even in the short while she’d been in their presence, it underscored what she already knew in her heart. She wanted to have that kind of relationship and she wanted to have the same kind of welcoming home that they did. She glanced at Blue, who was laughing about something Cash had said, and her heart felt full. She wanted those things with Blue.
Cash and Siena settled onto a love seat, and Siena tucked her feet up beside her, resting her head lovingly on Cash’s shoulder. Duke sat on the arm of the couch where his parents were sitting, and Lizzie and Blue sat together on another sofa. A thick shag throw rug covered hardwood floors, and though the room was large, with a high ceiling, built-in bookcases, and a set of French doors overlooking a gorgeous yard, it felt cozy. She knew that had nothing to do with the size of the room and everything to do with the people in it.
They talked about the flight from the Cape and her flower business, and Lizzie noticed that Siena and Cash were touching and whispering the whole time. Every so often Lizzie caught Blue’s mother smiling at the sight of them, and when she did, Ned squeezed her hand with a loving look in his eyes.
She couldn’t imagine her father being nearly as comfortable—if at all—if she and Blue were to be so openly affectionate. Because of that, she was keeping a little distance between them—and Blue was doing his best to keep her from doing so, drawing her closer every time she inched away.