Page 49 of Where Sea Meets Sky

The tips of Ryan’s ears turned pink, but he smiled at Faith sweetly. “Yeah, you’re the first. It’s because I know these chuckleheads are going to be obnoxious about it.” He punched Brady playfully in the ribs, and Brady didn’t even react to it.

“Seth! Dad!” he called. “Ryan’s got a date.”

Faith found it odd that he was shouting loudly enough to disturb the other customers, and the other customers seemed to find it odd as well, because a few of them glanced at Brady in surprise. Brady seemed to think he owned the place. Then again, Faith reflected, in a way he did.

A moment later two other men appeared around a corner, heading toward the dining area. They both bore a striking resemblance to Ryan, and the older one did especially. Faith was sure the older man was Ryan’s father, Judd McCormick, and he appeared to be just as pretentious as his brewery.

“Ooh,” Seth drawled, stepping up to the table. “Hey there, nice to meet you. I’m Seth. What are you doing dating this loser brother of mine?”

“I’m Faith. If he’s a loser, then all the other men I’ve ever met are spectacularly sub-par.”

Seth’s face fell slightly for a moment, since he was now a man that she’d met, but in the next minute he grinned and laughed loudly. “She’s quick on her feet, Ryan. I like her.”

“Technically, I’m sitting.” Faith grinned. “Literally thinking on your feet is harder.”

“Faith used to be a lawyer,” Ryan said, gazing at her with a proud gleam in his eyes. “She’s pretty impressive for sure.”

“Nice to meet you, Faith,” Judd said, looking somewhat distracted. “Seth, Brady, let’s go to the office. There’s a shipment to Connecticut that’s twenty-four hours late, and we need to figure out what happened to it.” He nodded at Faith and clapped Ryan on the back before walking away. Seth and Brady shot impish grins at Faith and Ryan and followed their father.

“So,” Ryan said, shrugging. “That’s my family.”

“They seem nice,” she assured him. “Just busy. And—well, you already said it. Brash. They kind of remind me of frontiersmen or something.”

“Yeah?” He chuckled. “I thought I was the frontiersman, forging my way into a different future through hard work.”

“Oh, good point.” She patted his arm. “You’re the gentlemanly frontiersman.”

They continued to talk and laugh until their food arrived. It wasn’t the best burger Faith had ever had, but there was bacon and peanut butter on it, which she found innovative, and she was so hungry that almost anything would have tasted good to her.

When they were done eating, Ryan paid their check and they stepped back out into the night together. It was a bit chillier, and Faith put on a pair of gloves that she still kept in her purse after winter.

“Do you want my jacket?” he asked her as they started to walk back toward the bed and breakfast.

She shook her head. “No, thank you, gentlemanly frontiersman.”

He laughed and slipped his hand around hers. “I’m glad you got to meet my family tonight. We ripped off that Band-Aid.”

“Oh, stop,” she said, laughing. “I think they’re fun. And I want you to meet my family too. Very soon—but I should tell them about you first. They are the type to plan family dinners, you know?”

He nodded, smiling. “Absolutely. I’m really excited to meet them.”

“I’m excited for you to meet them too!” She felt almost giddy, filled with eagerness for the future. “I’m really excited to pursue this with you.”

“Same.” He grinned at her and then pulled her in for a kiss.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Alexis sat back in her chair and looked around the table with a smile. It was another family dinner night at her mother’s house, and everyone was there, including Faith. So far, it had been another wonderful evening of great food and fun conversation. Vivian had prepared a creamy lemon chicken and rice casserole along with dinner rolls and grilled asparagus, and it was one of the best meals Alexis had ever had—although she knew that she might be feeling that way because it seemed to really hit the spot of her latest cravings. She felt incredibly grateful for the time spent with her family, and the love they all shared.

She was feeling relaxed and content. She’d finally lost her nesting urges and had been spending her days resting and knitting a baby blanket for her little one. She was glad she’d done everything to the house that she had—even the half-finished cupboards, since she knew that eventually the kitchen would look fantastic. She finally felt ready for the baby to arrive, and she was savoring her time of rest and expectation.

“No, I’m telling you, that raccoon was the size of a dog.” Dean shook his head, laughing. “It was terrifying.”

“Sure, a chihuahua,” Samantha cut in, and she and Faith gave each other a high-five, laughing.

“No.” Dean grinned. “A big dog. The stuff of nightmares.”

“I’ve always liked raccoons,” Faith said.

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