Page 55 of Where Sea Meets Sky

She took a deep breath, feeling an exquisite sense of peace and joy. Her worries were over, and there was nothing to fret about while she got ready to marry the man of her dreams.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Faith squeezed Ryan’s hand as they walked up the sidewalk toward Alexis’s home. It was a beautiful evening, and the first blushes of sunset were beginning to paint the sky in the west. Birds sang in the trees of the charming neighborhood, and a gentle wind rustled the leaves overhead.

“I’m excited to meet your family,” Ryan said, grinning eagerly. “If they’re half as nice as you are, they must be great people to hang out with.”

She leaned her shoulder against his in thanks for the compliment. “You’re sweet. I’m so excited for them all to meet you.”

The truth was that she was genuinely very excited, but also a little nervous. She wasn’t sure why, but in the back of her mind, she had the strangest feeling that her family already knew who Ryan was and didn’t like him all that much.

They stepped up to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door was opened a moment later by Alexis, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Come on in,” she sang out, looking radiant and well-rested.

Once Faith and Ryan were in the foyer, Alexis gave her cousin a big hug and then turned to give Ryan a handshake.

“I’m so pleased to meet the famous Ryan,” she said warmly. “Faith speaks so highly of you.”

“I’m thrilled to hear that,” Ryan said, turning to Faith with a grin. “I feel so lucky to be going out with her.”

Ryan and Faith looked at each other with shining eyes, and Faith felt her stomach do a somersault.

“Everyone’s in the living room.” Alexis said. “They’re all taking a look at the way it’s been repainted in there.”

“Oh yes!” Faith exclaimed eagerly. “Your renovation projects! I can’t wait to see all the things you’ve done around the house.”

“Thank you!” Alexis looked almost gleeful. “The living room is definitely my favorite. And the kitchen is a work in progress, but I’m okay with waiting on that project until after the baby is born.”

Faith and Ryan followed Alexis into the living room. Everyone turned toward them expectantly when they walked in, and Faith again got the strange feeling that the Owens already knew Ryan somehow.

“Hey!” Dean stood up to shake both their hands. “Glad you’re here.”

After introductions were made, everyone gushed over how wonderful the living room looked. Alexis looked pleased as punch and Grayson seemed delighted by their living room’s new look as well.

“Such a wonderful color choice, Alexis,” Hazel said, gazing around the room admiringly. “And you really did a great job of painting.”

“Can we see the pantry too?” Julia asked. “I’d love to see the way you organized it.”

“Julia never wants to pass up an opportunity to admire some good organization,” Cooper teased, wrapping an arm around her.

They trooped into the kitchen, and everyone agreed that the cupboards were going to look fantastic once they were all painted. Alexis showed off her pantry and the way she’d organized everything, and Hazel and Julia were so inspired by her work that they took pictures of it so that they could imitate it in their own pantries.

Despite how happy everyone was for Alexis and Grayson, Faith kept getting the sense that there was the slightest bit of tension in the room. She noticed Vivian glance surreptitiously at Ryan a few times, and Hazel and Julia kept looking at him intently whenever he spoke.

Is it just because I’m dating him, and they want to be extra sure that he’s a nice guy?she wondered.Or is there something else going on here?

“Your home really is lovely,” Ryan told Alexis and Grayson. “And congratulations about the baby.”

“Thank you.” Grayson nodded at him in a friendly way.

“We appreciate it,” Alexis said, smiling.

“We’re glad to have you here, Ryan,” Vivian said. “It’s the first time after many years of interaction that the Owens family and any member of the McCormick family have been together in a capacity other than a competitive one.”

Ryan’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Faith turned toward Vivian expectantly. She hadn’t heard anything about the Owens family being in any kind of competition against the McCormicks, and she was anxious to learn what Vivian was talking about.

---