Page 3 of Guarding My Love

If his mother hadn’t softened her voice to ask that question away from everyone else, he might have lost the control he’d held onto for the past two hours.

Foster hated people.

Hated gatherings.

Loved his family, but from a distance most times. Today they all were in the same space.

The fact all eight of his siblings were together with his mother, not to mention nine cousins from his mother’s side and four from his father’s, had the walls closing in on him.

Not only that, she was trying to guilt him into staying.

His mother was a champion pile-the-guilt-on-someone’s-shoulder type of person.

He wasn’t falling for it.

If one more person came up and asked him what it was like working for West, the top of his head might blow off and spew bodily fluid all over the white decorations. Then there would be hell to pay.

Best to just go home knowing the hour-long drive would be enough to cool him off. Everyone would be happier.

“Mom,” he said. “I know you mean well. I really do. You’ll see me for Easter on Sunday. I promise.”

“But everyone was going to get together for breakfast tomorrow at the hotel,” his mother said. “One more last goodbye before West’s jet starts flying people home.”

He knew that and couldn’t believe his rotten luck that he’d been caught trying to slip out now.

“Mom,” Elias, one of his brothers, said, moving over. “Abby is asking for you.”

“She is?” his mother asked, looking around for the bride.

“Yes,” Elias said. “She’s in the house and had a question about something.”

“I shouldn’t keep her waiting. Don’t leave, Foster,” his mother said, pointing her finger at him.

The minute his mother was out of sight, he turned to his closest brother. The two of them were the quiet ones.

“Now is your chance if you want to dash out over the bushes,” Elias said.

“Ass,” he said. “I’m notthatsneaky.”

“Darn close to it,” Elias said. “We’ve had bets going to see how long you would last. We all lost. Some said you’d sneak out after the toast, others after dinner. You made it for the cake cutting.”

He hated that he was watched that closely, even if it was only in jest.

“And yet Mom couldn’t see that,” he said.

The two of them were walking and talking. He had his jacket on that he’d retrieved twenty minutes ago when he was trying to find the perfect moment to slip out sight unseen.

Busted though.

“She’s happy so many people are together. Can you blame her?” Elias asked. “I think the last time this happened was Dad’s funeral.”

A time he didn’t want to remember. Not that he was close to his father, but it still hurt like hell to lose the man you looked up to when you were eleven years old.

“No,” he said. “I can’t blame her. But I don’t do well with people. I can barely handle our family.”

“It’s only family here,” Elias said, laughing.

“I’m talking about the extended family we haven’t seen in years. I’m not good with small talk.”

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