Page 61 of Just Desserts

"Yes, I'm a bit nervous. It has been a good deal of time since I've had to introduce anyone to the family." I said, standing up straighter, trying to add some severity to my tone.

"You're not introducing him, we already know Myles." Uncle Charlie pointed out, unhelpfully.

"Don't worry lovey, I'll make sure the boys stay in line." Aunt Susie replied, shooting Wes and Charlie a look to make sure they understood her threat.

"Myles is a good man, he was always polite and respectful. We had dinner with his parents a few times when we were all in town to visit the boys, they're lovely people. We've been to his hotel, he's done a good job for himself. I'm happy for you." She finished before smiling at me. I reached out and grabbed her hand, giving her a squeeze.

"Thanks Aunt Susie, that means a lot to me." With most of dinner ready or in the oven, we were seated around the dining room with wine and beer aimlessly chatting. Everyone was slightly more subdued when a knock at the door had everyone jumping. It was a quarter to six and I hadn't heard anything from Myles yet.

I started to get out of my seat to answer the door but Wes nearly ran to get there before me. Nerves set in and all of a sudden I felt like I was a teenager waiting for her first date. Voices from the front door filtered through but I couldn't focus enough to make them out. I tried to slide my chair back so I could get up, but the leg caught on the rug and I was stuck.

I felt my face flush with mortification and my Uncle Charlie was outright laughing at my predicament. Wes walked in with Myles beside him and I felt frozen. My worries flew out thewindow now that he was in front of me. All I wanted was to be in his arms, yet somehow I was trapped by my own klutziness. Smooth as always, Myles walked over to me and lifted the chair with me in it, until we were far enough from the table that I could get out without injuring myself or others.

"Hey baby, I missed you." He whispered into my ear after he pulled me out of the chair and into his arms. Then looking up at the group staring wide eyed at the two of us he let loose his full smile, both dimples popping.

"Good evening everyone. Thanks so much for inviting me."

He untangled himself from my arm and walked around to give everyone a hug or handshake. He slipped back into the entry way for a minute and my mom and aunt looked at a loss for words. He came back with a bouquet and a bottle of wine. My aunt preened over the flowers while my Uncle Charlie reviewed the bottle.

"Suck up." I whispered to Myles when he returned to his seat next to me. He laughed at that, once again drawing all eyes to us. As if it came naturally he angled his chair closer to me so he could have his arm wrapped around my back, our knees touching.

Slowly, the longer we sat there, my anxiety and worries started to fade. Conversation resumed around us, with my uncle asking Myles about work while I zoned out. I was staring at Myles' profile, mesmerized by his strong jawline and how his hair was a bit overgrown and wild. I don't know how much time had passed when I realized everyone was silently staring at me.

"Sorry what? I didn't hear you." I said. My face flushing, I felt like I had been caught stealing.

"Isla, do you mind helping your mom and I in the kitchen with the food? I also want to get these flowers in some water." Susie asked, a knowing smile on her face.

"Oh sure of course." I said getting ready to slide my chair back.

To avoid a repeat of before Myles got up before I could and helped me up. I rolled my eyes but at the same time was grateful for the help. My mom and aunt disappeared into the kitchen and I went to follow them when I realized that meant leaving Myles alone with Wes and Charlie. I turned to look at the three of them. Putting on the sternest face I could, I pointed at the group of men.

"Behave. If any of you causes trouble you're banned from the bakery." Varying looks of shock and laughter covered their faces as I turned on my heel and headed for the kitchen.

Chapter 43

Myles

As I watched Isla walk towards the kitchen, I couldn't help but think how happy I was to be here. Unable to see Isla this last week made things miserable. Both our schedules kept us swamped. I couldn't believe how much I missed her. I missed having her sleeping beside me, how she walked around in the morning like a zombie, her insistence on picking a movie to watch in bed before falling asleep ten minutes in.

All of these little things left a gaping hole making my life feel so hollow now. Seeing her in person, getting to hold her in my arms again soothed an ache in me I wasn't even aware existed. She was a balm to my soul and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to stay away from her.

"This is a nice vintage. You trying to buy my favor boy?" Charlie asked, looking at me sternly.

"Not at all, I just remembered you had a preference for red wine and was told this was a particularly good one to pair with dessert." I answered honestly.

"Have you been to Isla's bakery yet?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, it's incredible she's done an amazing job with it. Wes, she said you helped her with a lot of it right?" Wes nodded, his eyes pinging between his dad and me.

"How do you feel about the hours she works? Especially aroundthe holidays when she's working from dawn to dusk." Charlie fired back, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I don't like seeing her so tired, I worry that she's not taking proper care of herself when she gets that busy but I understand how important the bakery is to her. With the hotel, holidays cause peaks in hours for us too so it's definitely an aspect of the business that I'm familiar with. There are days or even weeks when my hours will increase two fold depending on what we have going on at the hotel. I think we're both doing a good job of working around our schedules to make sure we have enough time to spend together."

"Have you been to her new apartment?" He was hitting me with rapid fire questions now, gauging my responses and expressions closely.

Finally, I understood. Any man attempting to scam a woman into being with him would have a prepared answer for the question'What are your intentions?' But only someone who truly cared would pay close attention to a woman's likes, dislikes, goals and dreams. Charlie wanted to make sure I wasn't another Jonathan. Since I truly adored Isla, answering was easy.

"Yes, it's a nice space and you got her a sweet TV setup, that being said the whole apartment needs moreIslain it. We've been spending most weekends looking around trying to find some pieces she likes, once I saw the bakery I knew there was no way she could be settled at her new place. It feels almost sterile once you really get to know her. Except for the kitchen, it's always fully stocked." We laughed at that and some of the tension eased out of the group.

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