Page 111 of Perfect Pairing
“Why is Ezra Wendt using my kitchen to make pizza?” Dad asked Saturday evening when he walked into the house. He, Cal, Owen, and Logan had been out ice fishing in the bay, his cheeks bright red over the edges of his dark beard. The scent of fish layered over the fresh, cold air that clung to him. Even Rik and Hansen had gone, and Hansen rushed through the door with a brief greeting to me before beelining for the kitchen and his father. The rest of the guys followed, heading straight for the blend of pizza sauce and baking crust wafting from that direction.
“Because he wanted to do something nice for the family to show his appreciation.”
“Right,” my dad snorted. “It has nothing to do with the fact that you guys have been seeing each other and he’s trying to get into my good graces.”
My mouth gaped as I stared at my father. “How do you know?”
My dad pursed his lips. “Please, Brie,” he said, waving a hand. “I know everything that happens on this peninsula.”
“Not everything,” I mumbled under my breath. If he did—if he had any idea of all the ways the men we’d welcomed into our family had used his daughters’ bodies… Well, they’d already be dead.
“And you’re forgetting he told me he wanted the chance to pursue something with you.”
“Well, he did,” I confirmed.
“And is he treating you well?”
“The best.”
Dad squeezed my shoulder then hauled me in and dropped a kiss atop my head. “That’s all I can ask for.”
Male laughter echoed from the kitchen, and a moment later, the cavalry of my sisters appeared from the den, heading for the sound.
I hooked a thumb over my shoulder. “Guess I better go see what all the fuss is about.”
My parents’ house had always been full of noise. With five girls, one opinionated mother, and one larger-than-life father, there was always plenty of conversation and laughter.
But to walk into the kitchen and find not only my sisters, but our significant others as well, to be presented with the physical portrait of our growing families… My heart swelled almost painfully in my chest. Inexplicably, tears pricked my eyes. I loved my sisters, and I loved their husbands and boyfriends for loving them.
I loved Ezra most of all.
And Hansen—god, I adored that little boy. He was whip smart, hilarious in that kid way of his, and had a heart three times the size of his little body. He wove himself so seamlessly into the family. My mother fawned over him, my dad was obviously excited to have a little boy running around, and my sisters were patient and attentive when he wanted to share some rambling story about a project he was working on in school or talk all about action figures and superheroes.
In addition, Rik got along great with my parents, which made it that much easier when everyone converged on their house foroccasions like this.
My sisters and I were finding our people and slowly knitting our lives together, weaving our significant others into the tapestry of the Delatou legacy.
“I caught a fish that was this big!” Hansen exclaimed, spreading his arms as wide as they would go. “Papa had to help me haul it out of the water.”
Ezra’s brows rose as he said, “Wow, bud! That’s amazing!” Over Hansen’s head, Ezra glanced at his dad, who held his hands apart in a more accurate and modest approximation of the fish Hansen caught.
“He’s quite the perch whisperer,” Logan said with a chuckle, ruffling Hansen’s hair.
“I want to be a professional fisherman when I grow up,” Hansen said, beaming at Logan’s compliment.
Rik approached his grandson and squeezed his shoulder. “You can be whatever you want,Älskling.”
Hansen only grinned wider, and my heart expanded with it.
These Wendt men were my family now, and I was made for days like this, when the people I loved most were gathered around me, happy and healthy.
At last, I wove my way through the men until I reached Ezra’s side. He paused, placing toppings on one pizza before tugging me into his embrace, planting a kiss atop my head.
“I talked to my dad,” I said conversationally.
“And?”
I shrugged. “He already gave you his blessing. He’s happy for us.” I let my eyes sweep the room then looked up at him. “Everyone is happy for us.”
