Watching Mike for his reaction. True to form, there was none.
Amber sighed. “Okay, I’m leaving you men alone. You can catch up while I go see if I have enough to pull dinner together for the whole family before you take Jason to Boston.”
“Sounds like a plan—” Before he could say anything more, the doorbell rang.
“Good God, what now?” Mike muttered.
“I’ll handle it,” Amber said, wanting to ease his stress.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “No, you will not. You’re supposed to be in hiding.”
She didn’t think the person at the door would be looking for her, but she didn’t want to add to the tension. “Okay, then I’ll make myself scarce. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
“I’m going, too.” Jason rose to his feet. “But not into the kitchen, in case whoever’s at the door ends up in there. I really don’t want another living, breathing soul seeing me here. This is way more than I bargained for. Come keep my company,” he said to Amber.
“Okay, the kitchen can wait.”
He walked to where she stood. “Let’s go get better acquainted.” He placed his hand on the small of her back in a gentlemanly gesture. “After you,” he said.
With a shrug, she nodded.
As they headed down the hall, Mike’s voice traveled after them. “
Hey, cousin, keep your hands to yourself.”
Jealousy, Amber thought to herself, surprised. She bit the inside of her cheek and grinned, enjoying the ray of hope that little gesture implied.
WHEN MIKE ANSWERED the doorbell, he found Jason’s father, Thomas, and Derek’s father, Hank, on the other side.
Uncle Hank was ornery and full of bluster and dressed casually without much care.
Not Thomas. Of all the brothers, he was the most rational when it came to the curse and also the one who cared most about appearances. His khakis were always clean and pressed, his white collared shirt starched.
Both men stood at Edward’s door. Neither had been welcome in decades. At least not according to Edward.
“Uncle Thomas, Uncle Hank, come on in!” Join the party, Mike thought wryly.
The men stepped inside, waited until Mike shut the door behind him. “Where’s my son?” Thomas asked.
Mike raised an eyebrow.
“Come on, Michael. I know he’s here. He told me himself. I drove in circles to make sure nobody followed me. My car’s around back.”
“I just want to see the ladies,” Hank said. “Gotta make sure they’re behaving and keeping their men happy.”
Mike merely shook his head. “They’re in the kitchen, Uncle Hank. Uncle Thomas, follow me.” He led his uncle back toward the bedrooms.
The sound of Amber’s laughter told him which room they’d chosen. His. His and Amber’s. A bolt of jealousy hit him in the stomach hard.
He was jealous of his own cousin. Again. For no rational reason other than he wanted to know he had Amber all to himself. Which he did, thanks to a marriage license he wanted to invalidate. Mike’s stomach churned. He wasn’t rebelling against the notion, he was hungry. Right.
Uncle Thomas stepped through the bedroom doorway with Mike right behind him.
“Jason!” the older man said, pulling his son into a bear hug.
“Hey, Dad.” Jason patted his father on the back. “I’m so sorry—”
“Do not apologize. We both know you didn’t do anything wrong and you’ll prove it.”