Kat accepted the box, but the line between her brows deepened with thought as she eyed the sizable package. “Why would she give me a dress? Or anything at all for that matter? We’ve never even met before.”
“Well, that’s true, but Jade is technically new to the family, too. I don’t know if you follow the news, but she and my sister Morgan were switched at birth as part of some kidnapping and ransom scheme. Jade is my biological sister, but no one knew it until recently. When she heard about your situation, she told me she wanted to help out. She knows what it’s like to walk into a room of Steeles as a stranger.”
Kat carried the box over to the coffee table. “That’s sweet of her. But why a dress? I have clothes. Is she worried I’m going to show up to this thing in cutoffs and flip-flops?”
“No, of course not. But she knows you’re expecting. And I mentioned how you’d complained about your nice clothes not fitting at Morgan’s wedding. Really, I don’t know why. I didn’t ask. She just gave me a box. It’s her way of welcoming you to the family, I guess.”
“I suppose I should be happy that someone is welcoming me,” Kat muttered, as she opened the lid to expose the tissue-wrapped outfit inside.
It was coral-colored lace, and when she held it up, Sawyer could see why his sister had chosen it. It would flatter Kat’s new curves nicely with its high waist, plunging V-neckline, and hem that would fall just above her knee. Her shapely calves would be on display all afternoon, and he couldn’t complain about that. He was undoubtedly a leg man.
“This is beautiful,” she said. “And just the right size. How did she know?”
He shrugged. He wouldn’t even begin to guess what size a woman wore. It was a losing game for a man anyway, so he chose not to play. “She saw you hit me at the wedding reception and took a guess. She has an eye for clothes.”
“I’ll have to tell her thank-you when I see her at the party.” Kat folded the dress and placed it neatly back inside the box.
“So you’re coming?”
Kat sighed and sat back on her sofa. “I don’t suppose I can say no or I’ll be starting off on the wrong foot with Finn’s family. Your family,” she added, with a wistful look in her eye he didn’t understand. “I wish it wasn’t such a big, public spectacle, though.”
“That’s better, really.” Sawyer sat on the sofa beside her. “There will be a lot of people there and the focus won’t be on you. It will be on Grandma Ingrid. You’ll be able to mingle and meet people, but you won’t be trapped in the dining room with the immediate family grilling you over dinner.”
Sawyer had been witness to one such family dinner in recent memory. His older brother, Tom, had brought home a woman to meet the family. He’d seriously been considering proposing to her. But watching her melt to a puddle under the scrutiny had changed his brother’s mind. If she couldn’t handle dinner, she couldn’t handle being a Steele.
“Okay, I guess. What time?”
“Three o’clock at the house.”
Kat nodded and picked up her phone to put the information into her digital calendar. “Is there anything else I should know?” she asked.
“I’d recommend wearing shoes that won’t sink into the lawn. And wear some good sunscreen and insect repellant. My parents have the yard sprayed, but it’s still summer in Charleston.”
Kat smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, but that’s not exactly what I meant.”
He was afraid of that. “What do you want to know?” he asked. “I’ll answer you as honestly as I’m able to.”
“Your parents... Finn told me he was going to tell them. Are they okay with this? I can’t imagine they took the news well.”
Sawyer sighed. “They didn’t. At least at first. My family has always been very focused on their public image. They’re getting better, though. I think my father has finally come to terms with the fact that we are all adults now, and the more he meddles in our lives, the worse it can make things.”
Kat’s lower lip trembled just slightly as she turned away and looked at the dress on the table. “So they hate me,” she said matter-of-factly.
Sawyer wanted to reach out to her. To brush his thumb across her lip and kiss her until she forgot about his parents and what they might think. In the end, that mattered very little. Not as much as seeing her smile again. He compromised with himself and instead reached out to place a comforting hand on her denim-clad knee. “No. They don’t hate you, Kat. They don’t know you. But they want to get to know you and see what kind of person you are.”
“They may not hate me, but they blame me for this. They think I’m just after their money and their name.”
“Again, they don’t know you. I’m sure they have their concerns, but they’re polite enough not to confront you with them. Their future grandchild is at stake. They want to like you, I promise. Honestly, in this situation they blame Finn. I’m sure they’re surprised it’s taken this long for something like this to happen.”
The frown line returned between her brows. It seemed to whenever he spoke about his brother. He understood her concern. She hadn’t said anything to him about Finn, but he could tell that his twin’s reputation bothered her. One night together wasn’t enough time to decide if someone is going to be a good parent or partner.
“Just be yourself, Kat. Come and meet everyone. It will be fine. You’ll get through Saturday and I’m sure it will be easier after that. My family isn’t that scary.”
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“You’re pretty scary.” Kat gave him a shady bit of side eye and a knowing smirk as she said the words. It was enough to make him pull away his hand.
“I am. As you will soon learn, Morgan is the princess, Tom’s the golden boy, Finn’s the fuck-up and I’m the hard-ass.” Sawyer stood and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Welcome to the family, Kat.”