“My brothers know better than to flirt with you.”
“Why? What did you tell them?”
“Nothing, but in my family, it’s often not necessary to say something out loud. They catch the drift quickly. The other twin set will also be there. They flew in yesterday.”
We arrive at our destination half an hour later. I’m mesmerized, hardly believing that we’re only seventy miles away from San Francisco. There is a thick forest beyond the double gates in front of us, an oasis of green tinted with brown.
“This place is huge, isn’t it?”
“It is.” He grins proudly.
The double gates open as soon as we approach, and we enter the woods. We drive on the paved road for a few minutes before the trees thin out and the edges of a clearing come into view.
In the distance, I spot a three-story house with a cream-colored facade and red tile roof. The sheer number of people milling in the garden in front of the house shocks me.
“How big is your family?”
“Dad has five brothers, Mom four. Everyone was busy making kids. We’re a big and crazy clan. You have been warned,” he says, before sliding out of the car. I follow suit, too excited to wait for him to open the door.
“Let’s go say hi to my parents first.”
I feel a tad ridiculous carrying the huge box in my hands, and I attract curious stares.
“Mom, Dad,” Sebastian says when we arrive in front of an older couple. He has his mother’s eyes, but his father’s strong bone structure. “This is Ava. She’s from New York and is working with us for a few months. She doesn’t know anyone around here, so I thought I’d introduce her to our crazy family.”
“Congratulations on your anniversary.” I blush at Sebastian’s introduction. “I bought you something.” I put the present on a nearby table, with a pile of other presents.
“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Mrs. Bennett says warmly.
“It’s my pleasure. I hope I won’t intrude too much today.”
“We’re happy to meet you, dear.” His mom pulls me into a hug. I’m surprised, but I welcome it, and hug her back as tightly. She smells so. . . motherly. Not just feminine, but motherly, as if the act of spreading love is deeply ingrained in her nature.
I absorb all of that. I received a lot of hugs from my mom, and I’ve missed the warmth of a mother figure so much since her death.
We chitchat for a while, and then his parents excuse themselves to mingle with other guests.
“Are you going to introduce me to everyone?” I ask.
“That’ll take the entire day. I’ll introduce you to my siblings.”
“It’s wonderful that you’re all here.”
“Yes. Speak of the devil. . .” He points to two men in front us, each holding a glass of whiskey.
“Ava, these are Daniel and Blake.”
“Fancy seeing you here,” Blake says, as if we’ve known each other forever.
“We’ve heard about you from Logan,” Daniel adds.
“The party brothers,” I say. “I saw you two at the launch party.”
“Oh, why didn’t you come talk to us?”
“You were busy talking to the press.”
“Someone has to,” Daniel says, unaffected. Blake raises his glass, as if drinking to Daniel’s words.