Undeniable Demands ( Secrets of Eden 1)
Tori’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, no,” she insisted. Wade would think she’d deliberately done this. He’d make her miserable, glaring accusingly at her across the table all night. “I couldn’t possibly intrude on your family dinner.”
“Nonsense. Come up to the big house Monday night around five. We’ll eat about six, but I want you to get there in time to meet everyone.”
“Everyone?” What had Tori gotten herself into?
“It’s just me and Ken and the kids. You’ll get to meet my other boys. Brody will come up from Boston. He runs a software company. Xander is a congressman, so he’s flying back from D.C. Heath, my youngest, will be up from Manhattan. He owns an advertising agency. And my daughter, Julianne, will be home from Long Island. She has a sculpting studio and art gallery in the Hamptons. I’m so excited. I only get them all together once a year. Christmas is a big deal for our family.”
Holy crap. Molly made them sound wonderful, but Tori wondered if she wasn’t wandering into a trap. How many of them knew about Wade’s plans? Would she have his four siblings staring her down, as well? Tori didn’t know if she could refuse three powerful CEOs and a congressman if they ganged up on her. She couldn’t help imagining herself being slipped a roofie in her eggnog, waking up hog-tied in the basement and being forced to sign over her property.
“Really, thank you, but I already have plans.” It wasn’t technically a lie. She had planned to eat chicken soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while watching old Christmas movies on DVD. Not good plans, but plans. Hopefully it was enough to appease the older woman.
Molly arched an elegant eyebrow at her. “I have seen your camper, dear. It’s really lovely, but I can’t imagine you putting together much more than a peanut butter sandwich and a can of soup in there.”
Tori smiled. “How did you know what I was having?”
“Oh, Lordy,” Molly wailed, dramatically getting up from her chair. “You’re coming over for dinner, and that’s final.”
Tori trailed behind her, tossing her cup and napkin into the trash. She had to admit the idea of some real, home-cooked holiday food was tempting. But she would pay for it later. Wade would see to that. She could see that he got his stubbornness from his mother. The determined glint in Molly’s light green eyes left no room for negotiation. Surely Wade would understand his mother was a force of nature.
“Can I bring anything?” Tori had no clue what she could possibly contribute, but her mother had raised her to at least be polite enough to offer.
Molly tried to hide her smile behind her hand and then shook her head. “Not at all. I’ll have everything we need. Just bring your darling self, and we’ll be waiting for you.”
Tori nodded and walked to the cash register to pay for her wreath. She had no doubt Wade would be waiting for her Monday night. Armed and ready for battle.
Four
Tori couldn’t make herself go inside the Edens’ house. She felt stupid. It was the most unintimidating place she’d ever seen. The old white two-story home was lit with clear icicle lights, and each shutter-framed window had a wreath and candle gracing it. The two short columns that flanked the three stairs leading up to the front door were wrapped with garland and more lights. She could hear Christmas music and laughter from inside. Golden light shone through the downstairs windows and onto the snow.
It was beautiful. Welcoming. The kind of house you wanted to go caroling to because you knew the owners would give you hot cocoa and cookies.
But there was no walking up the steps. Instead, she stood there freezing, clutching the potted poinsettia she’d brought as a hostess gift.
This was a mistake. She just knew it. Tori had spent the past few hours pacing in her Airstream, trying to think of a way to get out of coming tonight. And when she wasn’t pacing, she was looking around at her empty trailer, considering whether she really preferred to watch sentimental old black-and-white Christmas movies and feast alone on peanut butter and chicken soup.
It was Christmas Eve, a day of family and celebration and community. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quick to make friends, and small towns were notoriously hard to crack. The only people she knew in Cornwall were her real-estate lawyer, who was apparently best buddies with her enemy; Rose, the waitress at Daisy’s diner; and Wade and Molly. That made for a fairly unmerry Christmas this year if she turned down this invitation.