He kissed the top of my head and gave me a squeeze before releasing me. “Missed you.”
“You too.”
“We wouldn’t have to miss you if you didn’t work so hard.” Mum was at our side now, waiting her turn for a cuddle.
At her disapproving tone, I frowned. “Eh, and for whom am I working so hard?”
“I don’t ask you to work so hard you have no life.” She reached up to cup my face in her palms, studying the features no one could deny I’d inherited from her. Other than my dad’s height and pale blue eyes, Jocelyn Carmichael’s dominant genes were stamped all over me. Same eye shape, same nose, same mouth, same hair, same skin tone. I was her mini me. Except I was taller. I’d sprouted past Mum at fifteen and hadn’t let her forget it.
“I have a life, shortie.” I took her hands in mine gently to remove them from my face. “I have a successful business.”
“That’s not all there is to life.” Mum pursed her full lips, studying me. “You look tired. I’m worried about you. You knowwhen you got that flat, we thought we’d see more of you, not less.”
Irritation burned in my chest. “Gee, did Luke get this interrogation when he arrived?” I gestured to where my brother sat with my wee sister. Elle gave me a sympathetic wave, and I took that opportunity to head over to her. I smiled at my cousins Sophia and Jarrod. Jarrod was Elle’s age, and Sophia was seventeen. Because of their close ages, the three of them were good friends beyond being cousins. Sliding my arm around Elle, I kissed her temple. “Hey, baby girl.”
Elle gave me a one-armed hug. “Hey, you. You okay?”
“I’m fine.” I studied her pretty face. While Luke was a younger version of Dad, down to his Roman nose and cleft chin, and I was a younger version of Mum (except for the color of my eyes), Elle was more of a mix of our parents. She had long dark hair and Mum’s gray eyes and a slightly more subtle cleft chin than my brother and dad. “How’s school?”
Elle shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s there.”
I turned to Mum who’d slipped back onto a stool next to Aunt Ellie. Smiling at Ellie’s conspiratorial wink, I reluctantly turned my attention to Mum. “I see our kid is as interested in school as ever.”
“Our kid?” Mum gestured between her and Dad. “You had no hand in making her.”
“I helped raise her.”
Mum quirked an imperious eyebrow. “Dowereally think so?”
“Sheis here.” Elle shoved me playfully. “And I’m doing fine in school. Just because I’m not type A like you doesn’t mean I’m not getting through.”
“Getting through,” I muttered under my breath. Envy scored through me at her blasé attitude. Sauntering across the kitchen, I smiled to my aunts and approached Grandma Elodie. Shestopped stirring the frying pan where all the amazing smells were coming from and turned to greet me.
“Beth.” Grandma Elodie drew me into a hug. Like Aunt Ellie, she was tall, and we were almost equally matched as we embraced. She smelled of wildflowers and the spices from the fajitas she was making with Dad. “I didn’t know if you were coming.”
Guilt flashed through me. “Sorry I’ve missed the last few Sundays. It’s been hectic.”
“You do too much,” Grandpa Clark said from the island.
“Hi, Grandpa. How’s retirement treating you?”
“Retirement?” He quirked an eyebrow as he turned to Grandma Elodie. “I don’t think your grandmother knows I’m retired. I get a list of tasks to complete every morning.”
“Pfft.” She waved a wooden spoon at him. “It keeps you busy.”
Chuckling, I then greeted my uncles Adam and Marco, and then slid my arm around Mum’s shoulders before stealing a sip of her wine.
“You want a glass?” Dad asked as he chopped peppers.
“I’ll get it.” Hannah popped up off her stool to pour me one.
“Thanks.”
Mum slid an arm around my waist, pulling me into her side. I glanced down at her and tensed at the worry that hadn’t unwrinkled from her brow. “You really do need to start taking better care of yourself.”
“I’m too busy taking care of you and a million other clients,” I joked.
“Beth—”
