Page 33 of Playing with Trouble

“Hey, everyone, Ford is here,” Laney announced, her voice infused with excitement.“And he brought someone with him.”

That caught everyone’s attention, and all the adults’ eyes landed on me.An older couple and another woman who was clearly Laney’s twin—same face, shorter hair—came over to meet me.

“And who is this?”the older woman asked, who had the same warm eyes as Ford and had to be his mother.

“Violet,” Laney said, grinning.“Ford’s girlfriend.”

“Oh my goodness.”The woman swept me straight into a hug before I could brace myself for the affectionate embrace.“It’s so lovely to meet you.I’m Maggie, and this is Landon.”

The man beside her, who I assumed was Ford’s father, offered his hand.Ford had mentioned on the drive over that his dad was a retired Army colonel.His handshake was firm, his whole stance calm and composed, though his tone was friendly and kind as he welcomed me to their home.

The other twin side-eyed Ford, who was now standing beside me.“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” she said, pursing her lips at her brother before letting them soften into a grin when she looked at me.“I’m Liza.The man in the pool with the baby on his lap is my husband Blake, and that’s Dylan, our one year old with him.That’s our daughter, Emma,” she said, pointing to a cute girl swimming with floaties on her arms.“And the birthday boy, Kevin, is around here somewhere…”

“And the man in charge of the barbecue is mine, Brian,” Laney cut in, continuing with introductions as her husband gave me a friendly wave from his post flipping hamburgers.“And Erica, the girl with the pigtails splashing everybody in the pool, is ours.”

“It’s so nice to meet you all,” I said honestly, though inside I felt like a fraud.

They were all lovely people, and I couldn’t have fit in less if I’d tried.Everyone was so warm and open, the kind of family who laughed easily and welcomed me in without hesitation.Standing in the middle of all that easy affection, I felt like an imposter, even as some secret part of me ached to belong, which was averydangerous thing for me to feel.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” Maggie said, tucking her arm into mine and gently pulling me away from Ford, my only safety net in this situation.“Tell me a little about yourself, Violet.”

Panic rippled through me.What was I supposed to say?That my parents were a disaster and now both dead, that I grew up in thrift-store shoes with holes in the soles, that I’d spent most of my adult life keeping my brother out of trouble while I dealt cards in a casino?Not exactly an impressive resume to dazzle a boyfriend’s parents.

“I, um, I like art,” I managed, staying away from the more unsavory parts of my life that didn’t exactly screammeet the parentsmaterial.

“Oh, that’s wonderful.I’ve been taking a watercolor class,” Maggie said brightly as she steered me toward Brian, at the barbeque.“When the kids finally moved out, I decided to actually enjoy some free time of my own.It’s been ten years now and sometimes I still wonder what to do with myself without kids underfoot.”

Maggie made it extremely easy to relax around her, and I smiled.“I’m sure they foist the grandkids on you as often as possible,” I said, falling into the rhythm of the conversation, despite myself.

“And I’m more than happy to take them.”Maggie said, and it was clear she adored her grandchildren.“Of course they’re a handful and exhausting,” she added with a light laugh.“But I can always rest later.These years with them, well, you can’t get them back.I felt the same way about Laney, Liza, and Ford when they were young.”

I swallowed hard, caught between envy and admiration.It was so different from the world I’d grown up in.A mother who wanted to be there.Who showed up for her children.“That’s…really nice,” I said softly, hoping she wouldn’t hear how raw my voice suddenly sounded.

“Family isn’t a burden, it’s a blessing, I say,” she said as we walked up to the grill, where she addressed her son-in-law.“Brian, would you mind fixing Violet a plate?”

Brian grinned at me as he adjusted the hot dogs on the grill.“Hey, Violet.Great to meet you.Ford doesn’t usually bring anyone around family gatherings, so this is a nice surprise.”

“Oh, leave him be,” Maggie said with a laugh, swatting Brian’s arm.“Ford’s never been one to rush anything.I knew he’d bring around the right woman when the time was right.”

Their easy banter made my stomach twist.These people clearly adored Ford, and here I was letting them believe I was something I wasn’t.The guilt of that pricked at me, even as I smiled and nodded like I belonged.He deserved their pride, their joy, their excitement over him finally bringing someone home, and I hated that I was part of a lie.

While Brian and Maggie conversed, my gaze sought out Ford and found him already standing by the edge of the pool, shirtless with his swim trunks low on his hips, tossing his older niece and nephew into the water while they shrieked with laughter.

He was sexy at the club in his dom role, for sure, but this was a different kind of masculine appeal with the sunlight on his tanned skin, hair damp and disheveled, and muscles flexing as he hefted the kids into the air.He was relaxed and playful, and everything about him stole my breath and made heat curl low in my belly before I could stop it.

“Well, you’ve made my day, Violet,” Brian said, bringing my attention back to him.“Now maybe my wife will stop with the matchmaking attempts.”

“Ford told me about that,” I said quickly, grateful I could speak the truth about something.“He mentioned they’ve tried setting him up.Blind dates, right?”

Brian nodded, and rolled his eyes.“I told them both not to interfere, but you know how siblings can be.”

“I do,” I said, smiling.“I’ve got three of them.”

“Three siblings?”Maggie chimed in.“That’s wonderful.”

“Yes, I have one older sister and then Andrea, and my younger brother Christopher.”

More laughter erupted from the pool area, and I glanced back in that direction to see Ford now in the water, lifting the young girl onto his shoulders while one of his nephews clung to his arm, both demanding more of his attention.My chest tightened in a way I wasn’t prepared for.He was so good with them.