He could picture it so easily, the two of them making a family, making a baby, and having fun working on making that baby.
He had to contain the laugh as he wondered if Mara burst into song in bed. What kind of sounds did she make as she shattered?
Seth forced his mind off sex as Mara passed him the turkey platter. Not the time or place to be imagining her shouting out his name while he was buried inside her.
He stabbed the meat with more force than necessary and then passed the dish to Dani on his other side.
He was surrounded by gorgeous women here, but none of them piqued his interest like Ford’s little sister. Obviously, the others were taken, but it wouldn’t have mattered if they were all single.
It appeared his body and his brain craved a little Chaos, something he would never have expected.
Maybe it was the baby talk filling the room. Or the happy couples. Even the two current kids who lived at the farm added to the mood.
Family.
He hadn’t had family around him for a very long time. Cancer had taken his parents within months of each other. Their deaths had changed him. Made him realize he hated the squabbling in Perfection’s kitchen. He’d wanted to do something meaningful with his life, so he’d signed up for the army.
And found another kind of family. A family he’d figured to remain with until retirement.
Then the IED had taken that option away from him, along with Maki’s life before it had really begun.
The touch on his leg almost made Seth flinch. He knew it was Mara before his body reacted.
Her huge eyes studied him. “Okay?”
He nodded. She studied him some more before she returned the nod. When she removed her hand, he wanted to grab it and put it back. Better, put his own on hers.
He didn’t have the right; he shouldn’t want the right.
Ford’s little sister was far too attractive for Seth’s peace of mind. He should shut down the attraction, but it was too strong, or he was too hooked, because he didn’t think his resolve to stay away from her would last.
Not when she looked at him with her heart in her eyes.
“I didn’t think turnips and apples would go together, Seth.”
Charlie’s voice broke into his thoughts, and Seth turned to face the eleven-year-old. “Half the fun of cooking is playing with different foods to find out what works.”
The kid grinned at him. “We’re doing that with the cider, too. Do you think turnips would work with apple cider?”
Seth shuddered. “That sounds truly terrible, but you don’t know for sure until you try it.”
The kid cracked up, making everyone else around the table grin. Charlie was constantly curious and asked more questions than anyone Seth had met.
“Will you taste test it with me once I figure it out?”
“Sure thing, kid. Experimenting is fun.”
Charlie turned to Mara. “Do you like experimenting, too?”
Unsurprisingly, Chaos Machine nodded. “Absolutely. I love creating new things, but I love making old favorites, too.”
Ford grinned across the table. “When Mara was in first grade, her cupcakes were the hit of the school bake sale. Other than using the oven, she did them all by herself.”
Mara’s skin flushed while her eyes sparkled. “One of the best things about having so many older brothers was that there was always someone willing to help me out in the kitchen when I couldn’t reach the things I needed.”
Ford nodded. “We were all thrilled to have someone who liked to bake. The rest of us can cook without poisoning anyone, but none of us bakes.”
Charlie looked between them. “I’d like to learn how to do all that.”
