Holding hands, they headed to the kitchen and noticed the scents at the same time.
Seth squeezed her hand. “Bacon, eggs, fried potatoes. Maybe pancakes.”
She nodded. “Bread rising and apple muffins, too, I think.”
Which meant the others weren’t upset with her for sleeping in. They were taking care of her and Seth.
When they swung into the kitchen, her eyes instantly filled with tears. Happy ones. Grateful ones.
Seth’s arm moved around her waist and squeezed. “Family. We’ve got a family.”
Ford strode across the room and pulled Mara in for a long hug. “You doing okay?”
She nodded. “I am.”
When he let her go, the others took their turns, hugging her and Seth. Even the bodyguards had remained. While they didn’t hug her, they all shook her hand and Seth’s. They expressed how glad they were that things hadn’t escalated further the previous night.
Soon, everyone sat around the dining room tables, grouped into one large enough to seat them all. Neither she nor Seth was allowed to help.
Amber leaned down to hug them both again. “I’m so relieved you’re okay. I’ve been pestering you to take days off every week, but please don’t go to these extremes to do it.”
Gray slapped Seth on the back. “I’ve got the evening meal covered. It’ll just be family. We don’t have guests until nearer the weekend.”
After they ate, the bodyguards left, thanked everyone again, and waved off Amber’s offer of a free night or a discount because of the fuss.
Kadek grinned. “We’re glad we could support you, but the team you’ve got here is as good as any I’ve seen. Take care, everyone. Call if you need us. Any time.”
And they were gone, leaving the apple farm family around the table.
Mara swallowed the lump in her throat. “Thank you. All of you. We’re so grateful for everything you did last night.”
Seth hugged her. “We are. Kadek is right. We make a hell of a team. Sorry, Charlie. A heck of a team.”
The boy laughed. “I’ve heard the word before, Babs. Dad says there are times when a curse word is the only one that’ll do.”
Nash groaned, while everyone else laughed. Olivia patted Nash. “But those times are few and far between, right?”
Charlie grinned and rolled his eyes. “That’s what he says.”
The laughter eased the tension in the room. Charlie was good at that. Ella too. She imagined the baby Amber carried would add to the whole family vibe.
She craved a child of her own. Being a mom wasn’t something she’d given much thought to in the past. Now, she wanted a mini-Seth with those hazel eyes and that innate kindness. Or a little girl who’d grow up fierce, and know how to stand up for herself.
How would Seth feel about starting a family?
His fingers traced circles over her arm, and he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Whatever you’re thinking, I’m in.”
“What?”
He grinned. “I see the future in your eyes, Mara. And I’m in. All in.”
Grinning, she kissed him lightly. “Me too. It’s going to be great.”
Seth held Mara’s hand as she finished recounting the evening’s events for Marcus. He was proud of the way she’d told the tale. Honest, straightforward, and with compassion for MacNeil.
Hearing her version of waking up alone and afraid in the storage room had filled him with rage again.
Then she’d talked about how sorrow and helplessness had consumed Blake. Her compassion triggered his own.
