Signing into the DNA website’s account, she clicked on her DNA matches from the tab at the top and stared at the two names that came up. One was for a close relative, and one was a first or second cousin match. It was way more than she’d expected. Holy smokes. She reminded herself to breathe. Their profiles showed their first names, and a blue head, meaning they were both male.
A close relative match meant aunt or uncle, grandparent, niece or nephew, or possibly even a half brother or sister. There was a lot of wiggle room there, but with the messaging system, she could introduce herself and together they could try to figure out how they were related. The close relative’s name was Garrett. She sent him a quick message, letting him know she lived in Phoenix, and giving him what little information she had on her family tree.
Then she went to her cousin’s profile and did the same.
She sat back and breathed slowly in and out, trying to relax her shoulders. She had done everything she could, and now it was out of her hands.
There was a knock at the door, and she jumped up from her desk chair, glancing at the time. Shoot. That had to be Dillon. They were driving to his family’s Sunday dinner together, and her hair and makeup wasn’t done.
She ran to let him in before sprinting back and closing her computer screen. She wasn’t hiding anything. Not really. She just wasn’t ready to share what she’d found with him yet.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeppers. I just lost track of the time. Am I going to make us late?”
“There’s not a set time. I’ll hang out on your couch until you’re ready, okay?”
She ran into her bathroom and prepped as quickly as possible, ducking out occasionally to glance at Dillon, who had picked up the paperback of Twilight he’d found on her bookshelf and started reading.
“You can borrow it,” she offered when she was finally ready and came out to tug him off the couch.
He set it down. “Nah, I’ll pick up where I left off the next time I’m over.”
“What do you think?”
He glanced back at the book. “I’m not sure I understand the attraction girls have to vampires.”
“It’s the appeal of a forbidden romance. He’s dangerous. It’s taking the bad boy thing to a whole new level.”
“Ah-ha.”
“But in this one, he’s like this wholesome, noble gentleman, so it’s twisting the genre on its head.”
They discussed the bad boy versus wholesome gentleman thing the whole walk to his truck, which was highly entertaining, if a little bit like poking at a weakness Lina would rather not dwell on. She knew her own affinity for bad boys had gotten her in trouble before. After all, she’d followed one to Phoenix. The relationship hadn’t lasted long, but she ended up liking it here and stayed.
The nervousness about heading to Dillon’s family’s dinner didn’t set in until they were well on their way. What would his brothers think about them faking a relationship? She had a feeling they would all have a good laugh, but she wanted to be taken seriously for once.
“What kind of cake did you bring?” Dillon asked, glancing over at the cake container sitting on the bench seat next to her.
“Wouldn’t you like to know. I think you told Rick I was bringing cake for your own special motives.”
Dillon laughed. “It just popped out of my mouth. I swear. But yeah, I really like your desserts. Is that so wrong?”
“Not at all.” She snuggled against his side, enjoying the whir of the heater and the clean scent of him.
Her thoughts turned back to her relative matches, recalling what she’d written to introduce herself and what they might say in response. She wondered where they lived. As far as she knew, her parents met at college in California, but that didn’t mean her father’s family was from there.
“You okay?” he asked.
She realized she’d been quiet for a few minutes.
“Yeah, I’m great. Why?”
He shrugged. “I’m sorry I don’t talk more.”
“I’m sorry I talk so much that when I don’t, you worry.”
His eyebrows furrowed as he stared out at the road. “If something bothered you about me, would you tell me?”
