He remained standing in the doorway, not fully believing her. He had felt her distress outside, and with Kathleen present, he wasn’t sure if she was just lying to keep him calm. He knew Kathleen, and he actually liked her more than her daughters, but a mother would always protect her children first, and he didn’t want Isabelle hurt because of that. He turned slightly asLiamappeared beside him, his brow furrowed as he watched Sera pull away from Kathleenwithtears streaming down her face.Liamrelaxed and brushed past Stefan to enter the kitchen.
“Ah, here they both are,” Kathleen said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “And where’s the rest of the clan?”
As if on cue, Jack, David, Mike, and Doug appeared to say their goodbyes. Stefan walked into the kitchen and made his way over to Isabelle. She smiled sweetly at him as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Some of his tension eased as she melded against him. Kathleen quickly said goodbye to the stooges, hugging each of them tightly before she moved onto the twins. When she was done hugging everyone, and saying her goodbyes, she walked back over to grab her suitcases.
“You’d better treat her good Stefan. There’s a hell of a crew here that’ll kick your ass if you don’t!” she said laughingly.
“I will,” he said softly.
Kathleen lifted her suitcases and stood staring at them, a lost look on her pretty face. She sighed wearily and shook her head as she dropped her suitcases and spun toward Sera. Stefan stiffened slightly, it was glaringly obvious that Kathleen had more to say, and he was scared of what that might be. Instead of speaking, tears poured down her cheeks and she rushed back over to embrace Sera again. They hugged for a long time before Kathleen reluctantly pulled away, grabbed hold of her suitcases, and hurried from the room.
Liamwalked over to Sera and pulled her tightly against him. Everyone silently left the room to give them some privacy. They headed down the back steps to the group gathered in the backyard. Some of Ian’s old highschool friends, and some of his college friends, had come for the party. They were gathered by the volleyball net, leisurely batting the ball back and forth as they waited for more people to join.
“Let’s play,” Isabelle said eagerly.
Stefan raised a dark brow in amusement as she smiled up at him, her violet eyes bright with happiness. He couldn’t refuse her anything, and she knew it. She seized hold of his hand and pulled him to the volleyball net. He stiffened as he noticed the lustful stares directed her way, his eyes narrowedwarningly on the overeager men. They stared back at him for a moment before quickly lowering their gazes. She squeezed his hand reassuringly as she stopped next to Ian, and the stooges walked over to join them.
“Do you have chosen teams for volleyball too?” Stefan asked.
“Of course,” Jack replied. “Same as football, except I don’t thinkLiamwill be back for awhile. You can take his place on David’s team, and Kyle can play again.”
Isabelle scrunched her face as Stefan dropped a quick kiss on her forehead and moved to the other side of the net. Kyle came eagerly forward, happy to be included in the game again. She watched him for a moment, a soft smile playing over her mouth as he bounced eagerly on the balls of his feet. Looking at him now it was hard to believe that he had been at deaths door only days before, and she was extremely grateful that he was still with them now.
Casting Stefan a soft, grateful smile, she moved to the end of the line, taking the ball from Ethan as she prepared to serve. The game moved quickly by in a blur of laughter, and pains. Kyle received a bloody nose, Ian sprained his finger, Ethan was mumbling about a groin muscle, and David and Mike got the wind knocked out of them when they both charged the net in an attempt to spike the ball.
Stefan enjoyed watching Isabelle as she played. She was fluid and graceful, an easy smile on her face as she laughed and joked with everyone. He returned the secret, soft smiles she gave him, as his mind continuously brushed against hers, sending wicked, meaningful messages to her. He forced her to mess up morethan a few times while servingand she had returned the favor in kind.
However, it wasn’t just Isabelle that was causing him to enjoy the day so much, it was the whole atmosphere. He had felt welcomed by them before, but for the first time he felt truly accepted. As if they were actually his family too. Which, he realized, they were now. With Isabelle, came all of her siblings, her parents, and the stooges. With Isabelle came the family that he had lost long ago, and never expected to have again.
He wiped the sweat from his brow as the game ended with David’s team,histeam, winning the best two out of three. Mike’s team, including Isabelle, were all scowling unhappily as they moved over to join them on the other side of the net. “We’re going to have to redo the teams now that Stefan’s here,” Jack mumbled as he pulled his T-shirt back on.
“Kyle’s old enough to become a permanent member.” Kyle’s chest puffed out as he straightened his shoulders. “And with Ian and Aiden gone most of the time, we can just put him on David’s team,” Ethan said.
“Liamand Stefan are not staying on the same team!” Mike protested.
Lighthearted banter broke out as they made their way back to the picnic tables. Stefan wrapped his arm around Isabelle’s waist,pullingher tight against his side. She grinned up at him as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “What if I take Isabelle?” David asked.
“No way!” she cried, her head jerking up. “I’ve been on Mike’s team since I was twelve years old!”
“Don’t worryIssy, you’re not getting traded,” Mike assured her.“Why doesn’t Stefan join our team?”
“Are you insane?” Doug cried. “He’s the only one that can catch her!”
“And we all know that she can catch him,” Jack replied with a grin and a wink.
Isabelle laughed as she rested her head against his shoulder again. His arm around her waist was warm and secure. She could no longer remember what it was that she had been so afraid of with him. “Why don’t we argue about this later?” Ian demanded. “It’s my party, and I say it’s time for a little fun.”
Isabelle lifted her head from Stefan’s shoulder to grin at him. “Weren’t we already having fun?” she asked.
“You know what I meanIssy,”he said with a grin.
She knew exactly what he meant. “You’d better go get your friends,” Jack told him.
“They’ll follow us. Ready forone ofour family traditions,Stefan?”
“If someone would tell me what it is,” he replied.
They flashed bright grins as they looked quickly at one another. “Who’s going first?” Mike asked.
