“Good. I need someone to kill.” Mark joined in the conversation as he entered the room.
“Hi, Uncle Mark. It’s about time you got here. I can’t wait to come spend the weekend with you and Aunt Emily,” Jasmine said and launched herself at her favorite uncle.
“It’s good to see you, squirt. What in the hell is this talk of you kissing boys?” he demanded, though his eyes were soft as he looked down at her. They had a close bond. Mark had a softer spot for Jasmine than any of the other nieces and nephews.
“I was just trying to prove a point to my parents about how disgusting it is to see old people smooching all the time. Not that you’ll help me, because you and Aunt Emily are just as bad. But, for some reason, it’s just not as gross catching the two of you.”
“That’s because I’m so much younger and better-looking than your old stuffed shirt of a father,” Mark said and puffed out his still-magnificent chest.
“You are still quite the looker, babe,” Emily said, joining them and giving him a brief kiss.
“Ugh. I’m going to find Uncle Alex. At least he has some manners,” Jasmine told them, then skipped away.
“Should I tell her that he’s currently hiding in the closet with Jessica?” Mark said with laughter.
“Nah, let her face even more trauma when she finds them,” Lucas answered.
Placing their arms around their wives, Lucas and Mark led them into the great room, where their huge family was gathering.
Over the past fifteen years, the Anderson family had certainly grown a lot larger. With Lucas marrying his beautiful wife Amy, and then Alex and Mark following in his steps, the clan had more than doubled in size.
When their Uncle George had come back to town with their four cousins, it had grown even more, especially as the cousins had married one by one, and then started having their own children.
The holidays were never quiet, and the home of their father, Joseph, was filled with love and laugher, just as he wanted it.
“Hey, Cousin, can you give me a hand? Isabelle is throwing a major fit, and you know how she adores you.”
Lucas laughed at the panicked look on Austin’s face. Isabelle, who was five years old now and an only child, was a holy terror. Lucas adored her.
“Of course. She just needs her Uncle Lucas,” he said confidently
“Thank you,” Austin said in relief. “I swore up and down to Kinsey that I had everything under control. I don’t know how she manages to keep everything running so efficiently, but my hat’s off to that woman,” he said as the two of them walked out front, where Isabelle’s impressive vocal cords could be heard echoing from the front driveway.
Two of the employees were standing guard at the vehicle, but both looked as if they’d rather be flayed alive than reach into the car and try to get the screaming child out.
“Why is she so upset?” Lucas asked as they approached.
“I forgot her blankie,” Austin said, as if afraid the world would implode because Isabelle’s favorite pink blankie had been left behind.
“Ooh, I see how much trouble you’re in. It’s a good thing Uncle Lucas can make it all better.” Walking up to the large SUV, Lucas leaned in and smiled at a screaming Isabelle. “Hey, darling, did your daddy make you mad?”
She quieted as soon as she saw Lucas, and then the tears started in earnest as she looked pitifully up at him with her big blue eyes. She could already milk a situation for all it was worth.
“Daddy…for…forgot…my…blankie,” she sniffled in between sobbing hiccups.
“I’m sorry, baby. Let Uncle Lucas take you inside, ’cause I have a surprise for you,” he said.
She looked up at him with a bit of curiosity and her crying dimmed. Lucas could hear Austin sigh heavily behind him.
“Su…su…surprise?” she asked, still not sure whether she was willing to leave the car.
“Yes, surprise. But, only big girls get it.” That was all it took. Because she was the youngest of all the cousins, Isabelle’s major goal in life was to be a big girl.
Lucas knew that Grandma Katherine and Grandma Esther and all the children’s aunts and moms had spent all year making them new quilts. They’d used pieces of their newborn clothes and nursery blankets, and other cherished fabrics. Their grandmothers wanted to give these gifts to each of them on Thanksgiving, not Christmas, when the abundance of toys would make the quilts seem less special.
The women had all put their hearts into the project, and Lucas had a feeling it was going to become a family tradition for any new members of the family to receive one the year they were born.
While Lucas calmed Isabelle and Mark hunted Alex down to offer help in the sitting room, their new cousins began arriving. The entire family was happy to meet new kinfolk, and knew that Joseph, George and Richard were particularly jubilant.
As they rounded the corner, Lucas bumped into someone he hadn’t met yet.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he brought up his hand to protect Isabelle’s head.
“This house is huge, and I was admiring a painting, so wasn’t paying attention. I’m Crew Storm,” said the man, whose arm was around a petite blonde.
Lucas shifted Isabelle to his hip so he could shake Crew’s hand.
“Lucas Anderson. I’m one of your many cousins,” he replied.
“I’ve heard all about you, Lucas. It’s a pleasure to finally put a face to the name. This is my fiancée, Haley Sutherland.”
“Hello, Crew,” Amy said as she joined them. “Haley, would you like to join us women in the library?”
Lucas beamed at his wife. She always had a friendly smile for everyone, and he knew she would welcome his new family with open arms.
Haley gave Amy a tentative smile as she released Crew’s arm and followed Amy away.
“Congratulations, Cousin. She’s beautiful,” Lucas said and slapped him on the back. The two of them went to the playroom so they could hand off Isabelle to her grandmother and then go together for a cigar and a drink.
Meanwhile, Joseph, George and Richard sat in the den sipping cognac from crystal glasses as they enjoyed the warmth of the fire.
“Richard, I can’t even tell you how thankful I am this year that we’ve discovered a new brother. You are a person I’d call friend even if you weren’t blood,” Joseph said, his voice choking just the slightest. He quickly took a sip from his glass and looked at the leaping flames.