Come Away with Me

“Yep, I’m the best looking one here, aside from you.” He gives me a Cheshire cat smile, and I can’t help but laugh. The Williams men are all handsome as sin and charming to boot!

“And this,” Luke interrupts us, glaring at his little brother, “is my sister, Samantha.”

Samantha is sitting on one of the plush couches with an iPad in her lap and a wine glass in her hand. She is simply beautiful and petite like her mother; blonde and blue eyed, with delicate features, but her eyes are shrewd, and she is not smiling or welcoming me into the fold.

“Natalie.” She nods at me once, and then goes back to her impressive piece of technology.

I look up at Luke, but he’s staring at Samantha. I can feel the tension in him, and remembering their phone call last night, I squeeze his hand so he looks down at me. Clearly, Samantha is going to be the hardest one to get to know in his family.

I shrug and smile at him and he smiles back at me, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

“Natalie, come sit with me at the table so we can chat while the boys cook.

Luke, grab an apron, son. I think your dad needs help with the steaks.”

“I do not need any help,” Neil looks affronted, but I can tell this is a running joke in the family. “I can cook a steak just fine.”

Lucy rolls her eyes at him and leads me to the dining table. “Would you like a glass of wine, dear?”

“Yes, please.”

We settle at the table with our drinks and I take a large sip, mentally preparing myself for the interrogation that is about to come.

“So tell me, what do you do, Natalie?”

“I’m a photographer.” I glance over at Luke in the kitchen with his father and my mouth goes just a little dry at the sight of three very handsome, virile men bustling around the kitchen. What is it about a man who can cook?

“Oh, how interesting. What kind of photography do you do?” Lucy leans her elbows on the table and takes a sip of her wine. She’s genuinely interested in me, and it makes me relax.

“I mostly do nature photography. I live on Alki beach, not far from Luke, so I have a lot of opportunities to take photos of the water, the boats and such.

And I enjoy taking day trips around the area to take photos of flowers and just pretty things in general.” I take another sip of my wine and Luke catches my eye with a naughty grin. He smirks and goes back to chopping something.

“I’d love to see some of your work.

Do you have a website?”

“No, I sell my work in shops around Alki and in downtown Seattle near Pike’s Market.”

“I will have to look for it.” Lucy smiles at me and I can’t help but lean forward so only she can hear me.

“I have to thank you for something,” I whisper.

Her eyes widen in interest and her grin widens. “What, dear?”

“Thank you for teaching your son how to cook. He’s amazing in the kitchen.”

She laughs, a full on belly laugh, and clasps my hand in hers. “Oh darling, you are welcome.”

I glance in the kitchen and Luke is staring at us open-mouthed. He frowns and I smile to myself.

“What are you two whispering about?”

“Nothing,” Lucy responds innocently.

“How is my steak coming along?”

***

We’re all seated at the table off the kitchen. Neil is at one end, and Lucy is at the other. I’m seated to Neil’s right with Luke next to me and Samantha and Mark are across from us.

The guys prepared rib eye steaks, roasted baby red potatoes and roasted asparagus with garlic and bacon. Luke refills my wine glass as serving plates are passed around the table.

“So, Natalie,” Neil hands me a basket full of rolls. “Are you from around here?”

“Yes, I grew up in Bellevue.”

“Oh? That’s not far from here.

Would I know your parents?”

Luke’s fork stops midway between his plate and his mouth at his father’s question.

“Dad…”

“No, it’s okay,” I murmur softly and smile at Luke’s father.

“My parents passed away a few years ago, but you may have known them. Jack and Leslie Conner.”

Neil’s eyebrows shoot up. “The lawyer Jack Conner?”

“Yes, sir.” I take a bite of steak.

“He did work for us at Microsoft on occasion.”

I look up and notice Samantha’s brief scowl before she smoothes her face into a perfectly neutral expression and drinks about half the glass of wine in front of her in one gulp. She fills her glass again and drinks some more.

“I’m so sorry to hear about your parents, Natalie,” Lucy says softly. “I’d heard of their passing on the news when it happened.”

“Thank you.” I desperately want to change the subject, but Mark comes to my rescue.

“How did you guys meet?”

I smile smugly at Luke and answer him myself. “Luke tried to mug me one morning.”

All eyes go to Luke and I can’t help but laugh. Luke’s cheeks flush as he looks over at me.

“You should know my brother doesn’t need to mug anyone.” Samantha’s voice is cold and mocking and she clearly doesn’t find me funny. Mark elbows her.

“She’s kidding, Sam.” Luke grasps my hand under the table and I resume eating with my left hand, content to keep my right one snuggled in his.

“I was taking photos down at the beach one morning, and he mistakenly thought I was taking photos of him, so he approached me. Quite angrily, really.”