Her Hometown Hero(37)

"Well, it sure feels like forever since you've brought a beautiful lady  to grace these halls. I'll forgive you for being away so long."

"Katherine, I'd like you to meet Sage. She's a first-year resident at  our hospital and already outshining all the staff, including me," Spence  said as he wrapped an arm around Sage, making her instantly blush.  "Katherine Anderson, Sage Banks."

For Sage, it felt like school all over again, when she was the one  person in the class who knew all the answers on the first day. She hated  when all eyes were directed at her.                       
       
           



       

"It's nice to meet you, Sage," Katherine said as she reached for her hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you, too. You have a beautiful home," Sage said.

"What am I? A sack of potatoes? I'd like to be introduced to your girl, too," Joseph said with a glare at Spence.

Austin laughed. "How could anyone forget your presence, Uncle?"

"Underappreciated, that's what I am," Joseph grumbled. "It's a pleasure  to meet you, young lady. We'll have a wonderful dinner with the family."

Sage found his hand surprisingly gentle for a man his size with such a  loud voice. "Thank you for having me," she said, hoping that with the  awkward introduction over with, the focus would now turn to someone  else.

"Let's leave the men to boast about their catches while we have a more  civilized discussion in the sitting room," Katherine said, and Sage  nearly sighed in relief.

"We'll join you soon," Joseph called after them when Kinsey took Sage's arm and they followed Katherine.

"Take your time," Katherine called back.

Sage walked quietly behind the regal woman as they went down a wide  hallway with beautiful paintings and family portraits decorating the  walls. This home was certainly a castle, but it was also a lived-in  home, and not a museum. She was even more impressed now.

Stepping into the sitting room, she soon found her nerves calming and  laughter coming easily. This family was a lot like the close-knit group  in Sterling. Yes, they were wealthy, but they were pleasant and  inclusive.

She knew that Spence bringing her here, sharing this part of his life  with her, was a big step for him. Was she ready to move so quickly in  this relationship, to become an actual couple? It seemed it didn't  matter, because, ready or not, she was in a relationship now. She had  zero doubt about it.

And the amazing thing was, she didn't want to change it.





"Have you proposed yet?"

Spence laughed as he took the glass of scotch Austin had just poured.  "Wow, Joseph, you must not have wasted any time at all back in your  day."

"Are you calling me an old man, son? I may have a few gray hairs now,  but that only makes me more wise and mature." Actually all of his hair  was white, but no one called him on that.

Spence held up his hand in surrender. "I would never call you old. You look as spry as a twenty-one-year-old."

"So answer my question," Joseph demanded.

"Oh, you're serious?" Spence said, then laughed again. "No. I haven't proposed. I will admit that I may just have to do that."

"Are you serious, Spence?" Austin asked in surprise.

"I know, I know. It's strange for me, too. I barely remember Sage from  when I was a teen. I mean, she is eight years younger than I am, but  since I met up with her again, I can't get her out of my mind." He moved  to an easy chair and sat down. "When you know, you know."

"Yeah, that's how it happened with me. I knew almost from the moment I  met Kinsey that she'd be my wife. There hasn't been a single day I've  regretted chasing her so hard."

"Before you gloat, Joseph, I've already figured you and my dad out," Spence said with a mock glare Joseph's way.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Joseph said, taking a long sip of his drink and looking down at the floor.

"I'll bet you don't. However, just because you threw us together and it  worked out, that doesn't make it right. It could have gone in an  entirely different direction and your messing with our lives could have  brought disaster," Spence said.

"Well, it didn't go wrong at all, did it?" Joseph growled. "So I should  be hearing a thank-you, not getting a lecture from a young buck."

"Thank you, Joseph," Spence said, surprising both Joseph and Austin.

"Well . . . um . . . you're welcome," Joseph said, an unexpected catch  to his voice. He turned around and walked to the huge window in his den,  and both Austin and Spence gave him a moment to compose himself.

"I think I just heard the door," Austin said, and sure enough the den  door flew open a moment later and in piled several members of the  Anderson and Storm families.

"Ah, I see my nephew Tanner is here," Joseph said as he strode over to slap him on the back.

"How are you, Uncle Joseph?" Tanner asked.

"I'm good, boy. You remember Spence?"

"Yes, of course. It's good to see you again, Spence." Tanner's dark hair  lay straight against his head, and his trademark blue Anderson eyes  sparkled with humor. Though he was technically Tanner Storm because his  father had been stolen at birth, depriving him of growing up with his  brothers, Joseph and George, his genes were all Anderson.                       
       
           



       

"What are you doing in Seattle?" Spence asked as he walked with Tanner over to the liquor cabinet.

"I'm working on remodeling a building in town. I don't see an end in  sight, but my father says he has complete faith in me." Spence could see  the man's tension-clearly he was under some stress-so despite his  curiosity, he decided not to press him.

"And make the building shine you shall," Joseph boomed.

The young men both looked up and laughed, and the tension evaporated.  Spence knew the story of the Storms, knew that Joseph and his twin,  George, had lost a third brother at birth. It turned out their mother  hadn't known she was carrying triplets, and the delivery had been a  difficult one. When she came to, she'd been relieved to see that her  twin boys were alive and healthy, never learning that she'd had a third  son. Dr. Storm, her doctor, and his wife had decided to keep that boy  for themselves.

Joseph and George had learned about their brother Richard in a Seattle  newspaper article. They'd found him immediately, and now you couldn't  tell that the brothers had ever been apart. Richard Storm's five  children had been estranged and casting about for a while, but now they  were getting back to the way they'd once been, and it seemed the Storms  were falling as fast into matrimony as their cousins had.

Maybe Joseph really was a matchmaker. Things certainly happened when he  teamed up with others, like his brothers or his best friend, Martin,  Spence's father. People continued getting married after the men began  their meddling.

After more members of the big family arrived, they enjoyed a wonderfully  prepared meal that included the best and freshest fish. Then they all  bundled up and headed down to the beach for a bonfire, the heat a  welcome relief in the winter cold.

For the first time since arriving at the mansion, Spence found himself  able to speak alone with Sage, and he didn't miss the opportunity to  lure her away from the crowd. Taking her hand, he walked her to the  water's edge, where they enjoyed the lights from the city as the fog  rolled in, thick and heavy, obscuring their sight. Suddenly, an eerie  sound filled the air, making Sage jump, then cling tightly to Spence and  bury her head against him.

"What was that?" she asked in obvious alarm.

"It's all the souls of the past crying in the night," he said, and  though he didn't think it possible, she burrowed even more tightly  against him.

"Come on, Spence . . ."

"I'm just kidding, Sage. I've lived in Seattle a long time, and for  those who don't know the sound, it does sound a bit like spirits wailing  for something. But it's actually just a foghorn.

"There are legends of empty vessels floating in the ocean and still  sending off the cry of a foghorn to drift across the waters, as if a  lonely sailor were calling to anyone who would listen."

"Spence, you are horrible! Look, you're terrifying the poor girl." Sage turned to find Kinsey next to them.

"I was just filling her in on a bit of Seattle history."

"You were not," Kinsey said. "You were scaring her so she would hold you  close. If you were a decent guy, she'd be clinging to you because she  wanted you, not because she was frightened half to death."

Spence laughed and let Sage go, but gripped her fingers. She laughed  when Kinsey began to lecture Spence as they turned and made their way  back to the rest of the group.