“Kent, it’s about time you got here.” He climbed out of the car and tensed waiting for her to jump at him.
Lana got out of the car staring at them. He felt her eyes on him. Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You’ve been gone too long, big brother,” Sophie said.
“I know. Work has been hectic recently.”
“You’re all work, and you’re going to put yourself into an early grave. Mom and dad are worried. They think you’re going to be a sleep-around bachelor for the rest of your life.”
Kent cleared his throat. “Can I introduce you to someone?” He pointed toward Lana. “This is Lana Hawkins. She’s my friend.”
“You don’t have female friends, not after … erm … you know what I mean.”
He glared at his sister. They were saved by the rest of his family running down the stairs including some of his nieces and nephews. He was suddenly bombarded with hugs, kisses, and slaps on the back.
Lana stood off to the side watching the whole spectacle. He saw something else in her gaze as she watched him, a yearning. She wanted what he’d gotten.
“Guys, stop with the hugs and everything. I get it. You love me and miss me.” They took a step back. “I want to introduce you to a friend. This is Lana Hawkins.”
His mom, Penny, turned to Lana. He’d seen the happiness on her face. Kent felt he’d done the right thing bringing Lana with him.
Chapter Nine
Kent’s family was huge, and Lana saw they all loved each other. The display of affection was making her yearn for something similar. There would be no happy family gatherings for her and no public displays of affection. If anything, her mother would proposition Kent after already getting blind drunk. She’d not seen her mom in years, and the thought of returning to the trailer where she used to live filled her with fear.
His mom turned to look at her. She had expected to see the disappointment or some other emotion of disgust. What she got was a large smile, and then she was pulled into his mom’s arms.
She turned her gaze to Kent wondering what to do.
“You need to wrap your arms around her, dear,” the older man who looked like Kent said.
The others chuckled. Lana smiled along with them and wrapped her arms around the woman. The older woman smelt so comforting. Her vanilla scent helped to calm Lana’s nerves.
“Penny, dear, I think you’re scaring the woman,” the older man said.
“Lana, this is my mom, Penny, and this big guy here is my dad, Derek.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Lana said. Penny let her go and smiled.
“You’re so pretty.”
Heat filled her cheeks at the compliment. “Erm, thank you.”
Kent moved to her side. He took her hand in his as they faced his family. “You’re scaring my friend, guys. Take a step back. Sorry, they’re not used to seeing people,” Kent said, joking.
She smiled.
“No, we’re the ones used to seeing people. Kent here spends too much time working to know what real people are doing.”
“Shut it, Seth.” A blonde woman with a slender figure slapped the oldest Anderson brother. “It’s great to see you, Kent.”
“Tonya.”
So this was the woman who broke Kent’s heart. Lana turned to the beautiful woman. Tonya Anderson looked like she could have been a model. Her slender frame didn’t look as if she’d given birth to three children.
“Kent,” she said. Tonya knelt down and picked up her youngest daughter. “We’re so glad to see Uncle Kent, aren’t we?” She spoke in a baby voice.
“Come on, dear, let me get you inside. It’s cold out here, and my frail bones can’t take much more,” Penny said.
Derek followed behind them. Penny and Derek didn’t look particularly old. The years had been good to the older couple. Kent smiled after her. Wasn’t he coming inside?
He was leaving her alone with his family. She suddenly felt exposed by being left alone with them. The rest of his family followed them inside. Seth, Tonya, and Kent stayed outside. Their kids were playing around their feet.
“Don’t mind them, Lana,” Penny said. She was taken into one of the largest kitchens she’d ever seen. There was a range cooker along the back wall, but in the centre was a counter with a stove in the middle and plenty of space for her to sit.
Lana felt like she’d stepped onto a cover of a magazine. “Do you like my kitchen? Kent did tell me you liked to bake.”
“Your kitchen is beautiful. I’ve got a small oven in my apartment.” Along the far wall was a double oven at chest height. There was also a double fridge freezer along the opposite wall. The kitchen was spacious, and she saw it was much loved by Penny. The scent of chicken filled the air.