Chapter Eleven
"I caught the two of them kissing behind the garage last night. I almost stumbled right into them. Thank goodness I looked up at the last minute. I quickly ducked behind the wall. Then I was stuck there for about fifteen minutes while the two of them giggled in between kisses. They were acting like teenagers who'd gotten away with sneaking out of the house," Lucas said with a smile.
The entire family had gathered to discuss the secret romance between George and Esther. The two of them wouldn't admit they were a couple for some reason, and none of the family understood why.
"Why do you think they won't tell us they're dating? It seems pretty serious," Trenton asked.
"I'd say it's serious. Last night when I left the hospital, I found the two of them smooching in the stairwell. I had to quietly go back upstairs and then go down the elevator, so they wouldn't know I was there," Austin said.
"When's the first incident any of you can recall? Let's try and figure out how long they've been together," Max suggested.
"The first time I got suspicious was about six months ago at Jasmine's birthday party. They were giving each other flirtatious looks all night, and then went into the house to bring out some extra chips, and didn't return for thirty minutes. It doesn't take that long to open a bag of Doritos," Amy said.
"Can anyone remember anything earlier than that?"
"Ooh, yes, I do," Emily eagerly replied. "It was last year at Mom and Dad's anniversary party. George leaned down and said something to Esther that had her turning scarlet. I thought it was kind of cute, so I watched as George gave her a wink then left the room. About two minutes later, Esther glanced around, so I looked away, and then when I looked up again, she was going through the same door. Neither of them came back until it was time for dinner. I think it was about an hour. A lot can happen in an hour."
"That's definitely suspicious," Cassie said with an animated smile.
"Anything else?" Max asked.
The room full of siblings and cousins looked at each other while everyone shook their heads.
"Okay, so it looks like they've been dating for at least a year, probably longer if they were already sneaking out of the room for over an hour at a time," Alex said.
"Then the big mystery to solve is why they're keeping it a secret from us," Jennifer said.
Everyone was silent for a few moments.
"You don't think he believes we'd be upset because of mom, do you?" Bree asked. They looked at one another perplexed.
"No, I honestly don't think that would be it. He knows we all adore Esther. I think he's scared," Mark said, quite enjoying his thought.
"You mean to tell me after all the grief both him and Uncle Joseph have given us, he's afraid to take a walk down the aisle," Trenton said in disbelief.
"Sounds like Mark might be on to something," Max agreed.
"Well then, what are we going to do to get them to come out in the open?" Austin asked with evil delight.
"I think we start beating them at their own game. Instead of hiding when we run into them, let's not give them a single moment of peace. Then we'll see how much longer they're able to keep things a secret," Alex said.
"I love that. I'd hate to never get to be alone with Chad," Bree said while clapping her hands. Chad leaned over, giving her a kiss, and she snuggled into his arms.
"Come on, you two. We're trying to work here," Austin grumbled.
He was the only one in the room without someone in his arms. Kinsey was working at the hospital and he was already missing her. He would've been there at that moment if his family hadn't called an emergency meeting.
After another hour of planning, they had it worked out. If they didn't have George and Esther come out in the open within a week, two at most, they'd come up with plan B. They didn't see that happening, though, because what they had planned for the couple was going to drive them batty.
Day One
"I'm so glad I caught you, Esther. I need your help," Amy said as she walked into the family den and spotted George and Esther on the couch. She had to hide her smile when she saw the two of them quickly jump apart.
"What do you need, dear?" Esther asked, her voice sounding a bit breathless.
"I'm filling in for Lucas's assistant this week and it's been so long since I've worked there, I'm simply lost. Would you please come into the office and give me a hand? You know how my husband is when the paperwork starts stacking up," Amy asked, very proud of how sincere her voice sounded.
In reality, she was excited to spend the week in the office. Plus, she could do the work with her eyes closed. She always filled in when Lucas needed her. After all, that's how the two of them met. She almost blushed thinking about last month. She'd filled in for the day, and Lucas had in turn, filled her. She clenched her thighs remembering him clearing the desk and taking her for hours. Neither of them got much work done.