Found by Love (24 page)

"Oh you've got me Uncle Mattie. That went over my head too." Grayson went back to eating his breakfast. When I looked back toward Mattie he was staring at my left hand and then he looked over at Caleb's and he let out a big sigh and nodded his head in understanding.

"Well... I am going to go get started on my work for the day. Claudia? When you get some free time why don't you come keep me company in a little while so that I can take a break. Sometimes I get so engrossed in my work that I forget to even eat lunch." He folded his paper up and got up out of his seat and picked his plate up to head to the kitchen. "Caleb, Grayson? You two have fun today." He didn't even wait for them to answer him because he walked out.

I looked over at Caleb and by the expression on his face I could tell that he was thinking the same thing that I was. Mattie was not too crazy about our engagement. Why? Why would he be so against us getting married? Caleb broke the silence at the table.

"Well... That was quite awkward. I'll let you get to the bottom of that one Cru. At least you have a reason to disturb him now while he's working." I forgot that Grayson was at the table until he said something.

"What was awkward? Are we not going to the movies after all?"

"Yes Grayson. We are still going. How about you go get out of your pajamas and start getting ready. I wanna walk around the beach for a little bit before we go to the movies. It looks like it's going to be a great day today and I'd like to enjoy some sun as well."

"Yes!! I love the beach! Can we look for sea shells? I need to add some to my collection." There's that 10 year old age of his coming out.

"Sure we can buddy. Anything you want and we will do it." I looked at him because the last thing I wanted was for Grayson to fall and get hurt. "Well. Anything within reason, haha."

"Sweet! Okay. I'll go get ready.” When Grayson walked out I went over and sat in Caleb's lap.

"So what do you think that was all about? With Mattie I mean?"

"I don't know but he looked like we really threw him in a lurch. You know he figured out that we are engaged. He looked at your hand and then mine." He smacked himself in the head with his palm. "I'm such an idiot! Who knew that bread ties are the universal engagement ring when you don't have an actual ring to propose with! Am I the ONLY one that didn't know that?" He really looked pitiful but I couldn't help but laugh at him and give him a pity hug.

"Oh Honey... It'll be okay. I'll get you through all of your blonde moments that life will present you with for the rest of our lives and yes... I'm sorry but I really do think you're the only one in the world that had no clue about the bread ties. You can't help that you're so intelligent that some things like common sense got overlooked in your DNA."

"Oh like you're so perfect. Maybe we SHOULDN'T have any more kids. There's a chance they might be blonde and I'd hate to embarrass both you and Grayson since you two are the ‘smart’ ones." He sat up higher in his seat and lifted his head up proudly. "That's okay. I'll love them anyway because I'll be able to understand their handicap better than you will."

He looked at me and we both lost it and he dropped me on the floor which had both of us laughing even harder. Oh it feels so good to finally laugh about something. No matter how stupid it is and there's one thing I can say about Caleb. This past year I have laughed more because of him than I ever had. He stood up and lowered his hands out to offer me help getting up. I reach up and he pulled me into his arms.

"Promise me one thing Cru. Promise me that we'll never forget to laugh. I've never laughed so much until you got back into my life. No matter how hard things get, promise me that Baby." I nodded my head and leaned up for a kiss and stopped kissing him when I heard giggling behind me.

"Well this is a little... Awkward! Haha!" I turned around and pulled Grayson into a bear hug and started kissing him everywhere on his face.

"You little turkey! You're too quiet when you walk... You know that?!" His face was beet red but I could tell that he enjoyed the attention.

"Caleb and Claudia sitting in a tree!! K I S S I N G!!" Caleb stopped him by picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder like a fireman would and picked up on the song where Grayson left off with his deep voice.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Claudia pushing a baby carriage." He turned around and winked at me and blew me a kiss and I blew him one back. "Say goodbye Grayson."

"Goodbye Grayson! Haha!" Grayson rose up as far as he could and waved goodbye while I waved back and laughed at the two men in my life leaving for their afternoon adventure. I love my life right now. It can't get any better than this. Mattie's head popped inside my mind and I realized that he might be the one to end our little happy threesome and I said a silent prayer as I headed to my bedroom to make some calls.

********************

After making all of the calls that I needed to make I headed into the kitchen to make Mattie and I some sandwiches. Maria always takes the weekends off so I knew if I didn't feed him he'd probably not eat until dinner. Plus I'm not an idiot because I know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach so maybe it'll make him more receptive to my idea.

After talking to Amelia, Elizabeth and Olivia on a four way call we came up with a last resort about Thanksgiving if he wouldn't let Caleb and I take Grayson home for the holiday. Hopefully it works because I would hate for everyone to come here to California just for us. Especially poor Olivia as stressed out as she is all of the time. But like they all told me... Family sticks together and the holidays wouldn't feel the same if we aren't all together. I went from being an orphan and losing my only sibling and niece and nephews to having a slew of family and I couldn't imagine my life without any of them and I realize now how much they all have my back and it makes me feel like my heart could explode at how happy it makes me feel.

Thanks to Maria's hard work I have managed to make us a few chicken salad sandwiches and threw in some cheese slices and grapes and apple wedges. Now what should I take him to drink. Hmmm... Water would be the obvious choice but some wine might soften him up, he he. Wine it is! Maybe it'll give me some liquid courage in case he gives me attitude. I'm still a little freaked out about his reaction to mine and Caleb's engagement and can't for the life of me figure out where his hostility came from.

Okay... Well… Here goes nothing! I picked up the plates and pulled the wine bottle out of the fridge and tucked it underneath my arm and grabbed two wine glasses between my fingers and headed for his majesty's office.

CHAPTER TWELVE

When I reached Mattie's office his door was slightly ajar so I lightly kicked it open with my foot a little to make sure I wasn't disturbing him. I never really paid much attention to his office the first time that I was here a week ago but I realized that he had a lot of pictures of him and Thomas around the room. I knew that they went to college together and were best friends but now I realize that they were probably more like brothers in the same way that Olivia and I feel like sisters. I see a couple of pictures from when they were even younger than college and it all makes perfect sense now. Grayson is his ONLY family like Olivia was mine.

I see him standing at one of the windows that overlooks the ocean and he's holding what looks like a picture frame. He has a somber look on his face and I really LOOK at him and he looks like he's aged about 5 years since I met him just a week ago. I don't want to disturb him but I feel the wine bottle trying to sneak its way out under my arm so I made a throat clearing sound to get his attention which made him jump.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to interrupt your thoughts but if I don't put some of this down I'm going to lose this bottle of wine." I looked up at him and shrugged my shoulders. "Could you maybe... help me please? Haha." I giggled hoping that he wouldn't be mad at my intrusion because he did seem preoccupied.

"Oh I'm so sorry. Yes. I was in deep thought but I need the distraction." He put the frame down on his desk and came around the desk and grabbed the wine that was about to fall to the ground from under my arm and took the glasses from my fingers.

"Hmmm... Chicken salad sandwiches. Looks good and an excellent choice. I didn't realize it until now but I'm starving. Thank you Claudia." He beamed at me letting me know that he wasn't upset with me. He does have a great smile when he actually does smile which is hardly ever and I'm finally noticing it.

"You're very welcome. I figured you could use a break. How's work going? Did you manage to get everything done that you needed to do?"

I maneuvered myself closer to his desk because my curiosity was getting to me about the picture he was so intently staring at. He saw what I was doing and picked it up and turned it towards me with a crooked grin on his face. I see that it is a picture of Mattie and Grayson with Thomas and Jane and they all looked really happy. Thomas had his arms around Mattie and Jane and Grayson was standing in front of all of them grinning that beautiful smile of his.

"You caught me reminiscing a little. I don't know if you've noticed or not but ever since Grayson got hurt the other day I've been a little angry and a bit melancholy. This was a picture that the four of us took last Thanksgiving. Who would have thought that that would have been our last Thanksgiving together. I was looking at my calendar and realized that Thanksgiving is next week."

He shook his head and I could see tears forming in his eyes so I reached across his desk and grabbed his hand to try to comfort him. I knew exactly how he felt and knew in my heart what I had to do.

"Mattie... I know what it feels like to miss loved ones that have died and it's even tougher during the holidays. A million times worse and I'm not going to let you do what you are thinking of doing."

I must have taken him aback because he cocked his head at me and gave me that side grin of his which made me realize how attractive he truly is. Where Caleb is blonde and blue eyed, Mattie is dark headed with almost obsidian eyes that match beautifully with his dark complexion. He's not quite as tall as Caleb but he's built the same and you can tell that he works out.

"What is it exactly that you're not going to let me do? Are you a mind reader now?" He loosened his hand out of mine and reached for his glass of wine to wash his bite of sandwich down and I smirked at him.

"Not yet but I'm working on it." I grabbed my glass to get some courage up and I could tell that he was waiting for me to spit it out so I put my glass down. "Okay... Here goes. You probably don't want to celebrate Thanksgiving at all this year but because of Grayson you feel that you have to. Am I close?" I looked up at his face because I didn't realize that I was staring at my plate and by the look on his face I could tell that I was spot on.

"Yeah. Close enough. So... Is this the way that you're going to ask me if Grayson can go home with you to meet your family and have Thanksgiving with all of you while I stay home by myself and lick my lonely wounds?" The hate and venom in the way that he spit out his words scared me. I don't scare easily but I would not want to piss him off intentionally. I stare back at him to make him think that he didn't scare me and hoped that I didn't give it away that he did.

"Yes and no. I would love nothing more than to take Grayson home to meet our family and spend Thanksgiving with them but I've already spoken to all of them and if you don't let me take him then they've all decided that they will come here for the holiday. Either way, we will spend the holiday together." He glared at me for a few seconds and I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction and look away first. I let go of the breath I was holding when he finally looked away.

"Great! So I'm a bastard if I won't let you take him and an even bigger bastard if I make all of them come here. Doesn't Cash and Olivia have small children? Babies? They'd go through all of the trouble of traveling and packing just to spend Thanksgiving with you and Caleb?" I nodded at him and smiled.

"Yes they would but I'd feel terrible about it." He turned his chair around to face the window and let out a big sigh and muttered something under his breath that I didn't understand. "I beg your pardon? What did you say?" He turned around and I could see tears on his cheeks and he wiped them off really quick.

"What I said was that I wish I could switch places with Caleb. That's what I said." I was shocked that he would wish that and then wondered why.

"Why would you wish that?"

"Well let's see... He has come into my house and swooped in and has made Grayson fall all over the place wanting to spend time with him and he has a huge family that would follow him to the ends of the earth to be near him and because.... Well.... Because he has you! That's why." Oh boy! I was NOT expecting that. I looked down at my left hand and realized that he WAS mad about our engagement. I looked up at him and he was looking at my hand to.

"I really don't know what to say to that to be perfectly honest. I'm not going to lie though... I tend to be a little jealous at how fast Grayson and Caleb have bonded but I couldn't be happier as well. Does that make sense?"