I reach my hand toward him. "Jacob Monroe, sir. I came with Callie."

If I thought her brother's shake was threatening, this one almost breaks every bone in my hand. "Why haven't I heard of you before this?"

"Dad, be nice. I wanted to surprise everyone. Cob is my boyfriend in Kentucky."

"Since when?"

He's still holding my hand, crushing it as he waits for a reply. "We've been dating for a couple months."

Mrs. Healy chimes in. "They met in Pennsylvania when Cal visited Lys."

"I came upon your daughter at a restaurant the first night she arrived in Kentucky. It was nice to see a familiar face amongst a town of people I didn't know. I'd just moved there myself for work."

I need to tread lightly when it comes to my job.

"Really? What do you do for a living, what did you say your name was again?"

"Jacob, sir. My family calls me Cob. I work in construction. I'm a foreman for a large corporation that subcontracts government jobs, mostly road maintenance and such." It's half the truth.

"And you met my daughter in Pennsylvania?"

I nod. "Yes. I own the house her friend Lys rents. My sister lives there as well and attends school."

The man looks to his daughter. "Has this fella met your uncle?"

She shakes her head. "Not yet. Uncle Colt has been busy. I hardly ever see him or Noah. I'm mostly with the girls."

"You ever worked with your hands? Ever driven a tractor, Cob?"

"A little. I helped out a farmer when I was in high school. He had a dairy farm."

"Did he have daughters?"

Now I know where he's getting at. "Yeah."

"He probably shares the same upbringing as my family. We don't call the police. We handle matters on our own terms."

Callie shoves him playfully. "Daddy, stop. You'll scare the c.r.a.p out of him." She turns to me. "He's messing with you, Cob."

I breathe a sigh of relief. For a second I thought I'd walked into my own funeral.

Her brother Josh nudges me. "Dude, you were sweating bullets."

I nod and smile. "A little."

Their father speaks abruptly. "It's good to make your acquaintance. I have one rule in this house. If you're not married you don't sleep together. Are we clear?"

I'm disappointed, but understand. "I can respect that, sir."

"Good. You're off to a good start." He pats me on the shoulder and stomps out of the room, leaving me there bewildered. It's going to be a very long weekend, but I'm determined to make it through. I promised Callie I'd do this for her, and I'll expect the same in return. This is the beginning for us. It's a hurdle we'll soon be over, so I hope.

Chapter 19.

Callie I can tell Cob has never had a family dinner in an old barn before. He stays close to me as we ride a golf cart around the property in order for me to show him around before dinner. I tell him where my cousins and aunts and uncles live then we arrive at the barn. The smell of barbecued meat resonates from outside the old building. I take it in, missing the familiarity of it.

It's not until the vehicle comes to a full stop when Cob addresses my family. "I think they like me."

I snicker. "What's not to like?"

He takes my hand and kisses it as my cousin Jake approaches. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Shut up. I'm glad to see you too. Where's your woman?"

"Visiting her parents. She left this morning."

"Make sure you tell her I'm sorry I missed her." I look around the vicinity. "Where's your brother?"

"Brother? I don't have a brother," he teases.

"He's just jealous I have it all," comes a voice from behind us. Jax pulls me into a hug while holding one of his twins in his arms. "It's been a while."

At the same time they turn to Cob. "Let me guess, she paid you to come along and pretend to be her boyfriend?" Jax says.

"I knew it," Jake agrees.

I shake my head and smile. "Babe, don't listen to them. They're one hundred percent ridiculous at all times. When you meet their dad you'll know why."

Cob flashes them a smile, even though I can tell he's trying to figure them both out. "I'm Cob."

"Parents hate you?" Jake asks.

"His name is Jacob," I correct.

"Mine too." Jake finally extends his hand to my boyfriend. "Pay no attention to my brother. He's married to a model but he gets none of that p.u.s.s.y. It's not his fault."

They start with each other, going on and on about who has s.e.x the most, all while walking inside the barn and leaving us.

Jax's wife appears from the same direction carrying their other daughter. "Callie. I'm so glad you're back. Bella told me you were coming last night. She and Rusty had a doggy emergency at the clinic, so I'm not sure they'll make it to dinner."

"That's okay. I'll find her later."

"Have you seen Cammie and Wes?" She asks.

"Not yet." I point to Cob. "Amber this is my boyfriend, Cob. It's short for Jacob just in case your husband tells you otherwise."

"Thanks for clearing it up early. He'll have me going all night if he gets the opportunity." She laughs at her comment. It's not until she walks away when I notice Cob's face.

"You can close your mouth now. She's gone."

"She's on magazines. That's your cousin's wife?"

"Amber Mitch.e.l.l."

"d.a.m.n, he's a lucky man."

I place my hands on my hips. "Should I be worried?"

He wraps his arms around my waist and lowers his face to mine. "Not at all. When you said she was a model I didn't expect her to be famous. That's crazy."

"Why? Noah is married to Shalan. I told you all about her. You've heard her songs on the radio."

"It's pretty cool, but she doesn't compare to you. I hear the model type are lame in the sack." He winks and smiles as he says it.

"You're terrible."

"Yeah, but you love me." When the words escape him he freezes and waits for me to respond. I simply nod and smile back before my lips brush over his. "I think I do."

"Good."

In the heat of the moment I hear my sister Cammie's voice. "Hey sis. I see why you've been too busy to call me."

My sister has a diaper bag over her shoulder, while behind her Wes carries baby Maddy. I'm eager to see my niece, but feel excited about introducing Cob to them. "So this is my boyfriend Cob. It's short for Jacob. Before you ask, we met in Pennsylvania and reconnected in Kentucky. We've been together close to two months now, and he's pretty much the most amazing man I've ever known."

Wes interrupts. "Wow, more interesting than me." He's teasing, but I don't think Cob takes it that way. He squints his eyes and seems defensive as they shake hands.

"Good to meet you."

"Yeah, same here. We were just talking about how Callie never calls. I guess she's been preoccupied."

"I'm the one trying to keep up with her." Cob takes my hand as he continues. "Finding her again was like hitting the lottery. I feel like the luckiest man alive." Okay, he's going a bit overboard.

"How about we go inside and eat?" I try to persuade.

"Wait. I'd like to get to know your man before we're surrounded by everyone else. It's not every day my sister brings home a guy for everyone to meet."

This is where I question my sister. I already know what she's thinking and I'm going to put a stop to it right away. "He's not here for show and tell, or to prove I've moved on. Cob knows about what I went through. I'm over that."

He laces his fingers with mine. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you, but it wouldn't be fair to keep everyone inside waiting for the guest of honor."

For a little while we're in the clear. Cammie backs off with the questions at the same time Ca.s.sie shows up. She's in her police issued uniform. "Sorry I'm late. I've been on duty since six."

"Did you come alone?"

"Yeah, my s.e.xy man is out of town for a court case that's been postponed going on three years. He won't be home from Vegas until Monday, so we'll all have to come visit you in Kentucky instead." She gives Cob a full once over, detective style. "I need your full name, address and driver's license number."

Cob opens his mouth, but I stop him before he can embarra.s.s himself. "She's kidding."

"I have no problem giving it to her."

Ca.s.sie points at Cob. "Good answer."

When she rushes inside to see the rest of the family we're left standing alone. "So far so good, right?" He questions.

"You're not dead, so that's probably good."

"Yeah, probably."

"This is when you should sleep with your eyes open. I have it under good authority that you'll probably be sleeping on the couch in my brother's filthy bedroom."

"Maybe I'll sleep in your car."

"We can always drive an hour and stay at a hotel."

"No." He shakes his head. "They don't scare me that much. You're worth the torture."

I kiss him on the lips before pulling him toward the barn door. "I better be."

Two hours.

That's how long I allow my family to poke and prod my boyfriend. He's being a good sport about it, though I'm thinking he'd rather be anywhere else but here.

After dinner I decide he might like some peace and quiet, so I take him on a walk into the woods to show him the old swimming hole. It's just a giant pond surrounded by woods, but it's a special place to anyone who has ever been around us.

We sit down on a new pier my father and uncle had my cousins' build. A few turtles are croaking, while a big snapping turtle sits on the edge of the water and land. "If I lived here I'd spend every summer day right on this very spot."

"This is where I had my first kiss. We weren't supposed to have boys over, but Cammie convinced Josh to have a bunch of friends over. Our parents would let us camp in tents in the backyard, but I always swore my father was ducked down nearby with his rifle ready to get any boy who tried to touch us. We'd wait until the middle of the night and sneak to this place with our flashlights."

"Who was your first kiss?"

"His name is Bubba. His daddy owns the hardware store in town. He was thirteen and I was twelve. We snuck some of my uncle's whiskey and each took one shot. Then we all acted like we were drunk for a couple hours. It happened on a dare. We kissed once and then never talked about it again."

"My first kiss was when I was ten. It was in the hallway during fifth grade recess. I lied and told the teacher I had to pee at the same time Cindy Warnos asked to see the nurse. She pinned me against the lockers and we locked lips. The princ.i.p.al caught us, and we both got referrals sent home. After that I was a stud. All the girls wanted to kiss me."

We both laugh. "So that's how it all started?"

"Pretty much. I've been fighting them off ever since."

"You haven't fought me off."

"No," he whispers against my lips. "You kiss way better."

I lean my head on his shoulder. "Sorry about my family."