Family Stone Holiday Box Set: (including Stone Cold Heart, Carved in Stone, and Heart of Stone) (Family Stone Romantic Suspense) by Lisa Hughey

Author:Lisa Hughey [Hughey, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Lisa Hughey
Published: 2014-12-09T23:00:00+00:00

Nine

Ava shifted on the rough, plank bench seat at the Stone’s kitchen table. The long table was constructed of wide oak boards, stained in a dark finish, with enough room to seat eight adults. The kitchen was huge. Almost as big as her entire apartment, the room boasted a wall of white cabinets with glass fronts, gray granite counters with gold and bronze flecks that gleamed, and a backsplash in rustic glass tiles of varying metallic shades. Three funky teardrop lights hung over an island big enough for four wood bar stools.

A large mahogany bowl, polished to a high shine, overflowed with mini-pumpkins, gourds, and dried corn. The placemats were a deep burnt orange with mustard yellow trim.

Connor’s stepmother served lunch, massive BLT sandwiches and apple cobbler, on brown square plates that matched the tabletop perfectly.

It was like stepping into a magazine cover shoot.

Condensation trailed down the side of tall glasses of iced tea, and reminded Ava why they were late. She flushed.

“So nice to finally meet you.” Connor’s stepmother, Shelley, smiled and brushed an affectionate hand over Connor’s shoulder. For all that Connor felt necessary to clarify that Shelley was his stepmother, she clearly loved her stepson and didn’t necessarily feel the same distance he did. Shelley appeared to touch him freely with a sweet, motherly smile on her face.

“Nice to meet you too,” Ava replied huskily. She cleared her throat and willed her body to stop flushing, still embarrassed by the fact that Shelley had seen them in bed. Although it had been painfully obvious what they had been doing, thanks to Con’s quick thinking, Shelley hadn’t seen them naked. But it had been close.

Ava took a large gulp of iced tea. The frigid liquid soothed her abused, dry throat. Feeling ridiculously parched, she slugged down most of the cool drink, and avoided conversation. She shifted her attention to the large picture window and almost choked on the tea.

The Pacific Ocean crashed on the uneven rocks a hundred yards from their back door. It was one of those gray, foggy afternoons, where the marine layer clouds hovered over the ocean like a foreman over the field workers. Giant redwoods flanked the sides of their property and created a secluded grove which hid the estate from the prying eyes of the tourists who paid to drive along Seventeen Mile Drive.

Off to the left was a large swimming pool, surrounded by rocks similar to the coastline, and which sported a waterfall that recycled water back into the pool. Encircled by various trees and foliage, the habitat made it seem as if the pool were actually a natural pond. An expanse of green grass led to the tumble of rocks at the edge of the ocean, scattered with a few straggling cypress trees. Some weathered branches that had broken off from the trees were strewn across the rocks creating an artistic backdrop for the crashing waves.

The back door was open, ushering in a brisk salt-scented breeze and the bark of the seals on the rock formation out in the swirling eddy of their inlet.

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