room went silent. Julia watched the brothers exchange glances, then they all broke out in grins. Adam slapped Cameron’s back. “Congratulations, Dad.”
Cameron exhaled heavily. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Yeah, congrats,” Brandon said. “Can’t wait to meet the little woman.”
Trish coughed to get their attention. “The little woman?”
“Mama! Mama!” Jake cried. He waved his arms and kicked his legs as the three men slowly turned.
Julia had been marveling at the lovely camaraderie among the brothers and their willingness to bring Jake into the fold, but now she laughed at the abashed expressions on each of their faces. She reached out to pat Jake’s cheek as he bounced in Cameron’s arms. “Hi, punkin’. Are you having fun?”
The baby burbled and wriggled as Brandon shrugged. “Hey, I’m a big guy. Everyone looks little to me, not just women.”
“Nice try, Ace,” Adam drawled.
Ignoring him, Brandon thrust his hand toward Julia. “Hi, I’m Brandon, Cam’s much smarter and more handsome brother.”
Julia shook Brandon’s large hand. He was as big as a bear and, like his brothers, one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. He had shoulders as wide as the refrigerator and wavy, light brown hair an inch too long. He pushed his hair back, but several thick strands flopped onto his forehead, giving him an irresistible, bad boy look. Brandon looked powerful enough to snap a man in two with his bare hands, but he couldn’t have been more gentle with Jake.
Adam stepped forward. “Hello, Julia. I’m Adam Duke.”
She shook hands with the tallest and most serious of the three brothers. Adam was dark haired and sophisticated, with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes that focused completely on her. Julia’s first thought as she shook his hand was that Trish was a very lucky woman indeed.
“Adam’s frightening the womenfolk again,” Brandon said, and picked up his beer. “Listen, Julia, if you get scared and need a hug, I’m your man.”
Julia laughed, and Trish rolled her eyes in amusement.
“Nobody’s hugging her but me,” Cameron muttered as he handed Julia a glass of crisp white wine. She smiled her thanks as his two brothers ribbed him.
Conversations overlapped as Cameron opened another bottle of wine. Everyone wanted to hold the baby, and Jake was perfectly happy to be passed around from one family member to the next. Not just the women, but Cameron’s brothers also demanded quality time with their new nephew.
Julia took a sip of the wine and felt her muscles and nerves relax. A half hour had passed, she realized, and instead of feeling worn out, she felt energized. She’d never been around such a boisterous, fun group. If this was what family was all about, she would love to be a part of it always.
The doorbell rang and Sally ran out to see who it was.
“That’ll be room service,” Cameron said in a low voice behind her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited everyone to stay for dinner.”
“I don’t mind a bit,” she said, turning to smile at him. “Your family is wonderful. You’re so lucky.”
“I like to think so,” he said, staring at her intently.
“I should help get things together,” she said, feeling her cheeks burning. Cameron was the only man who could make her blush simply by looking at her.
As she gathered utensils, plates and napkins, she sized up the three Duke men. Cameron’s brothers were both gorgeous, but Cameron eclipsed them both with his tall, leanly muscular body, clear green eyes and beautiful smile. And that adorable dimple in his cheek was like the cherry on top. No wonder she was always blushing when he was around.
As the room service crew worked swiftly to set up dinner, Julia settled Jake in his high chair, placing Cheerios and soft baby carrots on his tray for him to munch on while she warmed his dinner.
Then, to everyone’s delight, she whipped up a modified chocolate mousse by combining the remaining chocolate bars, whipping cream and sugar from last night and adding egg yolks and vanilla. Within ten minutes, dessert was chilling in the refrigerator and everyone sat down to eat.
All through dinner, they laughed and talked over each other, sharing lots of old family stories with Julia. One story would lead to another, and Julia couldn’t remember a time when she’d laughed so much.
After the dishes were removed, Cameron made coffee, and Julia served her chocolate mousse to rave reviews. She had to laugh because it was one of the simplest things she could’ve made.
Back at the table after clearing the dessert dishes, Julia felt a little twinge in her heart at how readily the Duke family and friends had welcomed her and Jake into their lives. She watched as Cameron finished giving Jake his bottle and raised him to his shoulder. He rubbed the baby’s back a few times and Jake favored him with a rousing belch. Everyone laughed and cheered.
Julia’s breath caught as Cameron squeezed her thigh under the table. “You having a good time?”
She gazed at him. “The best ever.”
These people, this moment, were exactly what Julia had dreamed about her entire life, she realized. It was the warm family circle she had always wanted to be a part of. Could it really be this easy for a dream to come true? Was she foolish to think she could honestly trust her heart to these people and this man?
Cameron had been watching her closely all evening. He didn’t want to crow too loudly, but his plan was working to perfection, even better than he could’ve envisioned.
Leaning closer to Julia, he said, “Walk with me outside for a few minutes?”
“I should put the baby to bed first,” she said.
“Oh, do you mind if we do it?” Trish asked, pushing away from the table. She stood and touched Adam’s shoulder. “We should practice, you know.”
Adam’s eyes widened as he stared up at Trish.
“Excuse me,” Brandon said, glancing back and forth at the two of them. “Do you two have an announcement to make? “
“I don’t know,” Adam said, his eyes narrowed on his wife. “Do we?”
She smiled innocently. “Of course not, but it never hurts to be prepared.”
Adam’s cheeks puffed out. Shaking his head, he stood and grabbed hold of Trish’s hand. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
Everyone laughed, and Cameron handed the baby to Trish. “He’s starting to fade into dreamland.”
“He’s so sweet,” Trish whispered, then looked at Julia. “We’ll be careful.”
“He’s pretty sturdy,” she teased, tucking Jake’s collar under his chin. “And he does love to get his diaper changed.”
“Yeah,” Cameron said with a laugh. “Good luck with that.”
He
