opened the door wider. “Come in.”
Chloe stepped into the spacious front hall and shrugged out of her coat. Emma took it from her, hanging it in the closet by the door.
“I brought dessert,” Chloe said, holding out the pie dish. “Sawyer mentioned something about brownies, but I figured I’d bring something, anyway.”
“Thanks. That was really sweet of you,” Emma answered with a smile.
Chloe glanced around, admiring the wood-paneled walls and pretty oil-painted landscapes hanging in the space. “You have a lovely home.”
Emma grinned. “Technically you should be saying that to Derek. He owns the ranch now.”
“Really? I had no idea.”
“He doesn’t advertise it. My brother is a doctor first and a rancher second, but Mom and Dad left him the homestead in their will because Derek’s always been the most responsible Colton in the bunch.” Emma anticipated Chloe’s question before she could voice it. “Don’t worry, there’s no hidden resentment or anything—I think Gunnar and Tate were as relieved as I was that we didn’t have to take on the responsibility of this place.”
Emma led her into the great room, which featured endless ceilings, comfortable brown leather couches and a stone fireplace. Derek’s teenage sister, Piper, sat on one of the sofas, holding a blond-haired toddler in her arms. On the floor, Derek’s brother Tate was sprawled on the thick rug next to a second toddler. Although the two little boys were identical, they clearly had their own distinct personalities—the one on the couch was content to sit calmly in Piper’s arms, while the terror on the floor busied himself with a set of colorful blocks, shrieking in delight each time Tate leaned over to tickle him.
“Violet Chastain’s twins,” Emma said, noticing Chloe staring. “We’re babysitting Mason and Hudson tonight so Violet and Gunnar can have some alone time at the cabin.”
Chloe tore her gaze from the adorable little boys, ignoring the rush of longing that filled her belly. She focused on Tate, who greeted her with a warm smile. “Hey, Amelia. Where’s Mr. Perfect?”
She shot him a blank look.
“Derek,” Tate clarified with a crooked grin. “You know, the perfect doctor, perfect brother, perfect everything.”
The amusement dancing in Tate’s aqua eyes told her it was all in good fun, but it didn’t surprise her that Derek’s siblings called him Mr. Perfect. The man epitomized perfection—handsome, talented, kind, sexy. Derek Colton was the real deal, no doubt about it.
“He’s not here?” she said, frowning.
“Derek doesn’t live in the big house,” Piper spoke up as she intercepted the toddler’s chubby hand before he could grab a hunk of her wispy blond hair. “His house is next door.” The teenager glanced at Tate. “He texted me just now saying he’s on his way.”
“Have a seat,” Emma said to Chloe. “Can I grab you a drink? Wine, beer, iced tea?”
“An iced tea would be great.”
Chloe felt a tad awkward as she settled on the couch opposite Piper and folded her hands in her lap. This was her first official social visit since she’d moved to Eden Falls, and though she’d met all of Derek’s siblings before, being surrounded by so many people at once was daunting. As an only child, she’d always wished for a brother or sister, someone to laugh with and spill her secrets to, someone other than herself who she could rely on.
Her discomfort grew the longer she sat there, watching the scene before her. Tate teasing Piper, the happy squeals of Violet’s twins and Emma’s throaty laughter as she returned to the room with Sawyer hot on her heels.
Sawyer grinned when he spotted Chloe, making a beeline for her. “You came,” he said happily. He fixed a stern look in his sister’s direction, then glanced back at Chloe. “I hope Piper wasn’t annoying you.”
Chloe stifled a laugh. “Don’t worry—Piper has been a perfect lady.”
The boy snorted. “Right. The perfect giant lady, maybe. Piper is freakishly tall.”
“Hello? I’m sitting right here, twerp,” Piper said, waving her hand in the air. “At least have the decency to insult me behind my back.”
“But it’s more fun to do it to your face.”
Chloe and Tate exchanged an amused look as the duo continued to bicker. Despite the insults being traded back and forth, it was clear that Piper and Sawyer adored each other.
The Coltons were an unusual bunch, Chloe thought as she listened to the group chatter amongst themselves. Different ages, sizes, races, hair color, eye color. Charlotte and Donovan Colton had run a nonprofit organization for inner-city children, and Derek had laughingly told her that they liked to bring their work home with them—case in point, the six children they’d adopted.
As she sipped the iced tea Emma brought her, the photographs displayed on the fireplace mantel caught her attention. Setting the drinking glass on the pine coffee table, Chloe stood and headed for the hearth, smiling as she focused on a photo featuring a happy, distinguished-looking couple.
“That’s my mom and dad,” Sawyer said, coming up beside her. “I didn’t know them all that well. I was just a baby when they died.” His somber expression brightened as he pointed to the framed photo next to the first one. “And that’s me and Piper.”
Chloe grinned. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Sawyer then proceeded to point out each and every person in each and every picture, even the ones featuring only himself. Eventually, Chloe quit paying attention, until her gaze snagged on a photo of Derek with a pretty, raven-haired woman. The woman’s features hinted at both American and Asian descent, and she was utterly petite, the top of her head barely coming up to Derek’s shoulders. Both were beaming at the camera, but Chloe noticed that the smile didn’t quite reach the woman’s eyes. There was something so very sad about the woman in the picture.
“That’s Aunt Tess,” Sawyer said in a low voice, leaning closer to Chloe as if he didn’t want anyone to overhear.
“Aunt Tess?” she whispered.
“Derek’s wife. She died.”
Shock blasted through her, but Chloe did her best to hide her reaction. Derek didn’t wear a wedding ring—she’d definitely looked—but in the month she’d been working for him, he hadn’t once mentioned a deceased wife. Judging by Sawyer’s hushed tone, she got the feeling “Aunt Tess” wasn’t a common topic of conversation in the Colton household.
“Finally,” Tate said dryly.
Chloe turned around in time to see Derek stride into the room. Her heart did an involuntary somersault and she berated herself for the silly response.
Still, it was so hard not to drool over the man. Without the white coat and scrub bottoms he wore at the clinic, he looked far more approachable. Much more … well, sexy. His khakis were loose but couldn’t hide the long, muscular legs beneath them, and his black sweater molded to his broad, rippled chest. Lord, the man definitely worked out—no way had he acquired that rock-hard physique by
