Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Luke had asked his parents and brother to arrive early, so he could tell them about Sarah and the boys. They were settled in the living room watching his niece, Emma, play.

Luke handed his mom a glass of wine—the others already had a drink—and he took a seat facing all of them.

His mom studied him for a moment. “Spill it, Luke. What’s wrong?”

“Missing the office?” his dad asked. “Because we’re happy to have you back full-time.”

Jason shook his head. “Speak for yourself.” Of course he was teasing. They’d always worked well together.

“It’s not about work. And nothing’s wrong,” Luke assured his mom. “It’s just . . . I found her.”

“Who?” his dad asked.

His mom leaned forward. “Do you mean . . .”

The smile came so easily when he thought about Sarah. “Her name is Sarah. She’s got two amazing sons.”

“Wait a second.” Jason leaned forward as well. “Are you saying you’re actually serious about someone?”

Michelle, Jason’s wife, planted her elbow on her knee and her chin in her hand and smiled. “Oh, I hope so. It’s been so long since someone held on to Luke for more than a minute.”

“Hey!” Luke said, knowing full well Michelle spoke the truth. He turned to his mom, knowing she’d understand. “I’m in love with her. She doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to marry her.”

Shocked silence filled the room.

Emma broke the silence by bashing a plastic purple hippo on the coffee table over and over again. Luke wondered if she’d be disappointed when she found out there were no purple hippos in the world.

“You’re serious?” Jason asked.

“Yes.”

His father looked surprised. “How long have you known her?”

“Five weeks.” It seemed like a lot longer.

His mom continued to study him, so he told her the truth he still couldn’t wrap his brain around. “I saw her, and I wanted her, and somehow, despite my brash questions and annoying her because I thought she was something she could never be, she fell for me.”

His mother gave him a knowing grin, and he went on, “She’s amazingly smart and kind and devastatingly beautiful and honest and . . . incredible.”

His mom put her hand on his knee. “She makes you happy.”

“In a way I’ve never felt. When she and the boys are here, it’s like . . . everything is perfect. The way I dreamed it could be. And every dream I ever had for my life and this place includes her. Them,” he clarified.

“Tell us everything,” his dad coaxed.

His family sat focused on him, open to everything he told them about how he and Sarah had met, Jack and Nick, her work and the company she ran, everything he could think of about her.

Jason sat back, eyeing Luke. “I have to say, I’ve never seen you this excited about a woman. You look happy and content for the first time in a long time. I can’t wait to meet the woman who finally tamed you. Will she be here soon?”

“Any minute.”

His mom took a sip of her wine, then looked at Luke over her glass. “I’m not surprised you’re so eager to move things along. Jason and Michelle fell head over heels right out of college.”

“He marched me down the aisle six months after I met him.” Michelle leaned over and kissed Jason, so much love in her eyes.

Sarah looked at Luke like that. He hoped she saw it in him when he looked at her.

“Love at first sight seems to run in the Thompson family. Your grandfather met and married your grandmother in a matter of five months. Dad and I met and married in eight months. When a Thompson man falls in love, it’s quick and deep. And it lasts,” his mom added, looking at his dad.

Luke had seen the love between them all these years and didn’t want to settle for less. That’s why he’d waited for Sarah to come into his life. “It just hit me and all I wanted to do was convince her to stay.”

“Stay?” His dad raised a brow.

“She’s brought the boys to visit Margaret for six weeks. That time is almost up and then she’s got to go back to Silicon Valley and run her company. But I’m hoping we can find a way to blend our lives that works for both of us. She’s a programmer so some of her work can be done remotely, which I hope she’ll do so she doesn’t have to commute into work every day. I want her to find a balance that works for her. Right now, she’s inundated with work and puts in sixteen to twenty hours a day, every day. But she’s promised to cut back and work more reasonable hours once she hires more help.”

“Wow,” Michelle said. “How does she do it with two kids?”

“I have no idea. The last time I saw her working, she had six computers going, a dozen files, and several cell phones handy. When she was here resting, her cell phone rang practically every two minutes. All I wanted to do was tell everyone to leave her alone and wrap her in my arms and let her have the peace and quiet she needed.”

“You really do love her, don’t you, son?”

“Yes, Mom. She’s it for me. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life without her and the boys. They’re so great. They remind me so much of Jason and me when we were young.”

“Who’s not young, old man?” Jason scowled. “I’m still young.”

“You won’t think that when you meet these boys. Nick, the four-year-old, he kicks my ass on the video games. Wait until he challenges you to play the race car game. He’s good.”

“That’s my best game. No way I let a four-year-old beat me.”

“Nick will. Jack is a strategist. He loves Knight’s Revenge. Sarah taught him some tricks to the game and he’s really good.”

“Sarah plays video games with them?” Jason looked surprised.

Nothing about her surprised Luke anymore. “She does everything with them. She taught them how to play baseball. I’m telling you, she’s mom and dad to those boys. She even taught them how to spit.”

“Seriously?” Jason smirked. “I think I love her.”

Jason gave him a wink, but Michelle took exception to his teasing. “Don’t even think about it, buster.” Michelle gave her husband’s hair a tug while she watched her daughter practice walking. “Is she another blond bombshell like all the others?”

Luke hadn’t really thought about himself having a type. But he supposed he did before Sarah. “She’s almost the opposite. She doesn’t need to make herself up to impress someone. She’s got a natural beauty and an inner beauty that you just can’t help but see. She’s a lot shorter than me and has dark, long hair. Her eyes are the color of brown sugar and she sings like an angel.”

“Good Lord, he’s in love.” Jason rolled his eyes, but the smile said he was happy for Luke. “And she knows next to nothing about us and the family business? Aren’t you concerned about her finding out and . . . things changing?”

It had happened several times in the past. “Very diplomatic, Jas. But I don’t need to worry about it. She’s wealthy and could care less about whether I had just this ranch or a multimillion-dollar business.”

Luke’s mom and dad exchanged a look he couldn’t really read, but he got they didn’t want him to be disappointed again by a woman who wanted something other than just him. They wanted him to be happy. He was. They’d see it as soon as Sarah arrived.

He checked his watch, wondering what was taking her so long, and knowing she probably got caught on a call or was corralling the boys.

“Jason, you’d be impressed with her business sense. I saw the financial statements for her company. She runs a tight ship. She’s increased her profits exponentially over the last two years and went from being in debt to generating hundreds of millions in profits.”

Jason whistled, impressed.

The knock on the door stopped all further conversation. Every eye in the room turned toward the door.