Chapter 10

10

Autumn

When I arrive at the Bassett farm, things are in full swing. Beau wasn't kidding about the whole family being here; all the Bassett kids, plus Trinity and Blake, Hartley, Skye and Eden, Jack and Patti, Callan and Celeste, Trudy and Hudson. There's even Sunny, Eden's dog Noodle, and Gabe and Skye's dog, Daisy, making themselves at home.

The atmosphere is filled with laughter as the late afternoon sunshine filters through the back window and Beau's mom and Patti both run around making sure everyone has a drink in their hand. I bought a couple of bottles of wine along. I didn't know what would be appropriate for a Sunday dinner, but I didn't want to turn up empty handed.

"Autumn, hi!" Gayle spots me as I place the two bottles on the counter. Everyone turns to look and I cast a quick wave over to the family. I can see Beau is playing a game of pool with his dad, Jack and Brooklyn. "You look lovely, honey."

"Hi Mrs. Bassett. Thank you, so do you. Thanks for inviting me along."

"It's Gayle," she says, waving off the Mrs. Bassett thing. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I'd love one, thanks."

"Is a Chardonnay okay?"

"Perfect."

I see Beau waving his stick toward me, indicating he's just finishing his shot.

I smile at him as Eden and Georgia both sidle up to me.

"Aut, you made it, that's so good you did." Georgia gives me a hug and stands back to look at me. "Mom's right, you do look gorgeous."

I smile, pressing my lips together a little shyly. "Thank you." Little does anyone know exactly why I took so much time and effort getting ready, even if I was going for casual. "I love that tassel dress," I say to Georgia.

She does a little twirl in her denim number with tassels hanging from the pockets. "Thanks, I'm just glad it's getting warmer so I can start wearing my spring dresses."

"Tell me about it," Eden says.

She's still all loved up with a glow to her cheeks.

"You get more glowy every time I see you," I say, and I see her a lot because she's one of my besties and all.

"Aww you!" She gives me a little hug. "I guess having the love of that man right there will do that to you." We all glimpse over to Brooklyn, who's hula hooping with Trinity and Blake in between his shots of pool.

Noodle comes trotting up to her mama as I bend down and give her a little scruffle. Daisy, the little toy poodle, comes bounding up. She's such a cute, tiny little thing. I give her some attention too.

"Down Daisy!" Skye tells her firmly as she walks over and gives me a hug, trying to stop Daisy jumping up at me. Daisy dutifully sits and looks up at Skye, wagging her tail across the floor. "Hi Aut. Sorry we're trying to get her to stop jumping when she gets excited."

"She's such a sweet little thing." I smile.

"She sure is. Me and Trin have been taking her to puppy school, haven't we Trin?"

Trinity comes hula hooping toward us as Gayle brings me back a glass of wine from the little drinks bar on the far side of the games room.

"Yes, Daisy has a best fwend!" she tells me.

I look down at the gorgeous little girl; she's a Bassett through and through, with long dark hair and the signature blue eyes. "What's her best friend's name?" I ask as she tries her best to keep the hula hoop swinging while holding onto her toy rabbit.

"Gizmo!" she announces. "That's my best fwend Emma's puppy."

"Wow," I say. "I bet she sure makes friends easy."

"She wuvs Sunny and Noodle too!"

"I bet she does, sweetie."

"Honey, do you think that's the best place to be doing that?" Skye gives her a stroke on the head. From what I know Trinity and Skye really formed an affinity for each other in a short space of time.

"Uncle Bwook said we could."

We all laugh. Of course Brook would encourage the kids to be hula hooping around a crowded family dinner.

"How about I grab a hoop and show you how to do it outside?" I didn't realize Beau had walked over with his pool cue, and is now looking at little Trinity with his hand on his hip. He turns his tall frame to me and I smile. "Hey, Aut."

"Hi Beau."

"You look lovely."

I see Georgia's eyes shoot up in my periphery.

"Thanks," I say softly.

"Let's have a hula hoop competition!" Blake says excitedly as she runs up with the hoop over her head. "Hey, Autumn."

"Hi, hon. Are you leading the charge?"

"Yep. But my dad is pretty good at it," Blake says.

"Well I'm even better," Beau says, and when I look up he gives me a wink. "What do you reckon, Autumn? Do you think you can give me a run for my money?"

I laugh and hold my wine glass to my lips, taking a sip of wine. I'm going to need it if I'm hula hooping with Beau and the kids. "I haven't done it in years."

"I can show you!" Trinity says, tugging my arm. "It's really easy, see!" She hoops it a couple of times before it falls on the floor.

"You do make it look pretty easy," I admit. Though, I'm not sure I need to see Beau gyrating his hips any time soon with all the other lustful thoughts I've been having about him.

Then again, it might not be a bad thing. "How about I take Uncle Brook's place until he's finished playing pool?"

"Yes!" Blake and Trinity call at the same time.

Eden gives me a little nudge. "Looks like you're up."

"Don't you kids be out there too long, dinner is nearly ready!" Patti says as she busies herself with topping everyone up for a drink. I give Celeste a little wave who's over talking to Callan by the table, both looking very cute and cozy.

"Yeah, yeah," Beau says, tugging my wrist as I'm wrenched from the girls to the side patio which has a huge deck and overlooks lush green grass and a gorgeous garden. They've planted all different varieties of magnolia trees along the fence line, and if there's one thing I love, it's magnolias.

"Hey, Hart!" I say on the way past. She's talking to Gray and Gabe, as Beau is still leading me outside with Trin and Blake running ahead of us and the doggies all following. Sunny has woken herself up from under the table and wanders out for a stroll.

"Hi, Aut. What are you?—"

Beau twirls the hula hoop on his finger. "Duty calls, Hart."

Her eyes grow wide and she laughs. "Good luck!" she hollers.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it!" I don't know what the hell I've agreed to here, but the kids sure are fun to be around and the atmosphere is really lively and welcoming.

It sorta reminds me that I need to probably check in with my folks soon. I haven't been to Memphis for a few months and I know my mom and gran want to catch up.

Beau hands me a hula hoop when we get outside and we watch the kids for a moment as they give me a quick tutorial.

"You just have to keep your hips moving, Aunty Autumn." Blake has always called me that even though I'm not her aunty at all.

"Is that so?" I muse, taking the hoop over my head and holding it in place. "Am I allowed to practice before the competition starts?"

"Yes!" Trinity jumps up and down giggling. "You can pwactice, Aunty Autumn."

I laugh as she copies Blake's name for me. "Alright girls, stand back!"

Beau's standing back too, looking cuter than ever… And that look on his face. Oh my. He certainly has that intense eye gaze down pat, there's mischief behind those baby blues.

"Let's see your best, Autumn leaf."

"No pressure or anything," I laugh as I set the hoop free and move my hips around and around. Amazingly it twirls quite a few times before it drops to the ground.

Beau grins. "Hey, you're not bad."

"I haven't done this since I was about Trinity's age." I giggle as I have another go.

"See, you're getting it," Blake says as she twirls hers effortlessly.

"Let's see you, Uncle Beau!" Trinity is pretty good at it considering she's a tiny little thing with no waist at all.

"Yes, let's," I say, with a hand on my hip.

Beau makes a dramatic show of setting up his hoop before he spins it and swirls his hips, keeping it going around and around and around. I'm almost a little mesmerized watching him. It doesn't even fall down like mine did. He stops it and holds it in place as he gives me a lopsided grin.

"Have you been practicing?" I laugh.

"I think he has," Blake agrees.

"Let's all hoop together!" Trinity cries as Daisy tries to grab her hoop in all the excitement.

"Alright, let's," Beau says. "Because I think your grandma is just about to serve dinner. So ready… one…two… three." We all start swirling at the same time, none of us can contain our laughter. And it's definitely not something I thought I'd be doing when I was getting ready to come here tonight.

I'm not doing too bad until I see Beau, who's hooping toward me, showing off, then his hoop hits mine and they both fall. "Hey!" I laugh and bend down to pick mine up. Blake loses control of hers and little Trin is the last one standing.

"I win!" she calls out happily, jumping up and down waving her rabbit around.

"What's all this noise out here?" Brook sticks his head out the door and waggles his eyebrows.

"Trinity is beating us all in hula hooping, Dad."

"Well, I'll give you a challenge for the title after dinner, Trin. Grandma wants you kids to wash up, okay?"

They both run off inside with their hoops, the dogs running after them.

"You two alright?" Brook asks, scratching his head while we're just standing there.

"Fine," Beau says. "Just entertaining the kids."

"You two better wash up too." He gives us a wink and heads back inside.

"That was fun," I say. "I never knew you could move like that."

Beau grabs his hoop and starts to walk toward the door and I follow. "I've got skills you've never seen," he says with a cheeky smile.

My heart does a little strum… and I feel it somewhere else, too.

Oh, God. Not again.

Luckily I'm quickly snapped out of my momentary lapse on the friends-train when we get back inside. Everyone is taking their places at the table and Patti and Gayle are pouring everyone a champagne.

"Is anyone going to tell us what's going on?" Gray says as Beau and I both take a seat.

"Can't we all get together for a family dinner without anything going on?" Gayle says, flashing a grin toward Patti. Yep, something is definitely going down.

"Not when all the fine China, special cutlery, and crystal glasses are out," Gabe adds.

It's Callan that coughs and pipes up next. Pushing his chair back to stand, he tings his glass with the teaspoon from one of the bone China cups on the table and everyone looks up at him. Celeste's beaming from ear to ear… Oh wow. I can tell they have a pretty big announcement, and they're already engaged, so they've either set a date for the wedding or…

"We were going to wait until after dinner," he says, glancing down at her, she smiles up at him and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "But Celeste and I can't wait another second. Honey, do you want to tell everyone?"

"Out with it!" Brook hollers through cupped hands and everyone laughs.

"Okay so…ummm." Celeste pauses, pressing her lips together for a moment. "We wanted to let everyone know that I'm pregnant!" she giggles. And the glow and happiness that spreads over her face brings warmth to my heart.

The whole table makes the same noise at once and Patti, who obviously already knew, is over there hugging Celeste and Callan in a heartbeat. "My first grand baby!" she cries. "Can you all believe it!"

"At the rate those two probably practice, I don't doubt it!" Brook feels the need to add. Eden elbows him and Gayle clouts him on the back of the head as she walks over to hug Celeste. Us girls all follow suit as the guys all get up to give Callan pats on the back and handshakes. Jack looks pretty pleased himself about becoming a grandad.

"Are you excited about being an Aunty?" I say to Trudy as I wait in turn to give Celeste and Callan a hug.

"It's so exciting!" The pint-sized little blonde gushes. She's only twenty-one and such a sweetheart. "She's going to make the cutest pregnant person ever."

"You sure about that?" Celeste says when Hart and Skye step out of the way to let us in.

"You really are, Celeste!" Trudy hugs her for all she's worth as tears fall down Celeste's eyes. "Sorry, it's silly. I'm just so happy."

"It isn't silly," I say. I know it's been a long time coming for her finding her happiness. It's a lovely thing to witness. "It's so beautiful. Congratulations to you both!"

"Yes, congrats!" Beau says next to me. "You two are going to be great parents."

"I knew I'd knock her up sooner or later," Callan jokes.

He's just as big and strapping as his cousins, but not quite as dark.

He looks extremely proud of himself as Celeste playfully hits him on the arm.

"See, I wasn't half wrong, was I?" Brook gives Callan a hefty pat on the back. "I'm hoping me and my old lady will churn out a few more before long," he chortles.

That makes me smile. I know Eden has always wanted more kids.

"Not before the wedding season is over!" Georgia jibes him in the ribs. "We need Eden! If anyone else is next, I'm predicting Hart and Gray are on the baby train."

"Heard that!" Hart flashes us a wink over the table as everyone starts returning to their places. But she doesn't deny it, or look affronted, which is interesting.

"We can certainly have fun trying." Gray slings his arm around her and snuggles into her neck as Gayle gives her son another withering look on the way to the kitchen. Patti and Gayle start busily putting everything together into dishes and taking the roast out of the oven.

"We knew you had it in you." Hudson is the next to give Callan a huge pat on the back.

"Celeste did all the hard yards," Callan muses as she swipes at him again.

"Ooh does that mean you're going to make it official and get married now?" Georgia says, shoving Hudson out the way so she can give Celeste another hug.

"Not sure if you realized, but two people don't need to get married just to have a baby, Blue Belle," Hudson jokes..

"I know that, GP!" Grumpy pants. "I meant we have a great wedding venue if they want to make it official."

I smile. Yep, they're definitely fighting it.

"We are talking about getting hitched before the baby is born," Celeste says. "We'll see in the next few weeks how I go."

"Well, you're looking very glowy," I say as we start making our ways back to our seats.

"Let's give Callan and Celeste a toast," Jack announces after he's given his son a huge bear hug and his daughter-in-law to be.

"Wait for us!" Patti looks flustered as she places a huge bowl of potatoes in the center of the table and then a roast chicken at the either end. Gayle follows with more vegetables, Skye and Trin put out the dinner rolls and Eden is on the gravy.

"I'm waiting, woman," he hollers as everyone stands. Trin is bouncing around excitedly on her chair waving her little bunny rabbit around in one hand, with a cup of soda in the other. "Family and friends, to Celeste and Callan. Patti's and my first grandchild, congratulations kids!"

"And many more to come!" Patti hollers.

Everyone laughs and cheers, raising their glasses. Beau gives me a wink. "Nice hula hooping," he bends a little to whisper.

I feel the warmth of his breath on my neck, causing a shiver to run through me again.

I turn to him. "I bet you never knew I had those skills either, did you, Beau?"

He smiles, and it lights up his whole face. "Oh, I knew, Autumn Leaf. I really knew."