***
When they eventually got downstairs, they both headed straight for the washroom to clean up. Kayla blushed to the roots of her hair when Dean insisted on cleaning her up himself after quickly cleaning himself up.
“I can do it myself, Dean.” She protested. No longer cloaked under the lethargic intimacy usually shared right after sex, Kayla felt too shy to allow that.
“I know. But I don’t want you to feel shy around me, Kay. Ever! Now come here.” Dean’s determined look indicated that he wasn’t in the mood to be argued with. “Besides I can do a better job ’cause I can see every…”
“Will you shut up?” Kayla groaned, covering her eyes. Dean roared with laughter.
He picked Kayla up and laid her on the wide vanity. Then he proceeded to wipe her clean with a warm washcloth. By the time he was done, Kayla felt as good as new. Dean went to bring her bag so she could restyle her hair and re-do her makeup.
“You look beautiful,” Dean murmured, looking at her with so much desire her breath caught in her throat.
“Thank you.” She smiled.
Josh, Sam, and Alan had already left with their partners and the kids. So had Alice. Ron, Jean, and Tyler were sitting by the pool with Michael, conversing and sharing a bottle of Camus.
“There you are.” Michael Broody turned to smile at Dean and Kayla when they entered the pool area. “Sweetheart, Lucy wants to see you.” Michael addressed Kayla. “Show her to our bedroom, son.” He instructed Dean and turned back to his other sons, who had been conversing the whole time Michael had been talking to Dean and Kayla.
By the time they got back inside the house, Kayla was a nervous wreck.
“Oh my God Dean, she knows.” Kayla breathed, clutching at Dean’s hand.
“Knows what?” He asked, genuinely confused.
“What do you mean, knows what? She knows we had sex up there. What am I…”
“Baby?” Dean stopped and turned to face Kayla, taking both of her hands in his. “Listen to me. The last thing my mother would do is condemn you for having sex. Wrong mother. How the fuck do you think she gave birth to seven ki…”
“Dean, you know what I mean.” Kayla whimpered, cutting him off.
“I know,” Dean said with a chuckle. “I was just trying to make you feel better. But seriously, I don’t think my mother sees anything wrong with having sex, Kay. You can always tell her we didn’t have sex if that will make you feel better.” Dean chuckled. “But wait…she might wanna check. See for herself…she’s a gynecologist you know…”
“Will you get serious for just a second, Dean?” Kayla screeched hitting Dean on the arm.
“Ouch.” He cried out in mock indignation, rubbing his arm. “That’s assault, Madam Law Student.” But when he saw the genuinely worried look on Kayla’s face, Dean sobered up and hugged her to him. “You’ll be fine. My mother already adores you, Kay. You have nothing to worry about. Okay?”
“Okay,” Kayla whispered feeling slightly better.
“Shall we?” Dean asked stepping away from her and taking her hand in his larger ones.
Dean rang the bell on his parents’ door and opened it. “Mum?”
“In here, baby,” Lucy called out from somewhere inside the room.
Kayla noticed that they were standing in a living room. Lucy was probably in there somewhere, she thought. She turned to follow Dean into another room and gasped. Michael and Lucy Broody’s bedroom was the biggest she’d ever seen.
“Hi, Kayla.” Lucy was sitting up in bed, with her back against the headboard, holding a TV remote. She was reducing the volume on the program she was watching. “Come here, darling. Come sit beside me.”
Kayla went to stand awkwardly beside the gargantuan bed and looked down at her shoes.
“Climb in.” Lucy laughed. “Don’t mind those. They’re lovely by the way. Come on.” She patted the space beside her.
But Dean quickly went down on a knee to undo the straps around Kayla’s ankles, and then removed her shoes. “There, you’ll be more comfortable this way.”
“Thanks.” Kayla smiled at him and climbed onto the bed beside Lucy.
Lucy waited till Kayla was comfortably seated beside her, then turned to her son with a slow wink. “You may leave.”
“Alright, alright, I’m going. See you later, babes.” Then Dean was gone.
Lucy increased the volume on the program she was watching on the giant flat-screen TV. ‘Iron Chef America’. Bobby Flay was up against Michael Symon.
“I just love Michael Symon. He’s definitely going to win this.” Lucy gushed.
“Wanna bet?” Kayla drawled before she could stop herself.
Lucy laughed. “Oh, so you’re a fan of this program too huh?” She asked turning to look at Kayla.
“I love it, Dr. Broo…”
“Ah, ah, none of that. Call me Lucy.” Lucy said, turning back to the program. “Tell me, who’s your favourite Iron Chef?”
“Bobby Flay. Oh but I love Symon too. And Morimoto is simply a master. And I think Marc Forgione is cute. Alex…”
“You love all of them don’t you?” Lucy laughed, captivated by the excitement in Kayla’s eyes.
“I do actually,” Kayla said with a laugh. “Especially Bobby Flay. Come on, the guy even grills bananas.”
“Tell me about it,” Lucy said and they both burst into laughter. “Okay then, let’s see who wins. If my Michael wins…”
“I knew it. You love Symon because he’s called Michael.” Kayla teased, suddenly feeling at ease around the elderly woman.
“You got me there.” Lucy laughed. “And he can cook too.” She added. “So if he wins, what do I get?” Lucy asked.
“What do you want?” Kayla shot back.
Lucy Broody went quiet for a full minute, then in a soft voice, she said, “Love my son. Don’t hurt him.”
Kayla’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “And if I win?” She whispered around the lump in her throat.
“What would you want?” Lucy asked.
“I’ll love the hell out of him.” She whispered fiercely, the tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
“Come here,” Lucy said, gathering Kayla into her arms and wiping her cheeks with a tissue.
And that’s how both women watched the show, with Kayla tugged comfortably beside Lucy, her head resting on the older woman’s shoulder. When Michael Symon won, both women laughed softly.
“We both win,” Lucy murmured. “Welcome to the family, Kayla.”
“Thank you, Lucy,” Kayla whispered and adjusted herself more comfortably against Lucy.
When Dean and his father entered the room about an hour later, it was to find both women fast asleep, with Kayla still cuddled beside Lucy. Both men just stood there staring at the women in their lives. Then Dean took out his phone from his pocket and took a picture of the most heart-tugging sight he’d ever seen.
“I think that one is yours,” Michael said, pointing at Kayla with a chuckle when Dean pocketed his phone.
Dean picked up Kayla’s bag and shoes from the foot of the bed where she had left them, leaned down to kiss his mother on her forehead, and then picked Kayla up bridal style, making sure his dad didn’t see her naked butt.
“Good night Dad.” He said strolling towards the door.
“Night son. Talk to you tomorrow.”