Living with the Brooks Boys

Chapter 9

Ryder was flopped on my bed watching Paw Patrol whilst I got ready for the family dinner. My first week in Cherry Hills had come to an end and I was relieved to finally be able to relax over the weekend. First however, I had to get through the family dinner. Apparently they had a family dinner once a month which was cute in a way, especially considering how big the family was. Zeke had told me that Jane didn't take no for an answer. She didn't care if it was the middle of exam period or if the boys were off at college; she would drag them home for it.

It was crazy to me that there would be over 20 people at this dinner and it was just immediate family. My immediate family consisted of 4 people. 'Is this okay, Ryder?' I asked, coming out from my walk-in wardrobe. Ryder looked at me and he grinned a broad, excited grin.

'I love that Charlie!' he exclaimed, jumping up and down on my bed. I laughed, walking over to the full-length mirror. I was wearing a rose pink dress that flared at the bottom where it ended mid-thigh. I wore modest black heels on my feet and had curled my dark brown locks. I didn't know why, but for some reason I felt nervous. Perhaps it was because normally I only had to deal with one or two brothers at the same time. Today, I had the whole lot, plus more!

'Alright, stand up little man!' I ordered Ryder. He did as told and I straightened out his tie and dress shirt. He looked absolutely adorable. 'Let's go,' I said anxiously, turning off the TV. When we got out into the hallway, Jesse stumbled out of his room from across the hallway. His hair was a mess like he'd just had a shower, his shirt was unbuttoned and his shoes were undone. I raised an eyebrow but before I was given the chance to say anything, Ryder dragged me down the stairs and out the back.

There were so many places in the house I hadn't explored and the backyard was one of them. I was taken aback by the beauty of the patio with the beautiful fairy lights, the large wooden table that was decorated beautifully, the gorgeous plants and flowers that surrounded the patio, and the amazing and expansive infinity pool that seemed to greet the horizon which was acres of land with a backdrop of the beautiful mountains that Colorado was famous for. My breath was literally taken away.

***

'Everyone take your seats, dinner is ready!' Jane yelled loudly across the patio. I had been standing in a circle with Logan, Blake and Logan's girlfriend, Amy. I'd taken quite a liking to Amy. She was probably one of the most down to earth people I had met since arriving in Cherry Hills – that had only been a week, but still. She was beautiful, with shiny black hair, pale skin and bright green eyes.

'Good luck,' Amy said, beaming at me and looping her arm through Logan's. Blake and I followed them over to the table.

'You'll be fine,' Blake said with a reassuring smile. I took my seat at the table which boasted an abundance of delicious-looking food and incredible aromas. It seemed that I was sitting around the people I associated most. To my right was Blake (who had Jane on the other side of him). Zeke sat to my left next to Ryder who manned the end of the table. Across from Ryder was Amy and Logan, and across from me was only my favourite person (note the sarcasm) – Jesse. Braxton sat next to Jesse who sat next to Jane's parents – Jennifer and Michael.

'Everyone dig in,' Peter ordered and I sat back for a few moments to avoid the chaos that pursued the table. The experience I had had with food in this family was unlike any other I had had before. Despite being insanely rich, they all ate as though they were poor. The minute Peter got the words out of his mouth, hands shot into the centre of the table where plates upon plates of food were lined up in anticipation of this precise moment. After everyone had loaded their plates, I began to fill mine. Some of the dishes in the middle had been completely drained of content. Luckily, even though the favourites had been picked out, all of the food looked amazing.