Chapter 9

"Blaze!" Harold spoke as he saw Blaze making his way down the stairs and into the living room. They shared a familiar hug and gave each other pats on the back. "How have you been man?" Blaze asked. He liked Harold; he had a sort of calming effect that seemed to reach out to everybody, wrapping them up in his contentment.

"Good, we were expecting you home last month for the engagement, what happened?" He smiled.

"I supposed I was hoping the marriage wasn't going to happen." He was joking, but if he was honest with himself, he was furious when he heard his younger sister was getting engaged, especially since he didn't even know the boy and his consent wasn't sought. Inwardly Blaze hoped the sucker knew what would be done to him if he ever hurt her.

Blaze gazed around the room, it was the first time in a long time since he saw his entire family together, and he inwardly smiled at the image of his parents standing amongst their children. His father draped his arms around his wife, both of them looking on at the scene in reverence. His mother's eyes caught his and she smiled, one of complete happiness and contentment.

"Blaze." He tore his gaze from his parents and looked upon Mary, she looked nervous and he felt amused at her distress. "This is Luke, Luke this is my older brother-"

The boy, well he was well over twenty-five but to Blaze, he was a boy, held his hand out, with an expecting smile on his face, "Mr. Matthews, it's a pleasure." Blaze looked at him in a rather bored manner then let his gaze run over his sister, he extended his hand and shook Luke's. He wasn't blind to the fact that his sister exhaled the air she was holding in.

"You are a very lucky man, keep her happy." He spoke softly enough so that Mary and Luke were the only two to hear him, what he saw next melted away his hesitance, well part of it. Luke turned his gaze to Mary and smiled, his eyes partaking in the gesture, "The luckiest and I will do my utmost best." There was no doubt in Blaze's mind that Luke was in love with his sister, okay maybe just a speck of doubt, and sometimes a speck was all it took. "Welcome to the family," Blaze spoke as he patted Luke on the shoulder and walked towards his parents.

"Where's Juliette?" His father questioned, he was about to answer when his head turned instinctively to the staircase, her hair was pulled back and she wore jeans that hugged her legs in such a way that Blaze wished that he was the one wrapped around her. She finished her look with a T-shirt that hugged her breasts giving her a very womanly appearance without causing her to appear trampy.

He left his parents side and joined her at the bottom of the stairs, he held out his hand to her and gave her a look of mutual understanding, one she returned by squeezing his hand. Blaze pulled her closer and whispered softly, "Are you ready for this?" To which Juliette gave a wavering smile, Blaze couldn't help but think about the way her face lit up when she smiled.

Hand in hand they made their way to where Blaze's family was quite studiously staring at them. Juliette wanted to run back up the stairs and never come back down.

His mother spoke first, "Harold, Luke, this is Blaze's girlfriend, Juliette." They all circled around them. Harold held out his hand first, "My God, I think it's safe to say that we all thought it would never happen, it's a great pleasure." He was so warm and held himself in spirits, Juliette couldn't help but like him, she thought that he and Emma were a well-matched couple, their temperaments much alike. Of course, everyone laughed, well everyone except Blaze, and Juliette couldn't help but think if he even had a sense of humor.

She shook hands with Harold and felt the corners of her lips raising in the formation of a smile, her nervousness long forgotten. "I am Luke." a younger boy spoke, he was on the quieter side, and he was also immensely liked. She wondered if Blaze would show his regard for the boy, it was clear Luke held strong emotions for Mary, but Blaze could be stubborn and his pride got in the way of what he ought to do a lot of the time.

The introductions were over as soon as possible and Blaze, his father, Harold, and Luke left the room for some reason Juliette didn't know, her mind had shut off when the eldest member suggested for the men to leave the women alone. She didn't know how she would get through even a minute without him, she hoped the conversation revolved around the wedding. Naturally, her hopes were shattered when Mary shrieked in excitement and grabbed hold of Juliette's hands, and dragged her to the sofa.

"I thought they would never leave." Emma sat at the other side of Juliette while Mrs. Matthews sat next to Mary. Juliette's heart pounded, that for a second she thought she would be unable to hear anything else but the untamed rhythm echoing in a stern warning.

"You need to tell us everything!" Mary demanded happily and the unison of "Mary!" blanketed the room from both her mother and older sister.

"It's fine, don't ever feel as if you have to tread carefully for fear of offending me," Juliette replied and was gifted welcoming smiles from all three women.