or proving my worth as a person.
The scores I received, the time I clocked going down a charted course, the tricks I completed—they were about my ability to physically perform.
This—walking through that door with Claire at my side—was about everything else. The one thing I was good at, at this moment, was completely and utterly useless.
So, while her certainty was great, it didn't feel like I'd be fine as she clutched my hand and walked us inside behind Emmett.
But I didn't want to make her second-guess bringing me, so I kept my stubborn mouth shut.
The two-story entryway was bright with athletic equipment scattered around the hardwood floor. The arched hallway adjacent to it led to a bright, big kitchen, which was filled with amazing smells and loud, feminine laughter.
It was a house that was lived in and loved well. Marks on the painted walls were plentiful, and I saw a gouge in the drywall that looked suspiciously like a bike wheel had implanted itself there. The walls were covered in snapshots of a family that had grown together over the years, and each one we passed made me just a bit more ill at ease.
The love in this place was overflowing. In every inch, dominating every sense.
All of it should have made me feel better, but it only made me feel worse. Because this wasn't the kind of home I knew. I tightened my grip on her fingers, and she squeezed them in return.
We came around the corner into the kitchen, which was one large open space the flowed into a massive, comfortably furnished family room. A large flat screen mounted on the wall was frozen on a football game. No surprise there.
Most of the family had their backs to us with how they were crowded around the large marble island where Paige and Logan were cooking.
Logan saw us first, and I took a deep, steadying breath at the look he leveled in my direction.
He was a tall guy, broad and strong, and his slightly graying temples and lines around his eyes were the only sign he was well into his forties. Instead of interrupting the story that Isabel was telling, still oblivious to our entrance, he settled a hand on his wife's back and excused himself from the kitchen.
He came around the island, and something about his gait, his commanding presence had me standing up straighter. Lia noticed and nudged Isabel. Isabel quieted, and threw a towel at Paige, who finally lifted her head.
Now the look I got from her made it difficult to swallow. Yeah, she was imagining every nightmare I could've conjured for this family dinner.
Logan gave his sister a tight hug, ruffling her hair as he pulled back. "You made it home safe?"
He looked her over like we'd actually been stuck outside in the snowstorm, and she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah. Roads were fine by the time we left this morning."
"I'll bet," Paige muttered.
Isabel cleared her throat, and it held a warning behind it. Finn smothered a smile, and I wanted to chuck something at his head for the fact he got to be here to witness this.
He turned to me and held out his hand, which I took. I swear, I tried not to cringe at his grip, I really did.
"Logan," he said.
"Bauer Davis," I told him. "Appreciate you having me, sir."
At that, he finally cracked a reluctant smile. "I'm not that old. Logan is fine."
Isabel had turned on her stool, peppering Claire with questions about where we'd stayed, and Lia whispered behind the counter with Paige.
Emmett tore around the house, oblivious to any undercurrents of my visit.
The rolling chatter of the family never ebbed, just stayed at a constant hum. A buzz that seemed to grow louder and louder in my ears.
"That's romantic as shit," I heard Isabel exclaim. "A tiny cabin in the woods? Can't ask for better."
Claire laughed under her breath, reaching for my hand.
Already, the small gesture felt like an anchor, holding me steady. Could she have known that I needed it?
Of course, she could have. She was perceptive enough to know that big families weren't exactly my expertise, especially when two of the people present were probably waiting for me to bolt.
Maybe because I absolutely wanted to. Bolting sounded great. Take Claire and go back to her bed. Better yet, drive her up to Whistler so we could break in my bed too.
Paige turned a burner down on the stove and wiped her hands on a towel that was slung over