Brandon (Anderson Billionaires #3) - Melody Anne Page 0,85

houseful, but that doesn’t mean my heart doesn’t ache for the ones who aren’t here,” Joseph said.

She believed he meant those words. Family was everything to Joseph and Katherine. Chloe didn’t think his family could ever grow big enough to make him fully happy. He wanted babies and more babies each and every year. His home was certainly big enough to house them all.

“Well, thank you for inviting me. I knew you wouldn’t mind if I brought a guest,” Brandon said, a bit out of breath from the bear hug Joseph had just given him.

“Chloe isn’t a guest; she’s a part of the family now,” Joseph insisted, making her heart beat faster at the kind words.

“Thank you for your graciousness, Joseph. It means a lot,” she told him. Living a lifetime with limited family had made her unsure how to react when she was welcomed in so warmly. Maybe that was why she avoided the holidays as much as she did.

“Ah, come here, sweetheart,” Joseph said, and before she could blink, he’d grabbed her up in the best hug she’d ever received. She could truly understand why this man was loved so much. He really was that good of a man.

“Let’s get into the kitchen ASAP. We’re only waiting on a couple more people. If they don’t hurry, we might just eat without them,” Joseph threatened.

He led them down the long wide hallway, and Chloe could hear the voices long before she saw anyone. It really was intimidating to be in the monstrous home. But she was trying to act as if this was any other day with normal people. Joseph and his family would never be described that way, not in this lifetime.

She was suddenly terrified to go into that room and wanted just a few moments to compose herself. She looked at Joseph and tried to keep a neutral expression on her face.

“Can I use the bathroom before I go in?” she asked.

“Of course, darling,” he told her. “The dining room is straight down this hall. Just follow the voices. The bathroom is two more doors down on the left,” he finished.

She thanked him and didn’t even look at Brandon as she took off for the bathroom, then stepped inside and shut the door. She leaned on the door and took a deep breath. So much was happening in such a short period of time. She was going to have to fight hard to not have a panic attack.

She’d been through much more trying times in her life. She’d make it through a crazy, chaotic, amazing family dinner with the Anderson family. Her besties were out there. She’d be just fine, she assured herself.

She walked to the sink and turned on the cold water. She was allowed just a bit more time before facing the crowd.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Joseph immediately went over and stood with his brothers, George and Richard, as he watched Brandon approach his siblings. If Joseph had been a betting man instead of a business mogul, he would’ve been just as successful in life. He had no doubt about it.

“Do you see Brandon over there? He’s happier than I’ve seen him since he lost his poor mama,” Joseph said. It wasn’t easy for him to talk in a hushed voice, but he could do it when it was absolutely necessary.

“Yes, I see a lot of happiness with all our new nephews,” George said as he sipped on his eggnog. “It’s another beautiful Christmas, and I love how much our family keeps on growing.”

“I can barely keep up anymore,” Richard said. “Since I lived most of my life not knowing I was taken at birth and had two brothers, this is a wonderful chaos to be thrust into—but still overwhelming at times. I went from having no siblings to having two, and now there are so many nieces and nephews and grandkids I’m woefully outnumbered.” He said this with a huge smile on his face.

“It’s a good thing our story has been written for the world to know about. We’ve had a lot of twists and turns along the way. I can say with confidence, though, that there aren’t too many people out there as blessed as this family has been. I say a thank-you prayer every night. I don’t want God to ever think I take him for granted or don’t appreciate all I’ve been given,” Joseph said.

“I agree. We’ve certainly had our losses in this life, but we’ve had so many blessings as well,” George said.