Cliff

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. World Castle Publishing, LLC Pensacola, Florida Copyright © Kathi S. Barton 2023 Paperback ISBN: 9781960076267 eBook ISBN: 9781960076274 First Edition World Castle Publishing, LLC, January 30, 2023 http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com Licensing Notes All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews. Cover: Karen Fuller Editor: Karen Fuller Prologue Cliff was glad to be home. He’d been out of the country for the last several months, and he needed his own bed and was looking forward to meeting the family’s newest members. As soon as he was able to get out of the jet and onto the ground, he wanted to lay down and kiss the earth. Home. He was home. “Son, you all right?” He hugged his dad, having only been able to do video chats through an app since he’d left in order to see him. And he’d talked to him through their link when he had a question about work. Cliff really missed his dad. Dad hugged him just as tightly. “I’m assuming you’re happy to be here. As much as I’m glad you are.” “You’ve no idea. I’m so ready for a home-cooked meal with all the trimmings and the rest of the family shouting to be heard over everyone else. How are you, Dad?” He told him he was better now that all his boys were home. “I bet you are. I’ve missed you so much, Dad. All of you. Tell me about the others. Caitlynne and Cody.” As he and Dad went to get his luggage from the baggage return, Dad filled him in on everything. Not in a timely manner, but he enjoyed his dad jumping from one story to the next. “Joel is going to be a daddy. And then there are Cody’s brothers. Well, it’s only Matt that is her true brother, but I sure do like Donald too. They’re raising Cody’s sister’s children. Paige, I told you about her.” He said it was in the papers where he’d been too. “My goodness, really? Well, she’s being taken up to one of those criminally insane places. I have a feeling she’ll never make it there. Not just staying there, but I don’t think the family means for her to live out her life. She’s a nasty sort of person, son. About the nastiest I’ve ever heard of.” They decided to get a sandwich on the way home. He was starving, and Dad said he could eat. That meant he was going to have a few burgers and a milkshake. Dad’s “I could eat” was like he’d not eaten in ten days. Still, Cliff enjoyed himself just hanging out with his dad. By the time they were pulling up in front of a house he didn’t recognize, he was starving again. Dad told him they were eating at Matt and Donald’s home because Donald, a chef, wanted them to try some dishes he wanted to put on his menu. It would be frou-frou food. Cliff just knew it. But the smells coming from the back of the house told him Donald was cooking like his mom had, with bacon grease in the fried potatoes and ham chunks in the green beans, which had been simmering all day in the fat. Going into the beautifully appointed kitchen, he was hugged by the rest of his family. Then he was introduced to the women. “You’ve been the topic of conversation for the last couple of days. I think that any one of the single women, no matter the age, would snatch you up in a heartbeat if you were single for too much longer.” He told Caitlynne that women loved him. “Sure they do. You’ll keep your pants zipped up and your mouth virginal while I’m around, buddy. I won’t have you putting notches on bedposts on my watch.” They both laughed, as did his family. He was introduced to Matt and Donald and then Kelly and Dani. Dad had told him about them, so he had a gift for them both to welcome them to the family. Pulling out a suitcase he’d brought in with him, he handed them each a large basket of things he’d picked up just for them. “I went to this little coffee shop daily to get their hot chocolate and sweet rolls. They made you both up a batch of it, so you can have some here when I visit. I have my own stash, so you won’t have to share.” The little girl was very shy and hid behind her brother. Cliff winked at her. “I also have you a doll. One, I had no idea when I got her that she’d be just as pretty as you are. My goodness, you could be the model they used.” The doll was a huge hit, and she went off to play with it. He asked Kelly if he would like his special gift. The little man looked up at Donald, asking permission, and Cliff thought he should have asked first before giving them gifts. “Never be afraid to bring the kids something special from your travels, Cliff. Later the four of us will go over the gifts you gave them and talk about where they came from. It’s wonderful of you to think of them in this way.” He nodded at Donald but felt bad. “I’m serious, Cliff. I’m so happy you’ve included them as part of your family. The others have, and it’s been so much easier on them. What did he get you, Kelly?” “Dad told me he was enjoying learning to carve animals in the wood. I did, too, as a