The Unwanted Runaway

Dinner with The Millers

Anna’s POV

turn to face Evan, my brows furrowed as I recount the events of the previous night. "I Sarah seemed rather cordial towards me. Despite what you're saying," I add.

Jason, who had been listening intently, interjects with a concerned look on his face. "That doesn't surprise me, Anna. Sarah made it clear that she was not pleased with the way Denton was looking at you throughout the night."

My eyes squint a little as I recall a few instances of Denton's lingering gaze. "Denton can be difficult to read sometimes," I reason, my voice laced with uncertainty. However, before I can delve further into the matter, Evan chimes in with a revelation that catches me off guard.

"Well, they've been having some issues lately because of her son, Seth," Evan informs us, his tone carrying a tinge of frustration. "If it wasn't for Denton and Sarah being together, he wouldn't want Seth around EJ," he continues, his voice growing tense. . Seth is more than just a bad influence for EJ. He's a major bully and a constant pain in the ass."

I can sense the frustration and anger emanating from Evan as he shares this information, and I can't help but feel sympathetic towards him. The situation with Sarah, Denton, and Seth is clearly causing a lot of tension and conflict, and I can only hope that things will improve for the sake of everyone involved.

As we make our way to the front of the main house, Evan, Jason, and I walk with purpose. Evan turns to us and says, "Let's go talk to my dad real quick. He's in his office on the left as soon as you walk in through the front door. He just needs you to sign a few things for your safety and ours before you start working on the ranch tomorrow morning."

I follow Evan into the office and see Lily sitting on the lap of an older gentleman, who I assume is Evan's father. He bears a striking resemblance to Evan, with his salt and pepper hair and bright blue eyes. Lily is coloring in a book filled with baby animals and excitedly exclaims, "Hi daddy, hi Miss Anna! Look what Pop Pop gave me. I'm coloring the kitty picture!" She holds up the page, a pink cat with bright purple eyes colored in and out of the lines. Evan smiles and praises her, "Good job, sweetie. Do you know where your mommy is?" Lily nods and replies, "Yeah, daddy. She's in the kitchen helping Grammy." Evan gently asks, "Do you mind going to see her for a minute?" Lily happily agrees and gives her dad a hug and a kiss before leaving the office. Evan closes the door and turns to me. I stand quietly as Mr. Miller motions for me to take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. Evan stands and Jason sits beside me.

Mr. Miller introduces himself, "Anna, I'm Luke Miller. Welcome to our family's ranch. Instead of going through all the details now, I'll give you this letter. It outlines everything we expect from you and gives you a better understanding of what goes on here." He hands me a letter with my name written on it and I thank him. "Thank you, Mr. Miller." He smiles and says, "Please, call me Luke." I nod and say, "Okay, Luke, sir." Just then, there's a knock on the door, saving me from any further awkwardness. Luke invites the person in and in walks EJ,

EJ call Luke pop, pop, and says that Grammy said that dinner is ready. Luke thanks EJ and tells us we can all gather in the dining room now. He turns to me and says, "Well, that's all for now. I really hope you enjoy working here, Anna. I hope it won't be too much of a hassle for you." Jason speaks up, "Don't worry, I've got her under my watch. I'll definitely help her out." Evan nods and adds, "Yeah, Jason's got your back. Let's head on out." Luke pats Jason on the shoulder and says, "Thanks, guys. Anna, please lead the way." We all walk out of the office together.

As we made our way through the house to the family dining area, I couldn't help but notice how warm and inviting the atmosphere was. We were greeted by Mia, who was overjoyed to see me again, and an older woman whom I assumed to be Mrs. Miller, with her daughter, a younger version of herself, by her side. As we exchanged pleasantries, I couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with this family.

Mrs. Miller, or Rose as she preferred to be called, took my hand in a motherly way and introduced herself. I returned the gesture and greeted her with equal warmth. Nikki, the younger girl who seemed to be around my age, also came up to me and introduced herself as Evan and Denton's sister. I smiled and said hello to her as well.

The young boy, Seth, who I assumed to be the youngest of the siblings, wasted no time in making his presence known. "Enough with the talking, when can we get our grub on? I'm starving!" he exclaimed, jokingly punching EJ in the arm. EJ, rubbing his arm in response, asked why he did that. Seth, still trying to be funny, replied with a smirk, "I just felt like it. Stop being a baby, EJ."

Sarah quickly intervened and scolded Seth, while EJ looked on with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "That's enough, Seth. You should know better, especially since you're two years older than him," Sarah stated firmly. Seth mumbled something under his breath, apparently rude towards his mother, as he took his seat at the dinner table.

As we all settled in, I made my way over to Brooke, Denton, and Sarah, greeting them and expressing my pleasure at seeing them again. We all took our seats at the table, with Mr. Miller, or Luke as he preferred to be called, sitting at the head and Mrs. Miller by his side. On the other side of Luke sat Nikki, with Denton, Sarah, and Seth next to her. Jason and Brooke sat on the same side as Nikki, and on the opposite end where Mrs. Miller was sitting, were Evan, Mia, their daughter Lily, their son EJ, and myself.

As I looked at the spread of delicious food on the table, I couldn't help but comment, "Oh my, it's like a Thanksgiving feast here without it being Thanksgiving. Am I missing something?" Mrs. Rose shook her head with a smile and replied, "No, Anna. This is just our typical Sunday evening dinner. Every Sunday, the family gets together and has a decent meal, and we spend time together as a family." Sarah rolled her eyes and whispered to Denton, who just looked at me with a knowing smile.

I quickly apologized to Mrs. Rose, feeling slightly embarrassed by my comment. She reassured me that it was alright, and explained that usually the ranch hands didn't eat with the family. Nikki chimed in, saying that Carter spoke highly of me and they all wanted to meet me, so they thought this would be the perfect opportunity. Her sincere smile reached her eyes as she looked at me. Denton took the opportunity to ask Nikki how her son Zek was feeling, to which she replied with a sigh, "Terrible twos and on top of that, an upset tummy. So I put him to bed a little early tonight."

After our satisfying dinner, I approached Mrs. Rose with a genuine offer to assist with cleaning up. Initially, she politely declined, but I insisted, overwhelmed with gratitude for the delicious meal and the warm invitation into their family home. Eventually, Mrs. Rose gratefully accepted my help and I joined Nikki, Mia, Brooke, and Mrs. Rose in tidying up the kitchen.

As I quietly worked, I couldn't help but overhear their conversation about Seth and EJ, who play football together on the same youth team coached by Evan. The discussion then shifted to Nikki's husband, Joshua, who will soon finish his tour overseas and retire from the military to work on the family ranch.

Lost in their captivating conversation, my phone chimed in my back pocket. Excusing myself from the kitchen, I checked my phone to find a heartbreaking voicemail from my father. Holding back tears, I quickly listened to the message and returned inside, needing a moment to compose myself.

As I took a few deep breaths, I overheard Brooke and Mia discussing the tense situation between Mr. Rose and Sarah. Apparently, Sarah was being argumentative with Denton, and they left without a word. Mrs. Rose was also upset because she had tried to gift Sarah a family heirloom bracelet for her wedding to Denton, but Sarah refused it, not liking how it looked with her dress. They also mentioned how Sarah often acts like part of the family, but doesn't seem to enjoy any of the social gatherings or family dinners.

It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't even noticed when Sarah, Denton, and Seth had left immediately after dinner, without offering to help clean up. Mia then changed the subject, suggesting to Brooke and Nikki that they push me and Carter together because we seem to get along well. They joked that he had been single for too long and I would be a perfect fit for him.