The front door of the house was already open. This was my first time seeing the property with all the Christmas decorations. None of this was up Thanksgiving weekend. Native tree trunks had been wrapped in white lights and more white lights lined the contemporary rooflines.
I spotted the side of the wreath attached to the door.
Inside, the heat was on, and I started to shed my coat. Dylan’s fingers took over, sliding it the rest of the way off my arms and hanging it in the closet with his.
My consummate gentleman.
A Christmas tree was next to the big fireplace, decorated with a British theme for Jake’s heritage. The real homey stuff would be in the farmhouse on the other side of the pool deck.
We continued down to the basement—the rockstar lounge. This was the one space that was completely Jake’s taste, now I knew the couple well. Glamorous and bold. The walls were all matte black except the silver-leaf ceiling. Cobalt blue velvet sofas, chairs in rich red and bright orange, and a shiny black lacquer bar to the side. At the far end, the recording studio big enough for all of them to play in together. There was also a bathroom and a bedroom down here, though I’d never had reason to step into the latter.
Despite the luxe look, Beth had once informed me that all the furniture was covered in performance fabrics that put up with musician abuse and didn’t stain.
Silver tinsel Christmas trees had been placed in random places for the holiday.
“Stop,” Dylan said at the base of the stairs, and pointed up. Mistletoe.
Smiling, I shook my head, then accepted his kiss. Of course Jake had put it in a doorway.
Bob had already kicked his feet up on a velvet ottoman, Celeste on his lap. They were doing what they did best in public: making out. Everyone learned early to not walk in on them without knocking. I’d never known such horn-dogs before meeting Dylan.
Mike turned on Twisted Sister’s Christmas album, A Twisted Christmas. Because what else? Hannah rolled her eyes, but started singing along.
She was the youngest here at twenty-four, but fending for herself from eighteen had made her more mature than most her age these days. She and Mike first bonded over ‘80s music. They’d moved even quicker than me and Dylan, but I couldn’t knock their obvious happiness. They made each other better.
“Eggnog?” my fiancé offered me. “Non-alcoholic, of course.”
I sniffed the mug he held and my nose wrinkled up. “Cider?”
He set the mug down on an end table. “Maria made that, too.”
“Thanks, honey.” I sat on one of the blue sofas.
“Has it sunk in, yet?” Beth asked. She’d exchanged shoes for slippers already.
I laughed. “Which part?”
She grinned. “I should’ve warned you about the fertility of rock stars. Jacob knocked me up on our honeymoon.”
I nodded. “That’s right. Were you trying?”
“No. I was on the Pill. Never missed a dose! But all he had to do is stop using condoms and bam. Baby girl.”
My hands rested on my waistband. “I don’t know how this happened, either. Someone needs to revise the chance percentage on birth control. Do you think you’ll make it to two years between kids?”
She pressed her hands together. “From your mouth to God’s ears. I don’t want two in diapers at the same time. She only turned one in March and I like being able to focus on her milestones, see her become a little person. Babies are adorable, but this early toddler-dom is awesome. Every day, she amazes me with what she understands already.”
“And you’ve only been married two and a half years.”
“May 29th, 2012. Exactly. We have at least a little more time before my ovaries are old.” She sighed. “We love their passion, but it can make them impulsive. Don’t let him push you into anything that doesn’t feel right.”
A peal of laughter caught our attention. Mike and Hannah were dancing and he’d just dipped her. “They’re so adorable, it’s nauseating,” I said.
Beth grinned. “They definitely have the newlywed glow.”
“Did you ever imagine having a houseful like this?”
There was a smile in her eyes, too. “These are our better days, aren’t they? Everyone in love and happy going into Christmas.” She sipped from a mug of spiced cider.
“Are your brother and Darcy coming out?”
She nodded. “For a week. Alyson is finally big enough to play with her cousin Sarah, so that should be fun.”
I laughed. “I remember when Shelley was little.” My sister was half my age. Dad referred to her as a faulty condom. “As a teenager, I didn’t appreciate it, except when she was unexpectedly sweet. Those moments reminded me I loved this loud, annoying, tiny creature.”
“Must’ve been what it was like for Andrew.” Her brother was several years older, too.
“Where are our men?”
Dylan had never returned with my drink and I didn’t see Jake, either.
She sat up straighter. “Oh, that’s slightly worrisome.”
“What is?” Celeste asked in a brief pause from sucking face.
Beth slipped her phone out of her pocket and started typing.
The buzz came seconds later. “He’s in the barn.” Her blue-gray eyes met mine. “I’m sorry.”
My gaze rolled upward. “I suppose it was inevitable.”
The barn had already been a chapel once. Made sense for Jake to offer its use now.
“That’s you guy’s space, your memories. I don’t want to trample on that,” I added.
She leaned forward, placing her hand on my knee. “Nonsense. My wedding day would never be diminished by a different couple using the barn two years later. To Jacob, these men are his brothers. He’s trying to help your fiancé’s dream come true and I can’t be mad at that.”
Dylan’s dream…
But what was mine?
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