“Well, come on!” Sarah waves us out of the living room. “The party’s always outside!”
Lexi and Samantha start asking me a ton of questions as the group of us walks by a staircase filled with framed family photographs of Jason and his brothers when they were growing up, and I see a sepia-toned picture of a man in uniform with a lovely woman beaming at him. “Who was that in the old photo, Max? With the man in uniform.”
We’ve just passed where he could see so he bends back and says, “Oh, that’s Grams and her husband Jerald. They married after he came back from World War II. She was only seventeen.”
Caden informs me, “That’s the Grams I wore this for. She’s over a hundred. Modern medicine, what it can do.”
Sarah glances back to tell me, “Did you know Caden is going to be a doctor? The first one in the family!”
Caden puffs his chest. “I’m pretty important around here.”
Max mutters, “When are you going to stop flirting with my girlfriend?”
“Never?”
We enter a cozy, spacious kitchen, not modern or cold in the slightest. Even with pots on the stove and evidence of party preparations, it’s tidy. I get the feeling these events are a well-oiled machine. Even as we head to the backyard people are carrying things, saying hi to Max, promising they’ll meet me right after they take this or that to the tables waiting outside.
CHAPTER 39
N ATALIE
With Jason and Sarah leading the way we walk out to a beautiful lawn that runs for miles, it seems. Trees form a fence around its perimeter, and to the far right rests an empty dolphin fountain. Everything is dusted in snow, except where the party is. Set up over five long tables, plus one filled with food, are canopies covered in twinkle lights and freestanding outdoor heaters.
“See,” Max smiles, “This is where I got those for my auditions. My grandparents have a bunch of them for the winter months so we can still have our BBQs outside.”
I tug his hand and whisper, “Look at all these people!”
Pride dances in green eyes as he scans the faces. “This is my family.”
His sisters are watching me with smiles that wonder what I think, and Lexi asks with mischief, “Are you nervous?”
But Samantha whispers, “Don’t be. We’re very laid back here.”
We head down the steps and the introductions begin. Eric and Wren greet me like old friends, and he introduces his brother and sister to me, and their spouses. I meet Max’s uncles, their wives, Jeremy’s kids who I haven’t heard much about just yet. I’m sure I will in time though.
Gabriel Cocker walks up with his wife, and Lexi informs me that she works for Paige at the yoga studios the couple bought together after they got married. I don’t get starstruck easily, but seeing a rockstar in person when I’ve been listening to his music for years, is a wild feeling.
But Gabriel’s among family, and his hand is always on his wife, his feet on the ground, smile easy. His twin I’d heard about, but had never seen until today. I quickly learn that Elijah is working his way through Washington. He and Justin, his father, are the only ones in suits.
“So, you’re going to marry me!?”
Max and I look over to a gorgeous Latin woman with grey eyes.
“Soph, you’re here!” He lets go of my hand, picks her up and spins her around as she laughs. “Meet my girlfriend, Natalie.”
“Hi, I’m Sofia, nice to meet you!” She shakes my hand roughly and scans my dress, flicking a glance to him. “You match? Can I puke now?”
He takes the steaming cider from Caden. “Says the girl I never thought would be engaged. Where’s your fiancé?”
She points to an extremely sexy golden-skinned man with black hair to his waist. “He’s over there with Sean and Celia. They just got engaged, too, on Thanksgiving!” He nods to her, and resumes talking with a blue-eyed cutie in a man-bun who’s next to another pretty Latina. Shrugging with a lopsided smile Sofia says, “Guess it’s contagious. But you know me and Ceels. She’s been my best friend since I was born so she had to hurry and find her man, too, right? What if we got knocked up too many years apart for our kids to be friends?”
He and Caden exchange a look before Max says, “Who the fuck is this? She looks like Sofia but she’s talking about babies.”
“I don’t know man. But if there’s a Kool Aid going around I don’t want to drink it!”
Hannah calls to Soph, “Sofia, could you run in the house and grab Clara’s teddy bear?”
“The purple one?”
“Yes, please! Thank you!’
She takes off, leaping onto the porch without the steps.
Max looks at me. “I’ll tell you more about her later.”
Justin approaches with his raven-haired wife on his arm. She’s an elegant woman, striking features. As a Senator’s wife I’m sure she met with dignitaries from all over the world, and it shows.
The twin gene only passed down through these two with the birth of Gabriel and Elijah, and both brothers inherited her dark hair and their father’s pale green eyes.
Which are locked on me right now. “I meant to check up on you, see how things are going now.”
“They’re good. You heard about Paul?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if Max told you, but Boone was made Operating Manager of the clubs.”
Justin hums, thinking about it. “Interesting. He’s the most trusted, must be why. But who’s handling the books?”
“Not me,” I exhale. “Thank you, Mr. Cocker. I will always be grateful for what you did for me.”
His sharp eyes soften a little and he glances to his nephew. “Anything for my brother’s children.”
Caden reassures him, “I’ll make sure to keep my nose clean so you don’t have to.”
Justin slides his arm around his wife to lead her away, smirking, “Do you forget I know you, Caden?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” As they keep walking he lowers his voice to Max,
