Chapter 36
LILY
The conversation and wine flowed easily over dinner, which I was grateful for.
People included Gabe in conversations and asked him questions, but it was never awkward.
None of the off-limits topics were brought up, which mainly included his father.
Not that I thought anyone would say something, but I’d made it clear before Hal and Gabe got to the house that if anyone brought up something off-limits, there would be consequences.
Said consequences were no more baked goods from me. That seemed to be threatening enough.
Gabe heard lots of stories from when I was growing up, mainly about all the trouble I’d get into for being too curious, having a wild imagination, and always thinking about the next idea or plan—some things never changed.
What I enjoyed most was that now Gabe was part of the years of history that were captured at this table.
We also briefly FaceTimed my older sister Jade to hear about how she was celebrating in Hawaii.
I could tell by the tone in her voice and the look on her face that she wished she could be here with us, and I hoped one year, she could be.
But I was glad she had friends in Hawaii who were keeping her busy with their own celebration.
Eliza and I gave each other a look, both noticing that Cooper’s excusing himself to grab a second beer and help Wes clear off the table for dessert was very conveniently timed. He nearly missed the whole conversation.
We were starting to dig into the apple pie my mom had made when she asked, “What’s everyone doing for New Year’s Eve this year?”
While Eliza and I hadn’t talked yet—or filled Jules in—every year we typically spent New Year’s Eve at Lake Ridge. Eliza looked at me and shrugged.
“If Wes is doing something at Lake Ridge, probably head there like we do every year?” Eliza offered. “Which, by the way”—she leaned forward, and Jules leaned back to give Eliza sight to Wes—“could the best boss in the world give me New Year’s Eve off so I could spend it with my best friends?”
“Pretty please?” Jules joined in, leaning into Wes.
“Yeah, come on, Wes. Please?” I chimed in.
Everyone at the table was trying to hold their laughter in.
Wes, with a really? expression, looked between us. He ultimately cracked a small smile and nodded. “Of course, you can. I had already planned for it, anyway.”
I knew Wes wasn’t going to say no, but having Jules on our side certainly helped. I was pretty sure it was physically impossible for him to say no to her. She had my brother wrapped around her finger, and I loved every second of it.
Cooper coughed into his elbow, but his cough sounded a whole lot like sucker. Wes leaned and flicked the back of Cooper’s head.
I shook my head with an amused smile. The two of them were in their thirties, and these moments brought me back to when we were all growing up.
Gabe leaned over to me, and I heard the amusement in his voice. “Is it always like this?”
I laughed, nodding. “Pretty much.” I turned to look at him. “Hopefully it hasn’t been too much for you.”
I loved my family with everything I had in me, but I also recognized that being thrown into this—on Christmas of all days—could be a lot.
To my relief, Gabe answered, “It’s been perfect. I’m glad to be a part of it.”
I liked how easily he fit into the environment today. By the tension in his shoulders when he first walked in, I could tell he was nervous, but it seemed like he felt more at ease as the night went on. I especially appreciated how welcoming my parents had been.
What I appreciated a little less were the looks and eyebrow wiggles Eliza and Jules would give me.
I reached over to give Gabe’s hand a quick squeeze, loving how his warm touch felt in mine. “I’m glad you’re part of it.”
Eliza caught sight of it, which earned me another eyebrow wiggle, but her amused expression was short-lived, because Marnie asked, “Will Colin be in town for New Year’s Eve?”
“Colin?” I asked, not expecting to hear the name of Eliza’s ex-boyfriend. “Have you been talking to him again?”
“She answered a call from him the other day when she was at my house,” Marnie responded nonchalantly, taking another sip of wine.
“A wonderful conversation to bring up at the dinner table, Gran,” Eliza said with a sigh.
We all looked at Eliza expectantly.
“We’re friends!” Eliza finally said. “We talk from time to time, but I don’t want to get back together with him or anything. He was thinking about stopping by for New Year’s Eve but is going to see his brother instead.”
Eliza and Colin met when she was doing her undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Colin was from Maple Bluffs, a town about an hour south of Golden Falls known for its pure maple syrup, nature, and historic downtown.
While Golden Falls was the town to visit over the summer, Maple Bluffs was the place to be during fall.
Colin was part of the group of men who, as Eliza so expertly put it, wouldn’t know where a woman’s clit was if it slapped them in the face, which was why I was wondering why she was talking to him again. Unless they truly were just friends.
“His brother is older, right? Isn’t he out in Portland?” Marnie asked. “What’s he been up to?”
Eliza rarely, if ever, blushed, but color crept up her tan cheeks. She cleared her throat. “Uh, yeah, he does have a brother. Leo. I’m not sure what he’s up to. Last I heard he was trying to become head chef at some fancy restaurant.”
Wes, who was largely checked out for most of this conversation, looked at Eliza. “You know a chef? Tell him to apply to the Lake Ridge role. I’m getting it posted in a couple weeks.”
Eliza scoffed. “Okay, first, I don’t know him very well at all. And two, do you really think he’s going to want to leave his cushy city life to move to Golden Falls?”
Wes shrugged at the same time Jules said, “You’d be surprised.”
“Could you at least tell him about it? Or ask Caleb to,” Wes added.
“It’s Colin,” Eliza and I both said, to which Wes waved his hand and muttered, “Same difference.”
“But, sure, I’ll at least mention it.” Eliza rubbed the back of her neck. I furrowed my brows, watching my best friend. She looked…nervous. Eliza didn’t get nervous. She was fearless, not scared of anything.
What wasn’t she telling me? And why had she never mentioned Colin had an older brother?