Chapter Sixteen #2
“Can we all meet at home for a moment? I wanted to go over some things?” I asked everyone. “Riley, you too. We can always drop you off at school in the morning.”
“Can I ride with you?” Evan asked me.
“Sure.” I handed him my helmet and relished his arms around me as we drove home.
When we parked in the garage, I wrapped my arms around him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Other than Sasha’s being bitchy about Ri and me changing our last name. My other sister decided on a wedding date and chose a location. We’ll get it reserved for her?” Evan gave me a squeeze.
“Perfect. And just ignore Sasha.” I took his hand, and we walked inside.
Grace was already in the kitchen making bowls of ice cream for everyone. She turned to me. “What room?”
“The living room is fine.” I looked at the bar cart, then went down to the basement where we had a small area where we stored wine and liquor. My eyes fell on the bottles of bourbon Grace had bought at the distillery in Carolina. I glanced at the case she’d made with bottles inspired by us.
I grabbed one with my name on it. I was curious as to why she chose each one for us–other than the one from the year of Riley’s birth.
When I joined them with the bottle and glasses, they already had the ice cream set out on the table of the living room. I didn’t have a bowl, but I didn’t really like sweets much and would just share Jett’s.
“Grace, is it okay if we try the bourbon that you chose for me?” I asked.
“Yes.” She fed Evan a bite. She, Wes, and Evan were on the couch. Jett had claimed the loveseat. Spencer had pulled over a chair, and Riley had a beanbag.
I poured glasses of it and passed it out. It was a beautiful color, like old oak. Taking a sniff, I got oak and brown sugar. I took a small sip. Yes, I got hints of oak, brown sugar, cloves, and maybe a little apple. I took another. Oh, that was smooth.
“Impressive,” I told Grace as I sat next to Jett. “How did you select each one for us?”
“She brought out the special collection. I tasted them, and sometimes they made me think of each of you and that’s how I knew it was yours.” Grace took a sip.
“I can’t wait to be old enough to drink and have mine,” Riley added.
This bourbon reminded her of me? Spicy and sweet and going down smooth? I’d take it.
“I just wanted to go over all the changes in the pack charter before it gets run through Mrs. Beekman and then submitted for final approval. I was going to do it at dinner, but, well, that was nice of the sister pack,” I explained.
“It was,” Wes agreed, taking a bite of ice cream.
I started going over everything.
Riley blinked. “Was this clause about me always there?”
“It’s new. It was Katie’s idea,” I replied.
“We wanted you to feel secure in your role here as our kid, especially if Grace ever, um, something about Spencer’s identical triplets?” Jett grinned at Grace.
She tossed a throw pillow at him. “No triplets.”
“I mean, if you all want to be saps, I guess I can tolerate it.” Riley gave me a hug.
I hugged her back. Basically, it made sure that Riley would always have the same rights and protections any other children would have. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel displaced, or to end up not being as protected as we thought if anything happened to us.
“Grace,” I turned to her. “When an omega, or in your case, a gamma, is brought into a pack, they’re given assets of their own. We’d like to present ours to you for your approval. Spencer, would you like to do the honors?”
Spencer looked positively giddy. “I picked out a beautiful beach cottage for you.”
Cottage? He called that a cottage? Sure. After all, we called Evan’s house a cabin.
Grace sucked in a breath as she looked at it. “Spence, it’s beautiful. But this is… this is too much.”
“Nothing is too much for you.” Spencer kissed her.
“Um, do I want to know?” Jett said softly.
“It’s an island. I think we should have my excellent eighteenth party there,” Riley declared. “We can take out the yacht and have fireworks over the ocean.”
Wes froze. “What?”
“It’s lovely, Spencer. You made a good choice. I wouldn’t call that a cottage, though.” She kissed him again.
Spencer’s phone got passed around as everyone looked at the island he’d bought her.
I looked at Grace. “Do you accept?”
“I do.” She crawled into Spencer’s lap.
Spencer planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m so happy you approve.”
I looked at Wes and Spencer. “Is everything set for your business trip?”
“Yep. Again, if anything happens, we can come back really quickly.” Wes nodded, finishing his bourbon.
“Grace, do you still want to attend the concert with me? It’s okay if you’d rather go with them,” I asked. Again.
“Like I said, I’m looking forward to it,” she replied.
“Go. Jett and I are going to spend some quality time together.” Evan kissed her.
They hadn’t gotten much alone time lately.
“Get a room.” Riley made a face.
“Oh, Spencer and I booked a date for our party, it’s on the calendar. We’re getting the guest list together. We’re keeping it small, but we can invite whoever you’d like,” Grace said. “Sister pack gets included?”
“Yes.”
“I have book club tomorrow. I hope they like me more than the carnival committee.” Grace made a face.
“Hiro’s moms don’t like anyone. Kilroy’s mom adores you,” Riley assured.
We finished up, and I helped clear the dishes and glasses. Grace giggled as Spencer grabbed her and led her up the backstairs.
“You okay, Wes?” I asked as he poured himself another glass of my bourbon.
He gulped the drink down. “Spencer bought her an island.”
“We said that he could pick,” I replied. “But yes, I wasn’t expecting that. Did you see that it comes with a yacht?”
Wes sighed and went to pour himself another glass. Taking the bottle away, I substituted another. This was my bourbon that Grace chose for me. He had his own in the basement.
With a shrug, he filled his glass with that. “I missed that. I got a little distracted that he got her a beach compound on her own island.”
“Well, I think it’s more of an estate than a compound,” I pointed out.
“She deserves it, it’s just a little weird.”
“True. Weirder than the cabin we got Evan?” I asked, curious.
He thought for a moment. “Just a little. Though it’s kinda sweet that he loves her so much that he got her a fucking island.”
“Yeah, it is. Not to change the subject, but is it bad that I want to see Spencer’s cousin steal my mother’s project and turn it into an artist’s colony? Honestly, I think downtown Rockland needs one.” I poured myself a glass.
“I like that idea. Hey, take care of Grace while I’m gone, okay? I feel like all this party planning is making her cranky. Does Evan really need to drag her headlong into it? Can’t he wait until her party with Spencer is done?” He took a sip of his drink.
“Evan’s just excited,” I assured. “I’ll take care of her. Do you know if she has a dress to wear? It’s not just a concert. It’s a fundraising gala.”
Wes blinked. “She has a wardrobe full of dresses.”
Thought so.
Well, Spencer wasn’t the only person who knew how to buy dresses.