Chapter 8
Thanksgiving – an excuse for your friends to invade your house and stick their noses in your business
Jett
“H appy Thanksgiving,” Indigo greets as she nudges her way past me into my house.
Indigo is Cash’s fiancée. They were high school sweethearts who lost their way but they recently reconnected when Cash rented Indigo’s grandmother’s house.
I try to shut the door behind her but Virginia and Leia follow her inside.
“What’s going on?” I ask as I grab the dish from Virginia’s hands. Virginia is Dylan’s pregnant fiancée. He’d kill me if I let her carry anything. Not even a casserole dish.
“You have the best oven …” Indigo shrugs.
“And? Who cares about my oven?”
“She means we’ve decided we’re having Thanksgiving at your house because no one thought you’d show up at Thanksgiving dinner at anyone else’s house,” Leia explains.
Leia is Fender’s fiancée and she doesn’t beat around the bush or play games. Unlike Indigo who thinks she’s a spy.
“Leia!” Indigo screeches.
Leia shrugs. “What? He’d figure it out sooner or later.”
Indigo sticks out her bottom lip. “But it’s more fun to mess with him.”
“Where’s Isla?” I ask since I have no interest in listening to them bicker.
Isla is Leia’s daughter and she’s a hoot.
Leia rolls her eyes. “She’s on the phone with her boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” I scowl. “She’s twelve. She shouldn’t have a boyfriend yet.”
“You remind me of Fender.” She sets her dish on the counter and crosses her arms over her chest. “No daughter of mine will have a boyfriend before she’s twenty-five,” she mimics Fender’s grumpy voice.
“I happen to agree with Fender on this one.”
“On what one?” Cash asks as he strolls into the house as if he owns it.
The rest of the band members follow him. Except Gibson who’s away at rehab. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad he’s dealing with his alcohol problems, but I worry. I know how hard it is to stay clean in our world. I frown.
Indigo points at my face. “And now you know why we didn’t think you’d show at Thanksgiving, pouty face.”
“I do not have a pouty face.”
“Do you need a mirror, Uncle Jett?” Isla asks as she bounds into the room.
I pick her up and spin her around. “What’s this about you having a boyfriend?”
She rolls her eyes. “You remind me of Dad.”
Fender grunts. He isn’t actually Isla’s dad. Her dad took off when she was a baby and Leia raised her as a single mom. But Fender fell in love with the little girl while he was falling in love with Leia. He’s adopting her now.
I set Isla on her feet and she pats my arm. “I’m sorry you’re missing Uncle Gibson today.”
Everyone freezes at her words. I guess they planned to avoid speaking about our fifth band member today. No fucking way. Gibson is a member of this family whether he’s in rehab or not.
But Gibson isn’t the person I’m missing and can’t stop thinking about. No, I’m worried about Aurora. Who is she spending the holiday with? Or is she alone? Maybe she’s working. She works too hard.
I want to pick up the phone to call her. I miss the sound of her voice. I miss the twinkle in her eyes when she teases me. The smile she uses to get her way. I plain miss her.
Which is why I’ve been dodging her calls. I don’t want her to get attached to me. I’m not the man for her. I’m not the man for anyone. I’m a lone wolf. Always have been. Always will be.
“Where’s Mercy?” I ask. Their mouths gape open. “What?”
When no one will answer, I direct my gaze on Leia. Fender growls and stands in front of her. “Leave her alone.”
Leia peeks out from behind him. “I’m fine, grumpystiltskin.”
“I got this one.” Virginia walks forward. Dylan scowls and goes to stand behind her.
My bandmates are pissing me off. They’re my family. I would never hurt their loved ones.
“Leia and Virginia aren’t in danger from me,” I growl.
“But Mercy is?” Cash asks.
I rub a hand down my face at his insinuation. His correct insinuation. I haven’t been very nice to Gibson’s girlfriend. In my defense, I was reeling from the whole Aurora thing and keeping it to myself.
“I’ll apologize to her,” I mumble.
“Good.” Indigo grins. “She’ll be here soon with Old Man Mercury.”
Old Man Mercury is the reason she ended up in Winter Falls. The grumpy old man is her uncle. It’s hilarious watching her try to tame him.
Virginia shoos us to the living room. “Watch some basketball while we finish preparing the food.”
Dylan kisses her nose. “Thanksgiving is for football.”
“Shouldn’t we be helping?” I ask as we settle on the sofas around the television.
I’ve never attended a family Thanksgiving before. The band is usually on the road during the holidays. But I don’t think we should sit here and do nothing.
“You’re cleaning up,” Leia declares as she hands out beers.
“I don’t need no help!” a man shouts outside.
I stand. “Old Man Mercury is here.”
I open the door to Mercy trying to help her uncle up the stairs to our porch. I take over from her and she gives me a shy smile in thanks. Damn. I guess I’ve been an asshole to her.
“I don’t understand why I had to come to Thanksgiving dinner,” Old Man Mercury mutters as I help in the house.
Mercy sighs. “Because you can’t be left on your own, Uncle Mercury.”
“And we’re all at today’s celebration,” Sage says as she follows us inside.
I glance behind her. Sage is never alone. And she isn’t now either. The rest of the gossip gals – Feather, Petal, Cayenne, and Clove – are with her as are two elderly men who I’ve seen around town but have yet to meet.
The gossip gals isn’t a derogatory name I made up. The ladies are proud to be gossips. And they’re delighted with the nickname. They proudly wear t-shirts with the gossip gals written on them in sparkly gold paint.
“Did you invite the entire town to my house?” I ask Indigo as I help the gossip gals set their dishes on the kitchen counter.
“I didn’t invite the gossip gals.”
Sage snorts. “No one needs to invite us. This is Winter Falls.”
This is Winter Falls is what she says when she has no excuse for her actions. It kind of makes sense since Winter Falls is totally fucking crazy. There are pagan festivals, naked men walking squirrels, and hippie bars for a start.
What you won’t find here is many cars – or, at least, not cars with combustion engines. Winter Falls prides itself on being the first carbon neutral town in the world. Instead of cars, everyone gets around on bikes and golf carts.
Feather pats my shoulder. “We don’t usually celebrate Thanksgiving in Winter Falls.”
I know better than to ask why. Most questions are answered with PowerPoint presentations and end with a quiz. I wish I were joking.
“But for you we will.” Cayenne winks.
“For me?” I motion to the house. “I think you mean for the band.”
“Uh huh,” Clove agrees but I have a feeling she’s placating me. Placate away. I do not want to know why they claim to be here for me.
Petal shoves a man toward us. “This is my husband, Orion.” She indicates the other man. “And he’s Sirius.”
Fender hands each man a beer and they hurry to join us in front of the television.
I can’t help studying them. What would make a man stay with a woman for decades? What kind of love and devotion do you need to stay together for that long?
I have no clue. Before moving to Winter Falls, I’d never met a couple who’d stayed together for longer than a year or two. Are they happy, I wonder. Or do they resent their partner and wish they were free.
“Touchdown!” Dylan shouts and I return my attention to the television. There’s no sense worrying about how couples work. I will never be part of one anyway.
The television abruptly shuts off. “Dinner’s ready!”
At Indigo’s announcement, everyone stands and makes their way to the dining room. I can hardly believe my eyes. The plain table is no longer plain. It’s been decorated for the holiday with leaves and candles and I don’t know what.
“It’s a good thing we came to your house, Jett,” Leia says as she sits down. “Our dining room table does not seat seventeen people.”
“I’ll buy a new table,” Fender says.
She slaps his shoulder. “I wasn’t angling for a new table. Stop throwing your money at me.”
He grunts in response. Which means he’s going to spoil her whether she wants him to or not. I still find it hard to believe he fell in love after what happened with his bitch ex-girlfriend.
“Now,” Sage says once everyone has a plate full of food and is ready to dig in. “What are we going to do with you, Jett?”
My brow wrinkles. “Do with me?”
“What happened to being subtle?” Clove asks.
“Subtle doesn’t work with rockstars.”
Petal sighs. “This is going to be my favorite project.”
“Project?” I scan the room for a clue as to what the gossip gals are up to now.
“They want to find you a girlfriend,” Leia fills in.
Cayenne purses her lips at Leia. “You weren’t supposed to tell him.”
She waves her fork at me. “He’s going to figure it out for himself once you start parading women in front of him.”
I drop my fork and lift my hands in front of me. “I don’t want a woman.”
Feather waggles her eyebrows at me. “The parade of women leaving your house in the morning says otherwise.”
There isn’t a parade of women leaving this house. Not since Gibson fell for Mercy has there been. I don’t bring women here.
Hell, I haven’t slept with another woman since Aurora.
Aurora . Why can’t I get her out of my mind? We had our one night together. It’s all I have to offer her. I can’t give her more. I’m not capable. I don’t know how.
“Don’t blame Gibson. He’s not here,” Mercy says.
Indigo wraps an arm around her shoulders. “He’ll be home soon.”
Mercury pats her hand. “Gibson’s a good egg.”
Mercy stares at her uncle. “Don’t you go being nice to me. I don’t know how to handle it.”
He chuckles before glaring at Sage. “Leave the boy alone. If he doesn’t want a wife and family, it’s his choice.”
Sage sticks out her bottom lip. “But he won’t be happy all alone.”
“Who do you want to match him with?” Leia asks and I glare at her. She shrugs. “I’m serious. There aren’t any available women your age left in Winter Falls.”
Sage studies me. “Maybe a woman from outside Winter Falls.”
Does she know? Does she know I’m obsessed with Aurora?
It doesn’t matter. I’m not acting on my obsession. Not again. The first time was a mistake. A mistake I can’t get out of my mind but a mistake, nonetheless.
And I know how to learn from my mistakes.