12. Magnus
There was nothing like the morning after a big party. It meant seeing people at their most real. The guests Ari and Olivia had invited to spend the night—close friends, family, their inner circle—looked bleary-eyed and exhausted as they filed into the mansion’s formal dining room, which had been cleared of its massive table and antique chairs in favor of smaller, round tables brought in for this morning.
The welcome aroma of strong coffee cut through what was left of the haze I was floating in. Time spent in bed with Evelyn, followed by cuddling and playing with the twins, hadn’t been enough to fully wake me.
A lavish buffet was set up along one wall, featuring nearly every breakfast food known to man. There was also a Belgian waffle station, freshly made omelets, and a carving station featuring ham and prime rib. “Remind me to throw a big party sometime soon,” I murmured to Evelyn while I scanned the room, searching for any of our group who might have wandered down by now.
“Admit it,” she joked, nudging me while wearing a playful grin I found irresistible. “You’re a sucker for a good buffet, that’s all.”
“And an open bar,” I added. “Don’t forget an open bar.”
“What was that about an open bar?” Connor asked, falling in place beside me with Pepper’s hand in his. “I’m always up for an open bar, especially when I’m hung over. I need something strong, pronto.”
“That’s the thing about being settled down,” Pepper observed, winking at Evelyn. “They aren’t used to partying the way they did back in the day.”
“Excuse me?” Connor countered with a snort. “I’m the guy who got caught by paparazzi dancing on a table in Vegas not long after we tied the knot. There is photographic evidence of a bartender mixing drinks in my mouth mere days ago.” He sounded proud of himself.
“Shit, I forgot to check and see if the pictures went live,” I admitted.
“Let’s just say I woke up to no fewer than a dozen angry texts from the old man,” Connor told me, rolling his eyes. “He knows there’s nothing he can do about it. It’s not his company to… how did he put it? Run into the ground?”
“It was also a hell of a way for him to find out he has a daughter-in-law,” I pointed out as we got in line for the buffet. “I’m assuming you hadn’t told them yet.”
“We were hoping to make it a little more personal than a phone call,” Pepper explained. “And honestly, it’s not easy to get his mom and dad in the same room. They’re always off doing their own thing separately.” Another reminder of the man I did not want to be.
“Good morning.” Lourde cut between Connor and me, tapping her brother on the shoulder. “How many texts did you get this morning?”
“Twelve,” he replied, and the fucker managed to sound sort of smug about it. “How many did you get?”
“Fifteen,” she crowed. “From both Mom and Dad.”
Connor scoffed. “That doesn’t count. All of my texts came from Dad. I still win.” They burst out laughing before he added, “I wonder what first prize would be in that contest.”
We were taking our seats at an empty table when a smattering of applause drew our attention to the doorway, where Olivia and Ari were entering the room hand-in-hand. “Good morning,” Ari called out. “I hope everybody’s enjoying their breakfast.”
Connor snorted before smirking at me. “It looks like those two were busy enjoying other things all night.” He had a point. I had never seen Ari look so exhausted, down to the circles under his eyes. But he was smiling, and anybody with working eyes could see the little looks he and Olivia exchanged as they made conversation with a few family members seated at another table. They may have been together for years and shared a child, but there was nothing like being newlyweds.
“We have to schedule a playdate soon,” Lourde suggested to Evelyn. “Colton needs a little more time with his cousins.”
“We’ll work something out,” Evelyn promised. “Shoot me a few good dates and times, and we’ll go from there.”
“I wonder if they’ll be close as they grow up,” I pondered as I cut into a fresh waffle loaded with berries. “Built-in friends, you know? I hope that’s how it is.”
“There’s one thing we absolutely can’t do,” Lourde insisted, and now she looked serious. Turning to Connor, she said, “Remember how Mom and Dad always sort of unconsciously pitted us against other kids in the family around our age?”
“Unconsciously?” he asked with a sharp laugh. “It was completely conscious. Everything they did, we had to do better. Everything we did had to be better than something they had already achieved. Let’s make sure we never do that with our kids.”
“Our kids?” Evelyn asked, propping her chin on her hand before her gaze swung from Connor to Pepper. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?” she teased.
Pepper’s narrowed eyes and pursed lips made everybody laugh. “Hush your mouth,” she warned. “Everything in due time.”
Our table was complete once the bride and groom joined us. “How’s everybody feeling this morning?” Ari asked after flopping into his chair.
“Better than you look,” I replied. “Did somebody run you over after the reception?”
He shot me a withering look. “Don’t pretend you forgot how it felt once everything was over and all the stress was gone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad everything went off without a hitch, even with the rain. But it’s going to take me a minute to recuperate.”
“That’s what a honeymoon is for,” Olivia reminded him with a peck on the cheek. “This time tomorrow, we will be on our way.”
“I’m serious.” Lourde paired her words with a scowl, telling me she meant business. “If I so much as get a hint that you’ve opened your email while you’re on this trip, I will boil you alive when you get back.”
“Such violence,” Connor whispered, wincing at his sister’s threat. “I thought marriage and motherhood were supposed to mellow a woman out.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” she continued, pointedly avoiding looking at Connor in favor of staring at Olivia. “No work while you’re away. I have everything under control.”
Ari turned in his chair, lifting his eyebrows as he looked at his wife. “Did you hear that? Everything is under control. All you have to do is focus on having fun while we’re away.”
“I know, I know. But you know how I am,” she grumbled. “I love to work. Is that a crime?”
“No, but it would be a crime to waste a beautiful honeymoon on work,” Evelyn pointed out.
I shouldn’t have chuckled, but I couldn’t help it. “Says the workaholic,” I joked, then flinched when she gave me a dirty look.
“I’m giving advice because I understand how hard it is to turn off your brain sometimes.” Narrowing her eyes, Evelyn looked me up and down before snorting. “Clearly, not something you ever have trouble with.”
Her little quip left everyone laughing, but not me. I was too busy fighting the impulse to drag her out of the room and go for round two in a darkened corner or closet somewhere. It wasn’t such a mystery, really, since her snarky, even bitchy, attitude was part of what first drew me to her. The fact that she never hesitated to call me on my bullshit or to deflate my ego a little. I wasn’t a hypocrite. I could admit there were times it needed deflating.
Barrett flagged down a server and asked for a screwdriver. He’d been strangely quiet through all of this, barely mustering a soft laugh or a grunt. “Do you plan on taking the table apart?” Connor asked, feigning ignorance when Barrett was clearly referring to the drink.
Barrett rolled his eyes. “So I went a little heavy on the drinks last night. Nothing like the hair of the dog… I hope,” he added, sounding miserable.
“Eat something greasy,” Pepper advised, nodding sagely. “That’s always the best cure.”
“I can’t remember the last time I drank enough to end up with a hangover,” Barrett muttered, rubbing his temples. “I didn’t think I drank too much, that’s the thing.”
“Do you want to be the one to tell him, or should I?” I asked Connor, who laughed in understanding.
“Tell me what?” Barrett muttered, eyeing me warily.
I took way too much satisfaction in folding my arms on the edge of the table and leaning in. “News flash, old man. It doesn’t take nearly as much once you start getting up there in years.”
“He just called you an old man,” Lourde reminded him, clicking her tongue while laughter danced in her sparkling eyes. “Are you going to take that lying down?”
“Considering my head’s about to split open, I don’t think I have much choice.” Even in his misery, Barrett could laugh at himself. “He’s right. We’re not kids anymore. We can’t do everything we used to do.”
Evelyn cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow at her brother. “From what I’ve heard, it’s not a bad thing you can’t do that sort of stuff anymore.”
“All right, fine,” he retorted. “I get the point. I’m a reformed man, which you well know.” I was fairly sure he would kiss the girl who brought him his drink, which he barely stopped short of gulping.
Life was changing. There was no way of getting around it. I had to believe it was changing for the better, and we all had exactly what we needed. And as the years went on, as our lives continued to change and grow, we would still be there for each other. I was sure of it.
While she was at the table, the server asked, “Can I get anything for anyone else?”
“A bellini, please,” Pepper requested, with Evelyn and Olivia nodding enthusiastically and asking for their own. I ordered another coffee while Ari and Connor followed Barrett’s example.
Pepper stared at Lourde, tipping her head to the side. “Nothing for you?” she asked with a frown. “You feeling okay?”
Lourde’s cheeks reddened before she exchanged a glance with Barrett, who nodded. “Might as well.” He sighed before gulping down more of his drink.
“Might as well what?” Evelyn asked. “What don’t we know?”
Olivia gasped. “Tell me it has something to do with you sending Naomi down to the drugstore in the village yesterday.”
“You did that?” Evelyn’s mouth fell open. “I didn’t notice. Wait. Are you…”
Connor’s eyebrows jumped up. “Are you?” he asked as a smile began to form.
Lourde spread her arms in a shrug. “I sent Naomi out for a pregnancy test, and yes. It came back positive. We’re giving Colton a brother or sister.”
“And you didn’t tell us?” Olivia shrieked. She even threw her napkin across the table, which Lourde deftly caught. “How could you?”
“And steal attention from you on your wedding day? I hope you know me better than that.” Lourde laughed through her happy tears as we congratulated her and Barrett, our voices overlapping. The group was about to grow again, and I could only imagine it getting bigger as time went on.
I exchanged looks with my best friends and knew they were thinking along the same lines I was. None of us could have predicted life would turn out this way, and we wouldn’t have changed a damn thing.