Chapter 33
Gia
Isqueal loudly when a blonde head becomes visible through the throngs of people.
Ginny’s head lifts, a smile growing across her face. I take off running toward her, weaving around everyone until I can finally wrap my arms around her.
We end up collapsing on the ground, laughing at how ungraceful we are.
“I missed the hell out of you, Gin.”
She squeezes me tight. “I missed you, too, G.”
“GiGi!” Nina’s baby voice cries out before there’s an added weight on my back.
“Hey, munchkin!” I rotate to bring Nina into our dog pile.
Then Ginny’s husband’s grinning face is hovering over us. “You sure know how to make a spectacle of yourself, Gia. I’m glad that hasn’t changed.”
“Thanks, Carson.” I laugh. He helps us up from the floor, and I realize everyone in the terminal is staring at us. “Head down, sis, and throw your sunglasses on. We’ll sneak out in plain sight.”
“Where’s your man?” she asks once we get Nina settled into her stroller.
“He’s waiting at the truck. We thought we could do introductions with less of a crowd.”
“Good thinking,” Ginny responds. “This is a small airport, but it doesn’t seem to matter where I go, someone inevitably recognizes me.”
“If you’d stop putting out incredible albums, people would forget all about you.”
Ginny laughs. “Sure. I’ll get right on that.”
Carson grabs their bags from the conveyor belt, and I take over the stroller and lead everyone outside. It’s warmed up considerably over the last several weeks, and I am loving the balmy temps.
We near Holt’s truck, and he gets out in all of his cowboy glory when he sees us approaching.
Ginny looks over at Carson. “Yeah, I’m gonna need you to buy a cowboy hat.”
He barks out a laugh, and I catch Holt’s grin. I wink at him, blatantly checking him out. I’ll never get tired of the way his jeans showcase his best attributes.
“We can get him outfitted once we get to the farm,” Holt says as he shakes hands with Ginny and Carson.
“Since Carson knows how to ride a horse, you’ll get the whole cowboy package,” I tell Ginny.
“I’m not sure my ovaries are going to be able to take it.”
“Hey, I’m ready for another niece or nephew. How cool would it be if you conceived on the farm?”
“You sure you’re ready for the full twin experience?” Carson asks Holt as they get the suitcases loaded into the truck bed. “They’re hell on wheels when they’re together.”
“Hey, we’re not that bad,” I argue.
“We’re probably worse,” Ginny says, making me laugh.
“Did Gia tell you guys about the time she kicked a grown man in the shins because she thought he was kidnapping her?”
“Noooo,” I whine, covering my beet-red face from the scrutiny of Holt’s family. We’re sitting at the big table with crumbs left on our dessert plates, and Ginny and Carson decided to start sharing embarrassing stories about me.
“She was maybe eight?” Carson looks at Ginny for confirmation. She nods, giggling at the memory.
“Why are you ganging up on me?”
“Because the Basil family needs to know what they’re getting into with you.” Carson grins.
I stick my tongue out at my best friend.
“Anyway, we were at the park one afternoon, and a guy had started making balloon animals. He had signs and was clearly a professional, but Gia must not have noticed because when he asked her if she wanted a hat or a dog, she screamed, ‘I don’t take things from strangers!’ and then kicked him straight in the shin. ”
Holt’s brothers burst out laughing as my face gets even redder. Holt hugs me to his side, despite laughing just as hard as everyone else.
“Our parents were mortified. Luckily, he was understanding and told Gia to keep being a ballbuster,” Ginny says.
“He made me a balloon sword,” I add with a reluctant chuckle.
Today has been amazing. Ginny and Carson have fallen into Holt’s family as if they’ve always been here. Nina loved the horses and is currently snuggled in Stan’s lap, dead asleep. I wish the rest of my friends had been able to come too, but we’ve made plans for them to visit this summer.
Muriel takes pity on me. “Holt used to make me the cutest flower crowns to wear.”
I turn to him. “Aw. That’s so sweet.”
He rolls his eyes, a blush staining his cheeks.
“He made them for all of us,” his brother Nix adds. “And if you didn’t put it on immediately, he’d get this sad look on his face.”
Camden groans. “He was so freaking good at making that face.”
“Those blue eyes could be used as weapons.” Muriel laughs. Holt bats said eyes at his mom.
“And his girls know how to use them the same way,” I say, raising an eyebrow at Lauren, who grins at me.
Holt’s brothers groan in unison. “They’re so dang good at it,” Gage grouses.
More stories are shared about our childhoods—some are embarrassing, others are hysterical—until the girls start to fade. We say goodbye to Holt’s brothers, who aren’t staying on the farm this weekend, and then Holt and I get the girls settled in for bed.
I find Ginny in the living room and flop down on the couch next to her. She wraps her arms around my waist, hugging me tight.
“I really like them, G.”
“Me too.”
“I can see why you fell in love with this place so easily. It’s exactly like home.”
“Does everyone think I’m crazy?”
“Not at all. They’ve all noticed how much happier you seem here, even through video calls.”
“I never believed I could be this happy, Gin. It scares me a little.” I was perfectly fine with my life in Sonoma. I had everything I needed. Anything else felt like I was asking for too much.
“Living life to the fullest is scary as hell. I spent so long worried about the other shoe dropping that I stopped noticing all the wonderful things I had.”
“Is that what made you decide to get married?”
“Partly. I realized I was still comparing Carson to the Weasel, and I knew if I didn’t let it go, I would never be able to be happy.”
Ginny was in an abusive relationship for a long time before she got together with Carson. She was almost browbeaten into a marriage, so her finding a way to overcome that trauma is awe-inspiring. I couldn’t be prouder of her.
“What you’re saying is that if I don’t let go of the fear, I’ll never let myself be happy?”
“The fear will never go away. You just have to decide if you’re going to let it control you.”
“So…do it scared?”
“Do it scared,” she repeats.