Everly
Everly
Everly turned her face up to the sky, letting the ocean breeze wash over her even as the chatter and music behind her did the same. She felt Chris’s presence, or maybe recognized the scent of his cologne, even before she opened her eyes.
“Hey,” she said when she opened her eyes to see him looking at her.
“Hi.” A smile hovered on his lips like he was caught halfway between a memory and this moment. He lifted a bottle of beer to his lips, took a drink. When he lowered it, he asked, “Do you want company or need a couple of minutes?”
She scooted over on the bench just outside Noah’s fence that separated his property from the beach. “I needed a few minutes, but I always want your company.”
A new song came from Noah and Grace’s outdoor speakers. It made Everly feel like she was in a summer rom-com movie, right at the end, where everything worked out perfectly. Only, this was her beginning. Their beginning.
Chris slipped his arm around her shoulders, tucked her into his side. “We’ve been here before.”
She smiled while leaning against his chest, his cheek resting on her head. At a staff party last year, they’d come close to sharing a kiss. They’d already grown close, but Everly was still in fight-and-flight mode. It wasn’t either or with her sometimes. That night, she’d been fighting her feelings hard while fleeing the party.
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kiss anyone that badly in my life,” she told him.
Chris inhaled sharply but stayed quiet.
“And now, I get to kiss you for the rest of my life.”
Lifting his head, he leaned back so he could see her. “Technically, you could do that without the ring and ceremony.”
Everly reached up, cupped his cheek. “I guess that’s true. But this is better.”
He leaned forward, sort of bringing her with him so he could set his beer down on the ground. Sitting up, he pulled her close again but kept looking at her. “Have you had a good day?”
They’d had dinner at a long table they set up outside under the twinkle lights. They’d used pretty outdoor dishes and had fresh flowers along the table runner. Noah and Grace had given her a stack of rainbow notebooks that had motivational sayings on the cover of each. Wes and Hailey had bought her a T-shirt that said: NOT UP FOR PEOPLING . Rob and Stacey gave her a gift basket of all her favorite treats and snacks. There’d been so much laughter, her sides ached.
Unexpectedly, tears threatened. She nodded, swallowed around the lump in her throat. “The very best.”
Chris leaned his forehead against hers and they did that thing where they just breathed the same air. It was one of her favorite things.
“That’s what you deserve.”
“Everly Jansen,” she said with a smile.
Chris’s hands cupped her cheeks, his gaze brightening like the sun jumping out from behind the clouds. “Jesus. I like that a lot.”
“Or,” she said, nestling closer, putting one leg over his lap. “Chris Dean.”
He laughed, still holding her cheeks. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“You. You make me happy.”
“Same.”
Laughter rang out from behind them. Noah and Grace had strung large-bulbed twinkle lights around their porch, pool, and backyard. They twinkled against the darkening sky.
Stacey gave a whoop of delight which clearly meant she’d beaten Rob at their game of cornhole.
“Best out of three,” Rob said.
“If you two are going to make out all night, we’re starting the board games without you,” Noah called.
“Noah,” Grace chastised. “Leave them alone.”
“We should just do couple teams. Then they lose, right? Cause they’re too busy being mushy and romantic?” Hailey said.
“You love mushy and romantic,” Wes said.
Chris groaned. “You said yes. You can’t take it back. They’re part of the package.”
“I have the best package,” Noah called.
“Jesus, Noah,” Wes said, controlled laughter in his voice.
“Nice,” Rob said over Stacey’s bark of laughter.
“There’s no backing out now,” Chris whispered, pressing a kiss to one cheek, then the other, his hands gliding down over her shoulders.
“Last time we went for dinner at my parents’, my mom asked for your opinion on her nude sketches,” Everly reminded him.
“What you’re saying is, we’re even?”
“Actually, I think the scales are tipped your way. You come with Hailey and Grace.”
“Hey,” Noah and Wes said at the same time.
Everly laughed. “And your brothers.”
Chris stood up, pulled her to stand. “And a sister. And my mom.”
They walked to the gate that would let them into Noah and Grace’s backyard as Noah took the stairs two at a time and slipped into the house.
“But I come with Everly,” Stacey said proudly, leaning into Rob, who’d wrapped his arms around her from behind.
“Yeah but I came with Chris, so I think we cancel each other out,” Rob said.
Grace looked up as they came through hand in hand.
“You know,” Grace said as they took their seats. “You might as well include Morty and Tilly.”
Morty was Grace’s pseudo-dad. Tilly was his wife. And she was right. They were family too.
“Plus, Tara,” Stacey said. “You have a lot of people in your life, Evs. Who would have thought?”
“Not me,” she said honestly.
Wes reached for Hailey’s hand as Noah came out of the house with a cake. “It’s hard to imagine filling up your life with things you never knew you needed. It kind of sneaks up on you and suddenly you can’t imagine it any other way.”
Everly smiled. “You’re right. I can’t.”
“Is that from Baked?” Rob asked as Noah set the cake down.
Their friend Tara owned a bake shop next to Hailey’s salad shop, By the Cup.
“Of course,” Stacey said. “Just because she had a conference this weekend doesn’t mean she’d let her girl go without the best cake in all of San Verde.”
“You okay if we sing, Ev, or you want to skip it?” Hailey asked.
Everly looked around the table. She hadn’t known most of these people a year ago. Somehow, everything had changed, but what changed most of all was how full her heart felt. She’d never imagined wanting or needing this group of people. And like Wes said, now she couldn’t imagine her life without them.
She’d always kept to herself for the most part because it seemed easier. Safer. Quieter. Her life was louder now but it was also brighter. Fuller. And happier.
“Babe?” Chris squeezed her hand.
“How about I just say thank you. To all of you. For making this the best birthday ever.”
“That’ll work,” Grace said, setting the candles aside.
“You don’t get to make a wish though,” Noah said, passing Grace plates.
Everly smiled, leaned into Chris, closed her eyes, and breathed him in when he kissed her forehead. What else could she wish for?
As slices of triple-chocolate cake were passed around, Everly realized there was something she wanted. She hoped—or wished—that everyone she loved got their chance to feel like she did right now: safe, loved, and happy. And she hoped there’d always be cake.
Chris leaned in so only she could hear him. “We’re taking the cake leftovers home.”
Everly set her fork down. “Any particular reason?”
He scooped up a bite of his, held his fork out to her. She took the bite, the chocolate melting on her tongue, watching his eyes heat as she did.
“I need practice feeding it to you.”
“As long as you aren’t smooshing it in my face,” she said after swallowing the perfect blend of chocolate and vanilla.
“There’ll be no smooshing.”
She nodded, took a large bite of her own.
Chris’s breath warmed her ear, the scent of chocolate making it even more enticing. “There also won’t be clothing.”
Everly coughed. And coughed some more. Chris leaned back, rubbed her back with a hint of a smile on his face.
“You okay, Everly?” Wes asked.
She gave Chris a mock glare even as she nodded.
“I’m good,” she managed. She sent him another glance. “But we’d like to take home any extra cake.”
Chris’s hand landed on her thigh and squeezed.
“Of course,” Grace said. “It’s your birthday.”
“Happy birthday, Evs,” Stacey said, lifting her wineglass. The others followed her lead, lifting their drinks, and wishing her a happy birthday.
Everly Dean firmly believed it would be hard to ever top this birthday. But she knew, these people, and the man she couldn’t wait to marry, would work hard to do just that. Which made her an incredibly lucky woman.