Chapter 39 Stephanie
Chapter thirty-nine
Stephanie
“Who needs Times Square when you’ve got this?
” Nana said as we ducked into the brightly lit-up Mitchell residence with the bitter north wind chasing our heels.
The powdery blowing snow was nearly blinding on the drive here after Nash picked me and Nana up.
But Emmett and Danielle’s house buzzed with warmth and comfortable conversation.
We rang the doorbell twice and knocked but no one answered. So we let ourselves in.
I kicked off my sensible Chelsea boots, shivering as the warm air thawed my core.
Ryan and Kelsi and their kids were already here, judging by the level of kid chatter and the trail of small shoes littered across the split-level house’s landing.
Liz and Ben were here, too, given the sparkly silver heels in the mix.
“Come in, come in!” Ryan hollered from the foot of the basement stairs. “Mi casa es su casa!”
“Don’t let Emmett hear you say that,” Nash joked, helping me out of my coat.
Ryan trudged up the stairs dramatically. “As the extrovert of this brotherhood, the welcoming committee falls under my jurisdiction. Emmett can grouse all he likes, but someone’s gotta do it.”
Danielle appeared at the top of the stairs, trying to pry her blonde ponytail from being held hostage by Ryan and Kelsi’s ten-month-old baby perched on her hip. “So glad you guys could make it! I’d apologize for the noise, but it’s pretty standard around here these days.”
Nana started up the stairs. “Nothing wrong with the sound of children. The world could do with more of it.” She shot Ryan a reproving look over her shoulder, but her eyes sparkled. “Even if a few of them never grow up.”
Ryan blinked. “Was I just schooled by Charmain Russo Addams? And was that a compliment on my youthful heart or a diss about my exuberance?”
I laughed. “Both, simultaneously. Get used to it.”
Nana ignored us and paused in front of Danielle to coo over the baby. “Now, who is this cutie?”
“Meet Sebastian.”
Nash hung up his coat and ushered me up the stairs while Nana and Danielle disappeared farther into the house talking all things baby, and Ryan lumbered back down to the basement.
“Is the Nerf gun still in my purse?” I whispered.
Nash nodded. “Can’t give it away too soon. I’ll grab it a bit later, if you don’t mind.”
“Emmett sounded less than thrilled about this particular surprise.”
“Oscar the Grouch Emmett is less than thrilled about everything and hates all surprises.”
I snorted as we entered the living room. A yule log flickered and crackled on the TV screen in the corner, giving a nice ambiance to the cheerful room. It was the next best thing to a real fireplace.
Nash and I had been at the office all day, scheduling meetings and ironing out the next three weeks of our campaign before the launch date at the end of January.
We’d gotten as far as we could for now, and a night of fellowship was the perfect breather before the craziness of the launch would take over our lives the next couple of weeks. A calm before the storm.
Liz swished beside me, decked out in a gorgeous blush-pink cocktail dress with sheer long sleeves and sparkly sequins. She took the platter of meats, cheeses, and crackers I was carrying.
“I didn’t think there was a dress code,” I said, glancing around and feeling a little underdressed in my jeans and aubergine cable-knit sweater. But Liz was the fanciest of the lot.
She laughed. “There isn’t, but I’ll never get to wear this once school starts, so I’m taking advantage.”
I smiled slyly. “I’m sure Ben approved.”
“Of course he did.” She shimmied her shoulders. “He bought the dress.” Shifting the platter in her arms, she grabbed my hand. “Now, come on. I’ve been dying to give you this surprise.”
“I didn’t think you were capable of secrets,” I teased.
Which, to be fair, was half true. If I had to pick a secret-keeping friend, Liz was at the bottom of the list most of the time.
But she had an air about her that persuaded you to open up to her anyway.
If I wanted a secret vault, it would be Paisley.
She could give Fort Knox a run for its money.
“Har, har.” Liz set the platter on the table and shoved me into the kitchen ahead of her.
“Surprise!”
I blinked. Once. Twice. Nope, I wasn’t dreaming.
Two very dear and very familiar faces grinned back at me from the middle of the kitchen, and I couldn’t help the yelp of shock that tore out of me.
“Pais? Jules? Are you serious right now?” I demanded, laughing. They were here. Not on my phone screen hundreds of miles away.
The four of us flung into a group hug. Tears stung my eyes, and for the first time in the last week, they were the good kind. I needed this hug. These women.
“Best surprise ever,” I said, swiping at my eyes, relieved to find my mascara had decided not to smudge. “But how…?”
Liz grinned mischievously. I should have guessed. Under all those floral head scarves and cute embroidered overalls, she was a devious mastermind. “I may have asked Dani if she’d be opposed to some surprise guests, for your sake. She was happy to oblige.”
“Dani, you’re the best!” I called over the hubbub to the corner where she and Nana were chatting with Kelsi.
Danielle threw me a wink, her smile warm with understanding.
“Nash, this is—” But he wasn’t behind me like he had been a minute ago. This house wasn’t huge, so where had he vanished to?
An undignified—very masculine sounding—scream erupted from the living room where we’d come from, and I darted towards the noise.
And there in the center of the blue-carpeted floor was Nash. At the bottom of a dog pile of five kids, with Emmett holding him at Nerf gunpoint.
“What the… Nash?” I choked on a laugh, but Liz didn’t bother refraining hers.
Four small children each pinned one of Nash’s limbs, and Emmett’s preteen stepdaughter perched directly on top of him. He wasn’t going anywhere.
At my question, Nash’s head popped up, his hair deliciously disheveled and his glasses askew. “What’s going on? I was ambushed, that’s what.” He glared at Emmett. “You double-crossing surprise ruiner.”
Emmett only smirked and shot him in the forehead with a dart.
“Dad said no head shots, Uncle Em,” an eight-year-old boy, Ryan and Kelsi’s oldest, draped over Nash’s left leg hollered.
Emmett winced at the nickname, and Nash howled in laughter. Which only made Emmett shoot him again. In the torso.
That curbed his laughter, and Nash grunted. “Seriously? All because I mentioned I was bringing a Nerf gun? I had no plans on shooting you, just surprising the kids. Did you even have a Nerf gun before this?”
“Nope,” Emmett’s daughter declared, shoving a loose piece of blonde hair out of her face as she sat on Nash’s chest. “He went out and bought it this afternoon.”
Emmett frowned at her. “Way to keep a secret, Sadie girl.”
Sadie just giggled, eyes dancing. She was the mini version of her mother. “Off with his head!” Her Queen of Hearts impersonation was flawless—Kelsi, theatre nerd she was, clapped loudly—but it was lost on the younger kids who immediately burst into an argument.
“We’re not cannibals!”
“You mean murderers. Cannibals eat people.”
“We don’t do that either!”
“Nobody’s eating or killing anybody,” Emmett grunted in confirmation before the conversation completely spiraled out of control.
“Are they for real right now?” Juliet whispered behind me.
“Oh yeah,” Liz confirmed, choking on a cackle.
“Can I get up?” Nash asked, the barest hint of frustration leaking out of him. “I’ll admit I’m beat, say uncle, or whatever other sadistic demand you have. I can’t feel my legs.”
“Juliet here’s a lawyer if you want to sue for damages or need a hostage negotiator,” I offered.
Juliet snorted. “I do contract law. Rogue children and foam darts are not my wheelhouse.”
Nash just groaned and flopped his head back. “Not exactly how I envisioned this meeting going, ladies.”
“Aww, he thought about meeting us.” Paisley transformed into a giant heart-eye emoji, clasping her hands under her chin.
“Daddy?” Sadie asked, glancing at Emmett for permission to release the hostage.
Emmett sighed and lowered the weapon. “All right. Thanks, kids. Your doughnuts are in the kitchen as promised.”
“You bribed them with pastries?” Nash huffed, sitting up.
“It worked.”
The kids darted past us, arguing over who wanted sprinkles or jelly-filled, then Emmett fired one final shot at Nash. Right in the chest. “Now we’re even,” he declared.
Nash scoffed and straightened his glasses. “Not even close. This was supposed to be payback for the Freshman Shower Escapade. Now, I’ll have to think of something else.”
“It was a terrible prank, and you never reveal your plans to the enemy. Live and learn.” Emmett shrugged. “You’ve had fifteen years. Another fifteen won’t kill you.”
“You’re the worst,” Nash grumbled, giving Emmett a shove as he passed. Stopping in front of me, he offered a heart-stopping smile. “I’m sorry you had to witness my humiliation and utter betrayal at the hands of a rogue army.”
I grinned up at him. “Oh, I don’t know. The karaoke was probably worse. Gabe sent me the video footage for a memento. So, I guess you’ll have to figure out a way to redeem yourself.”
“I’m sure I can come up with something.” He leaned towards me, probably to kiss me, but I’d never know since a distinctive throat clearing that could only be Juliet interrupted us from behind. Right, we had an audience.
Warmth flooded my cheeks, but I laughed sheepishly, motioning towards them. “Sorry. Ladies, this is Nash. Nash, these are my friends. Liz, you know. Juliet, our resident storm cloud, and Paisley, our hobbit and literary genius.”
“It’s a pleasure. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Nash said warmly, nodding. “You’re Myles Delavan’s wife, right?” he asked Juliet.
Juliet visibly softened at her husband’s name. “Yup.”
“And you married Greyson Satterfield, yeah?” he said to Paisley.