“What are you doing?” I squeeze out through panted breaths. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s trying to suffocate me.
“I’ve missed you,” he says. It’s true we haven’t seen each other much. I’ve hinted that he should move back to Los Angeles, but he won’t unless it’s something Josie suggests. I respect that as his friend. As his bandmate, I feel like 4225 West has been pushed aside because of the member’s distance. I know we’ve been around for over twenty years, but many bands are still making music and selling out venues. That could still be us.
“I’ve missed you too,” I tell him. I’m being honest. I do miss being around him all the time. “Listen, we sort of have a surprise for everyone. Mind going in and making sure everyone is gathered in the living room or something?”
“What’s going on?”
I grip his shoulder and shake my head. “Inside. Even the infamous Liam Page has to wait for the news.”
Liam nods and heads back inside after saying hi to everyone. I tell Quinn that we’ll come back for the luggage after we’ve had a chance to introduce the newest member of our family to everyone, and Elle tells us how we’re going to walk into the house. I’m going in first, followed by Quinn and Nola, with the twins next, and finally Katelyn and Oliver. Truthfully, I want to be with Katelyn, but sometimes there is no use in arguing with Elle. She’s headstrong and very set in her ways.
As instructed, we fall in line and head into the house. As much as I want to look around and take everything in, it’ll have to wait until later. Right now, I have far more important things to do, like introduce my son to my best friends. Quinn and Nola follow me in and stand off to the side.
“What’s going?” Josie asks.
“We have something to tell everyone,” I say as the twins walk in.
“Oh my god, which one of you is pregnant?” Josie blurts out.
“Why? Why must one of us be pregnant?” Elle asks.
“It’s not me,” Nola chimes in.
“Nor me,” Peyton says. “You would already know if I was that’s for sure.”
Josie stands, as does Jenna. “Okay, you need to . . .” Josie’s words are cut off when Katelyn comes into view with the car carrier. “I know I haven’t seen you in a couple of months, but surely you would’ve told me if you were pregnant.”
Jenna’s mouth opens as if she’s going to say something and then closes it again. I look at Liam, who appears thoroughly confused, his brows knitted together. It’s JD who walks in behind Katelyn, none the wiser that the Jameses are trying to make a grand entrance. “Whoa, who’s bub is this?”
“He’s ours,” Katelyn says.
“What?” Liam, Josie, Jenna, and JD say in unison.
“Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Oliver James. Well, he will be a James after we can file for adoption.”
Katelyn takes our son from his carrier and shows him to his family. There are many oohs and aahs and still some confused looks, mostly from JD and Liam. I go to them and say, “I’ll tell you guys later over a game of pool or something.”
“Are you happy?” Liam asks.
I think about his question for a minute and try not to focus on Katelyn and the excitement she’s showing. The smile forms before I start to nod. “I am,” I tell my friends and son, who has joined us. “Once you hold him, you’ll see why.”
“It’s like magic,” Quinn adds. “He’s a Christmas miracle.”
12
Jenna
Poor little Oliver is passed from person to person, with each of us making the most ridiculous faces at him. He’s a trooper though, and barely fusses. It’s like we’re in an assembly line, each waiting a turn to hold him. When he finally gets to me—which seems like ages from when Katelyn walked in with him—my heart simultaneously beats with happiness for my friend and breaks for myself. For years, Jimmy and I tried to have another child, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us. We went to doctors, specialists and they all said the same thing: there isn’t anything wrong, keep trying. We thought about IVF, but I pushed it aside, thinking that when my body was ready for another child, it would happen. Now, I fear it’s too late but seeing Katelyn come in with this bundle of joy gives me hope. Maybe Jimmy and I can explore adoption as he suggested in the past. However, I’m not sure how Eden would feel. I’d love to think her reaction would be the same as Elle, Peyton, and Quinn’s was, but being an only child is different.
I’m not sure how long I get to hold Oliver, but grabby hands, also known as my husband, takes him from me and starts speaking cockney to him. I roll my eyes, and I think a few others do as well, except for the guys. Liam and Harrison are going gaga over the baby, right along with Jimmy.
Katelyn comes back into the room and takes the empty spot next to me on the sofa. She hands me a glass of wine and sets another one down for Josie, who comes back into the living room with a bowl of chips and salsa. Jimmy, Eden, and I were the first to arrive and had the house to ourselves for the first day. Well, I should say, I had the house to myself because Eden and Jimmy hit the slopes first thing when we arrived and again this morning. It seems snowboarding is natural for Eden, and she can’t get enough of some pipe or something. The lingo is confusing, but I try to keep up with what she’s telling me.
Josie sits with a sigh and rests her head on the back of the couch. “This house—”
“It’s amazing,” I tell her. “The pool, or rather the oasis, is beyond words. As soon as Jimmy and Eden left this morning, I floated around that thing for over an hour. I think the best part is the glass ceiling. Watching the snowfall is magical.”
“How did you find this place?” Katelyn asks.
“Internet,” Josie says. “I just started searching for houses to fit our family size. I found a bunch, and then I narrowed it down to where I thought we’d like to visit. Vermont seemed like a fun wintery getaway. Plus, the questionable cell service is nice. I want everyone to unplug and relax while we’re here.”
“I, for one, am happy Eden put her phone away. I think this is good for her and Jimmy. It’s something different. She focuses so much on surfing, which I know it's too late to do anything about it. I read this article the other day about kids who specialize in one sport, which got me thinking. She never really tried anything other than surfing.”
“No thanks to Quinn,” Katelyn says with a laugh. “Does she still have a crush on him?”
I nod. “I think she was rather put off that Nola came. I think Eden looked forward to monopolizing his time.”
“Quinn will still spend time with her. Nola is not a fan of the snow or the wintry weather. She’ll likely stay inside with us,” Katelyn tells us. “In fact, I think this might be the first time she’s spent any considerable amount of time in it.”
“And me,” Peyton says as she comes into the room. Elle and Nola follow her. The three of them are carrying a glass of wine.
“Who stocked the liquor?” Elle asks.
“I did,” Josie says. “Is there enough? Do I need to order more?”
Elle shakes her head and holds up her glass. “I’m curious about this wine. It’s delicious.”
There’s a look of relief on Josie’s face. “Oh, thank god. For a minute, I thought you were going to tell me it sucked or something.”
“Not at all,” Elle replies. “I’d like to visit the winery before we leave. Do you think they’re open?”
“Yes, I looked at their websites before we came and wrote everything down. They have tastings and are open through the holidays. I’d love to go with you if you want the company.”
“I’d love that, Aunt Josie.”
“I’m in,” adds Nola. “That’s if I’m invited.”
Elle looks at her oddly. “As if we’d leave you behind.” She turns and looks at her sister. “You?”
Peyton shrugs. It makes me wonder if it’s because Noah will be here soon or if she’s still suffering some PTSD from her accident.
Elle groans. “Seriously? Beca
use of Noah?”
Peyton looks sharply at her sister. “He can’t ski when he’s here, so if we all take off for a girl’s day, he’s left alone unless one of the guys stays behind. So, excuse me if I decide to stay back with my husband.”
Just then, the door opens, and all heads turn toward whoever walked in. The chattering voices of Betty Paige and an unfamiliar voice fill the air. I glance at Josie, who shrugs. “I forgot to mention we have a visitor.”
“Mack!” Peyton exclaims as she stands and goes to him. She pulls Mack into her arms. “What are you doing here?”
Mack glances at Josie, who says, “I’ll fill them in. Why don’t you and Paige get ready? We’ll go into town and pick up some pizzas.” Mack nods and heads down one of the hallways. Once he’s out of sight, Josie takes a long sip of her wine and starts talking. “Nick and Aubrey are getting a divorce. She’s taking Amelia back to South Africa, and Mack is staying in Beaumont. We originally invited Mack to come after Christmas, but Nick asked Liam if we could bring Mack with us now.”
“Does Noah know?” Peyton asks.
Josie shakes her head. “I don’t think so. I doubt Nick confided in Noah that his marriage is falling apart.”
“No, but we would’ve taken Mack,” Peyton adds.
Josie smiles. “That’s very sweet of you, but we both know that’s not feasible. Mack’s doing very well in school and excelling in his sports. Nick doesn’t want Mack to give that up. As long as Mack is in Beaumont, Liam and I will make sure he’s taken care of.”
“Wait, can you go back to the Liam part?” Katelyn asks.
Josie laughs and rolls her eyes. “It seems Nick found Liam at the water tower a few nights back and told him everything. He asked for our help, and Liam agreed.”
“Whoa,” Katelyn says.
“I know,” Josie adds. “I don’t think they’re besties just yet, but maybe.” She laughs. We all know Liam and Nick Ashford will never be best friends. Cordial, yes. But anything else is pushing it.
“I think I’m in shock,” I say. “Liam has allowed his daughter's crush to come on holiday with her?”
“He’s a changed man.” Josie laughs. “Actually, it took some prodding at first. Like I said, Mack was going to join us after Christmas, which would give him a day or two with Noah. But then Nick . . . well you know the rest. I do think Liam put the fear of God into the boy though, but we’ll still keep our eyes on them.”
“Right because we were . . .” Katelyn stops talking and looks at her girls. She smiles sheepishly and then turns back to her glass of wine.
“Mom, seriously?” Peyton says.
“Please tell us it was our father, and you weren’t some—ouch,” Elle looks at her sister in horror. “I can’t believe you just hit me.”
“So, what if Mom had a couple of boyfriends.”
“I just don’t want to hear about her sexcapades when she was a teen.” Elle shudders, and we all laugh.
“What’s going on in here?” Harrison asks as he enters the room, cradling Oliver. I reach for him, hoping Katelyn won’t be angry that I want to hold him again. Harrison sets him into my arms, and I sigh with happiness.
“Does he have a nickname or anything?”
“Ollie,” Katelyn says. “Harrison and I settled on two names, and then as a family, we voted.”
“What was the other name?” Josie asks from behind me. She’s moved so she can look at the sleeping bundle in my arms.
“Ezra.”
“He looks like an Ollie to me,” Peyton says. “And Oliver fits when you say all our names together.”
“Does he have a middle name?” I ask.
Katelyn shakes her head. “Oliver Powell-James is already a mouthful. No need to add any more. But he won’t officially be Oliver until the adoption. Right now, the state refers to him as Baby John Doe, but Harrison wanted to make sure we called him something else because Jimmy—”
“Do not tell Jimmy the baby has his initials. You’ll never hear the end of it,” I tell Katelyn.
“Exactly what Harrison said.”
Betty Paige and Mack walk into the room. I look for signs they were making out but see nothing. Mack sits on the floor in front of Peyton, and they start talking quietly. You can clearly see the adoration they have for each other. Paige sits next to Josie and eyes me warily.
“Um, Aunt Jenna, what’s in your arms?”
“A baby,” I tell her as I hold him up for her to see. Her eyes go wide.
“Who had a baby?”
“Well, I kind of did,” Katelyn says. “We are fostering until we can adopt him.”
Paige moves closer to me and gets a better look at Oliver. “What’s his name?”
“Oliver,” I tell her.
“Where’s his mom?”
“She can’t take care of him, so we’re going to,” Katelyn answers. I’m not sure how you explain to a teenager that someone abandoned their baby. I know the safe haven laws don’t call it abandonment, but it still feels that way to me, especially when I’ve wanted another baby for so long.
“It’s sad that his mom left him,” Mack chimes in. “But it’s good that you have him, Miss Katelyn. He’s a lucky boy.” It makes me wonder if his statement is some sort of reflection or jab at his mom for wanting to move out of the country.
“We’re the lucky ones,” Katelyn replies.
The door opens again, and this time it’s Eden. It takes her a few minutes to get her gear off, but she's in shock when she comes into the room until Paige fills her in. Within an instant of learning that the baby I’m holding is not staying with us, she’s next to me, making the most adorable sounds at Oliver.
“Peyton, don’t you want one?” her sister asks.
All eyes are on Peyton while we wait for the answer. I know everyone is excited for her and Noah to start a family, but I also respect why they haven’t. Peyton is young and just starting her career. I’m sure she wants to make a name for herself with the Pioneers before she goes out on maternity leave. Unlike Noah’s job, she doesn’t get an off-season because she works with management when it comes time to recruit. From what Katelyn has told me, Peyton is always watching game film of college kids, looking to see who might bring new life or fill a void in the team. Her job isn’t to just break down Noah’s game, but the whole team and make them better.
“We do when the time is right,” she says to everyone, mostly eyeing her mother and sister.
“Until then,” Josie says, “You can play with this cute little boy.” She reaches for him, and I reluctantly hand him over. I know I have to share, but I don’t want to. It’s selfish, I know. Maybe it is time for Jimmy and me to explore adoption.
13
Jimmy
Leave it to Harrison to change the dynamic of our lives. I don’t blame my mate for doing what his missus wants, to be honest I’d move heaven and earth to give Jenna everything she wanted, but a baby is another story. For whatever reason, we couldn’t have a second child. We tried a lot, which honestly is the best part, but there were a few miscarriages, a lot of tests, and a load of doctors saying there’s nothing wrong with either of us. Their answer was IVF, which basically means they take my swimmers in a cup and do what they have to do with them. But for Jenna, those drugs would’ve taken a toll on her both emotionally and physically. Even so, I would’ve held her hand, held her hair back when she was throwing up and given her the jabs. In the end, she decided not to go through with it. Jenna has always told me she’s happy with our life, just the three of us, but watching her tonight, I know she’s not being completely truthful with me.
My mates and I are hanging out in the kitchen with a clear view of the ladies as they go completely gaga over the newest member of our family. The house Josie rented for us is massive and is an open plan, which I’m not a fan of because I like walls. Walls mean I can hang our gold and platinum records, as well as our awards. They mean I can show off all the women in my life by displaying their photos, artwork, and the kindergart
en finger painting Eden did for me. It’s of our tour bus, with her standing in front, holding my hand. At least, that’s what she told me when she gave it to me before we left on tour years ago. Still, this house rivals anything I’ve seen. Jenna kept saying there was a hot tub, but that’s an understatement. There’s an indoor pool with a grotto and a way to go outside and enjoy the freshly falling snow with your missus. It’s romantic as hell, but more importantly, each of the bedrooms are far away from each other, so when the mood strikes, and, let’s be honest, it’s going to strike, we’ll all have privacy.
Eden, Betty Paige, and Mack walk into the kitchen. They’re raiding the fridge and talking with each other, not caring that their fathers are all within hearing distance of them. I eye them for a minute, amused by the fact that Mack is here. He’s my focus right now and how he moves around Paige. Liam must be shitting his pants right about now.
“I don’t get it,” I say as soon as the kids leave. “Aren’t you worried about Mack and Paige?”
Liam pales and tips the can of beer he has in his hand. It’s from a local brewer called 14th Star Brewing Co. and was recommended by the bartender at the lodge. He hooked me on their beer, Valor, and I went out earlier today and bought as much as I could of all their products. What I really like about them, aside from the taste, is that two friends who served in the war started the company after one came up with the idea on the battlefield.
“What’s that?” Liam asks, even though I suspect he knows what I’m talking about.
“Mack.” Harrison clears his throat and looks at Liam while I lean forward. “Spill.”
Liam groans, takes a long drink from the can, and sets it back down onto the table. “You know, sometimes I wish I had put my foot down and told Ashford to take a hike. But I know deep down, if I had, I would’ve lost Noah. And likely Josie because we would’ve fought about Nick and Noah being in each other’s lives. Had Sam . . .” Liam trails off. The bane of our lives, well mostly Liam and Harrison’s, was Sam, our former manager. I never really gave her the time of day, other than needing a job from her. She mostly stayed out of my life and only meddled when Chelsea and I broke up. Even though Sam died years ago, it seems my mates are still dealing with her bullshit. Liam stands and goes to the fridge. He comes back with six more beers and hands two to each of us. We all open them at the same time and take a drink.
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