But that’s a long way off. Like marriage. We haven’t even talked about getting married. I mean I’m not opposed to it, but he’s just getting used to having a serious, adult relationship and a girlfriend.
There’s no rush.
If, not when. I’m barely thirty. We have plenty of time for us before we start thinking about kids.
Tom squeezes my fingers. I glance up at him. His eyes hold so much love for me. Reflecting the Christmas lights all around us, he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever known. Growing up, he was the cutest boy I’d ever seen. I never believed he could be mine.
Okay, maybe when we have kids.
For now we’ll have the puppy. That’s a good place to start our little family.
The carolers finally move down to the next group of shops, leaving the four of us on the sidewalk. Erik’s disappeared, too.
“Shall we stroll?” Diane breaks off a piece of the cone.
John leans over and steals a big bite of her ice cream.
“Hey!” She moves it away from his mouth. “No stealing from the pregnant girl.”
“Let’s mosey.” Tom holds out his arm for me to take. It’s an old fashioned romantic gesture. Totally unexpected from him and completely sweet. I tuck my arm with his and he holds my hand.
John and Diane lead the way down First Street. Diane finishes off the ice cream in record time and starts talking about finding mulled cider. We step into the street to avoid the crowd trapped by a boisterous rendition of “Up on the Housetop,” complete with noisemakers and sound effects.
“Diane!” A woman with shoulder-length blondish red hair calls out from the other side of the carolers. She’s wearing a giant plaid scarf the size of a blanket.
“John!” Now she’s walking toward us. A really handsome older guy with salty-gray-brown hair follows her. He has the whole hot professor look going for him in a blazer and jeans.
CHAPTER FOUR
Maggie
“Maggie!” Diane rushes over to us, not looking either way when she crosses the street. It’s a little worrisome.
I know it’s tiny Langley. Most nights you could lie down in the middle of any street and not get run over, but I don’t think John could survive if anything happened to her. Especially now that she’s pregnant.
I’ve never seen a man more ridiculously excited about having a baby, but in a stoic, classic John way. He smiles more and laughs more. He’s always watching her to make sure she’s okay.
Now that John’s happily married and starting a family, Gil has warmed up to him. He doesn’t even frown when John’s name comes up anymore. As if there was ever any real competition there.
Diane hugs me while John says hello to Gil. Clearly, Diane hasn’t spotted her big surprise behind us yet.
John and I wave at each other. He cocks his head in question and I jerk mine back to answer him.
“So what brings you to the island?” he asks innocently. Too innocently. He might as well be whistling in nonchalance.
Diane stares at him, clearly suspecting him of something. She studies me and then goes back to staring at him. “You two are acting odd. What are you up to?”
Beside me, Gil chuckles. I elbow him.
He rocks back on his heels. “I’ve never been to the Sip ’n Stroll, so I demanded some holiday cheer after turning in my final grades. Maggie agreed and suggested we spend Christmas on the beach this year.”
Diane nods, but her eyes still hold doubt.
“You are the worst surprisers in surprise history!”
Diane’s eyes widen at the voice shouting behind us.
“Surprise!” Quinn shoves me out of the way. “Look who’s here!”
I stumble, but Gil steadies me. After all this time, I should anticipate Q’s exuberance.
“Quinn!” Diane bounces up and down twice before she’s enveloped by our mutual friend. “What are you doing here? Is Ryan here?”
“We’re here.” Ryan walks around Gil, carrying Lizzy in his arms. The toddler’s bundled up like a pink Eskimo, complete with miniature shearling boots to her knees and faux fur trim on her parka. She twists in his arms, suddenly shy around strangers.
Ryan’s dressed in all black like a typical New Yorker. His hair is a little bit more salty at his temples under his hat. His dark eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles.
Quinn is dressed as a lumbersexual from Brooklyn. It’s kind of funny to see him standing next to John. Both men are wearing flannel, jeans and boots. John’s boots are scuffed from work while Quinn’s are perfectly polished. John wears a thick Carhartt coat. Quinn is in a navy cashmere peacoat. Even his knit cap sits at a jaunty angle, leaving his blond hair mostly exposed.
Lumbersailor? I’ll have to ask him if seamen is the new fashion trend. Or would that be lumberseamen? I laugh to myself. I’ll have to share that with Selah later. I’ll even give her permission to use it in one of her books.
“How long are you here?” Diane’s eyes well up with tears.
Oh, boy. This is only part of the surprise. I told Quinn and John that shocking a hormonal woman is never a good idea, but they didn’t listen. I hope she has tissues.
Ryan hands off Lizzy to Quinn. She reaches out her arms and says “Da-dee” as he takes her. Ryan gives Diane a big hug. “We’re here for a week. New York misses you.”
“Oh, I’ve missed you two so much. Happy Chanukah!”
Ryan beams at her. “Thanks for remembering us Jews. We’re multi-denominational when it comes to Christmas. Our house is definitely on Santa’s list, much to my mother’s displeasure.”
“Fine with the husband, but not Santa?” Gil chuckles.
“She’s all about the grandkids.”
Diane rubs her hand down Lizzy’s back. “Of course she loves Little Lizzy. Well, not so little anymore.”
“Speaking of not so little anymore.” Quinn points at Diane’s belly. “You’re huge.”
Only a gay man, well no, only Quinn, can get away with saying such things to a woman. Ever. He knows he can get away with it, too. Blunt is part of his charm.
“If you were blue, you could play Violet Beauregard in a production of Willy Wonka.” He laughs at his own joke.
“Stop. I’m not that huge.” Diane giggles.
“You polished off a triple scoop of ice cream and didn’t even share,” Tom says. I recognize him and his girlfriend from John’s wedding last summer. I make the introductions all around.
“Quinn’s one of my oldest friends,” I explain.
“By old, she means we met as children. Toddlers, really.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “We met in college and we’ve earned these wrinkles.”
“Wrinkles?” Quinn gasps. “Never!”
“Ryan’s an amazing dermatologist,” Diane tells her friends.
A driver honks his horn at us. I realize we’re standing in the middle of the street. We move out of the way in a big clump, chatting all at the same time. Diane is now holding Lizzy’s hand as we stroll. Lizzy still has her head tucked into Quinn’s shoulder, but she holds a tight grip on Diane’s finger.
“Do you think Ye Olde Carolers know the Wham Christmas song?” Quinn asks as the singers break into “Jingle Bells.”
“I’d take some Mariah Carey over another round of ‘Silent Night’.” Diane suggests.
“Oh, I only like her song that was in Love, Actually,” I say. “It’s–”
“Your favorite movie.” Gil and Quinn finish my sentence.
“Oh, I love that movie,” Hailey agrees. “‘God Only Knows’ is a great song, too.”
We run through a list of our favorite songs and scenes in the movie, becoming instant friends.
John taps away on his phone, oblivious to the conversation. I feel my phone vibrate in my coat pocket and take it out. I respond to his text, fighting a smile while I do it.
“Look at all this bearded goodness!”
The voice can only belong to my other best friend, Selah. I lift my eyes to
spot her dark hair a dozen feet away. She’s staring at John and Tom like she’s a sailor and it’s fleet week in NYC. Standing beside her, Kai, her fiancé, is sporting a nice level of George Clooney style scruff. They got engaged this past summer, but I suspect they might be one of those couples that stays engaged for years. Or elope, and not tell anyone. I covertly eye their fingers for wedding bands, but find none. I love weddings, but who am I to talk? Gil and I have no plans to get married.
“Damn. It’s a real live lumbersexual convention right here on the sidewalk.” Selah purrs.
John visibly bristles at her words.
“Oh, Paul Bunyan, I don’t mean you. You’re the real thing. All seven feet of you.” She teases him good-naturedly.
Even Hailey and Diane laugh at her nickname for John.
“Why didn’t I come up with that one?” Hailey mumbles to her friend.
“Holy cats, you’ve procreated.” Selah’s eyes focus on Diane’s belly. “You lucky, lucky woman.”
Diane looks up at John and back at Selah in confusion.
“We haven’t met. I’m Selah, the obnoxious friend.” She sticks out her hand.
“Oh, I’ve heard all about you.” Diane shakes her hand and adds, “All good things.”
Selah’s laugh is deep and throaty. “Then you haven’t been talking to Quinn.”
I observe our little group. Selah’s right about the facial hair. Gil has started growing his winter beard. He’ll shave it before the spring semester starts. Along with Kai, Quinn sports more scruff than usual. Only Ryan is clean-shaven. I guess beards are taking over the world.
Selah hugs Ryan and gives Quinn a half hug so she doesn’t squish Lizzy. It’s the closest ever Selah’s come to holding her. I laugh as Lizzy lets go of Diane’s finger to grab the fringe on Selah’s cape/poncho. Despite her overstated dislike of children, Selah smiles and tickles Lizzy’s nose with more fringe, causing the girl to giggle and lean in for more.
“When did you arrive?” I ask Kai. We might all live in Portland, but we rarely find time to get together. Kai spends a lot of time in Africa and travels the world for his non-profit work, taking Selah with him when she’s not teaching.
“Yesterday. Selah finished her grades and we drove up in the evening.”
“Are you settled in the house?” I’m happiest when my little cabin on the beach is filled with my favorite people.
“We are,” Selah says. “We even brought a tree with us over on the ferry. Kai strapped it to the top of the car like he’s a Norse God. I swear he lifted the thing with one arm.”
She may notice other men, hell, we all notice good looking men like John and Tom, you’d have to be blind not to, but her heart is firmly held in the hands of Kai. He might even give the island guys a run for handsome. I know for a fact he looks amazing in a suit.
“Did he chop it down himself?” John asks. If it were John’s tree, the answer would be yes. Knowing Kai, he bought the most expensive tree on the lot. I hope it fits in my living room.
Christmas at my beach cabin with my closest friends is my gift to myself this year. Even if our Christmas is a few days early so everyone could make it. We’d asked Ben and Jo to join us, but they’re spending the holidays in Florida with her family. As Jo put it, it’s the last chance to go to Disney World with sullen teens, and who wants to miss out on that fun. Selah’s comments on the whole trip involved the words “sea of germs” and “hell portal.”
“Baby, it’s cold outside,” she sing-says to the group. “I’ve done the strolling part of this evening, now how about some sipping?”
She’s right about the cold. I tuck my plaid scarf tighter around my neck. Sitting on the bluff, Langley is exposed to the wind. A few flurries dance through the air.
“We have dinner plans.” John drapes his arm around Diane. They stop walking, so we all stop.
“We do?” she asks
“I made reservations at Cafe Langley.”
“You did?”
“I did.” He smiles down at her.
“We have plans, too.” Tom interrupts.
“Are you joining us?” Diane asks the group.
Tom and John exchange looks.
“No, um, our plans are separate. I’ve had enough festiveness for one evening.” Tom gives Hailey a cautious look. He’s normally so cocky and self-assured.
I don’t know him well, but if I had to guess, he wants Hailey all to himself for the rest of the evening.
“Watch out for the mistletoe. The town is a minefield. Covered with the stuff.” John points above our heads.
Gil rubs his hands together, a devilish glint in his eye. “I say we take full advantage of it. What say you, Maggie May?”
My old nickname always makes me swoon. I rise up on my tiptoes to kiss him. It’s a soft, sweet kiss that ends too soon.
Gil scans the storefronts. “You owe me ten, no wait, twelve kisses.”
I don’t question his math. “Challenge accepted.”
After saying goodbye and wishing us all merry Christmases, the two couples split off and walk in opposite directions down the crowded street.
Another surprise is waiting for Diane at the restaurant. I smile, knowing I did something really nice for John and his wife. After all, this season is about giving.
CHAPTER FIVE
Diane
John isn’t a reservation and fancy dinner kind of guy. Yet here we are at a white-cloth covered table at Cafe Langley, my favorite restaurant. Even more strange is they seated us at a table for four. It’s packed in here tonight because of the event. I’m about to ask him what’s going on when I hear my mother’s voice.
Rather than turn toward her, I stare at my husband. “What did you do?”
He grins at me, but worry dances in his eyes. “I brought home to you, since you can’t really travel for Christmas.”
“You’re my home, John Day. Our home is at the beach. Together.”
He softly kisses my cheek, his beard tickling my skin. “I know, but I can’t replace your parents.”
“Hey sweetheart.” My dad is standing next to the table now, wearing a Nordic sweater in a reindeer pattern. His bald head shines in the candlelight.
“Honey?” Mom asks, sounding worried. Her hair is shorter than the last time I saw her, but still a warm brown with highlights. Her face is thinner, too.
Tears spill down my cheeks as I stand up. “You’re here.”
I’m stunned stupid. “How?”
I hug both my parents as I cry. I’m not even sure why I’m crying.
Hormones? Probably.
Sentimental mush? Probably.
Realizing how much I’ve missed my mom? Definitely.
I’m now a blubbering mess in the middle of the restaurant. Not sobbing, but I do need to blow my nose soon or I’ll get snot all over my mother’s cashmere sweater.
“John called us and invited us to come out to visit you. He made all the arrangements and got his lovely friends Maggie and Gil to pick us up at the airport. She was there to get her friends from the city and brought two cars. Turns out we were all on the same flight. So everything worked out perfectly.”
I gape at my husband. “You planned all this? To surprise me?”
His love shines in his eyes. Making me tear up even more, he hands me a bandana to blow my nose. He knows me so well. I blow my nose loudly, not caring I sound like an elephant, and wipe my eyes.
My mother hugs me again, wrapping her cashmere-covered arms around me from the side. “We’re so happy to be here with you.”
I nod, trying not to blubber again. Instead, I blow my nose once more. Exhaling a deep breath, I smile at the three people I love most in the world.
“You are all in so much trouble for keeping this a secret from me.” My stern expression falters immediately. I’m too happy to fake it. “I love you so much.”
John tucks me into his side and kisses the top of my head. “I love you.”
He doesn’t need to embellish those word
s. Those three are enough.
I stare up into his dark eyes. My stoic man who had closed himself off to love after loss. Even though the first time we met he yelled at me and accused me of being a burglar, there was something about him. I didn’t know it then, but he’d captured my heart pretty much from that first day. Not that I was ready for him or a relationship either. For a while, he was my only friend on the island. Now he’s my best friend and my everything.
I get teary again thinking about how much I love him. I inhale and exhale a deep breath.
“Let’s sit.” I take the lead and settle into my seat at the table. Despite eating ice cream not that long ago, I’m hungry again. I could totally eat a big bowl of pasta.
John’s arm drapes across the back of my chair. His familiar heat is comforting. The feel of his fingers playing with the ends of my hair grounds me. The tears seem to have faded for now.
I’m still stunned he surprised me with my parents. My own gift for him feels inadequate with this grand gesture. I know after the baby comes, he’ll need guy time. He’ll fret and worry over both of us, to his own detriment. Mom and my grandmother have both agreed to come out to help. John’s aunt is close and a couple of his cousins have volunteered to help us. It takes a village, or in this case an island, to care for a baby.
That’s why I bought him and Tom a trip to go fishing in Alaska next summer. The trick will be getting him to go. Tom’s going to help out with that part. John’ll listen to him. At least I hope so.
“What are you smiling about?” John asks.
I give him a sly grin. “Payback.”
He frowns. “Are you mad?”
“Not at all.” I squeeze his thigh. “I just hate being outdone when it comes to gifts.”
Dad chuckles and lifts up his menu, blocking his face and muffling his voice. “Son, you’re never going to win. These women get competitive. You better watch out.”
Mom sips her wine and nods. “Although, there aren’t any losers in this game.”
Mom’s right. Trying to outdo each other with gifts is like trying to out-love each other. Nobody’s a loser. Everyone wins. Tom and John go fishing for a week. I get a freezer full of salmon and halibut. Win-win.
Very Merry Wingmen Holiday Collection Page 3