by Moody, Diane
“No, it’s nice. We’ve all built these absurd houses and we’re never home either. A house is a house.” He gave himself a tour as Hannah snatched up stray socks and blue jeans.
“Sorry for the mess, but I wasn’t expecting company, for the record.”
He balked with a snort. “Tell me you’re not apologizing to me. I’m a pig. You should see my hotel rooms on tour. If we didn’t have a stylist, I’d never get dressed on time. Kinda sad to be twenty-seven years old and still need someone to dress you.”
“Somehow I doubt she minds.”
“Actually she does. She gets tired of how childish we act most of the time. But hey, she gets paid a truckload for putting up with us. So what time do you want me to come back and pick you up?”
Hannah stopped, then slowly put the pile of clothes in an easy chair. “Look, Jason—”
“Don’t even think about it. You’re coming and that’s settled. Mom would have a fit if you didn’t.”
“But it’s your family. They’re all coming over to see you. I’ll just be in the way. I’d love to see you again, but maybe today’s not the best time.”
“Nope. I’m not leaving you alone on Christmas so forget it. You’ll love my family. And they’ll love you too. Besides,” he added, turning back toward the door, “I won you for a week, and don’t you forget it.” He opened the door, tossing an arrogant glance over his shoulder.
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
“Gevin’s coming over, y’know,” he taunted her. “And I think JT might drop by. His mom is on a shoot over in Australia, so he said he might bring Tracey over. If you won’t come for me, surely you’ll come to meet the guys? Hmmm?” His eyebrows danced again.
She shook her head, her smile weary. “You never give up, do you?”
He tiptoed back to her, furiously mussed her hair, then headed back toward the open door. “Nope, I don’t. How about I pick you up around 5:00? And don’t make me wait. I’d hate to have to take back your gift.”
“My gift?”
“Gotcha. Now I know you’ll come. See you at 5:00. And get some sleep. I don’t mean to be rude, but girl, you look beat.” His face morphed into an I’m-in-trouble-now sneer. He narrowly escaped the pillow she threw at him as he slipped out the door.
Hannah fell onto her sofa. She grabbed another throw pillow, pounding her head into it over and over. “Have I lost my mind?!”
Hannah climbed into a purple pullover sweater as her cell chirped. She looked at the clock. Four fifty-five. Not good timing for a phone call. She wanted to be totally ready when Jason came. She plopped on the edge or her bed and picked up her cell. Her boss’s name appeared on the screen. “Hi Jim. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” She grabbed her black trouser socks then leaned over to pull one on.
“Hi Hannah, how are you?”
She grimaced, wishing she didn’t have to be reminded of her long work week ahead. “I’m fine. How did the funeral go?” Another grimace. “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s a stupid question—”
“Hey, it’s okay. I know what you meant to say. The funeral went about like you’d expect. Sandy is still pretty upset, but that’s normal under the circumstances, I guess. But I wanted to let you know I’m back.”
“What?” She stopped tugging up the other sock.
“I decided she needed more time with her immediate family, and I wouldn’t really be missed. And you know me—I get kind of twitchy being away from the store too long. Anyway, just wanted to let you know you can take the rest of the week off if you want. I really appreciate you stepping in to help out like you did. In fact, you’ll find a nice little bonus in your next paycheck. I’m really grateful.”
She jumped up and danced a silent victory jig, pounding her fists in the air. She paused to steady her voice. “Oh, well, that’s—I mean, I’m sorry you felt you had to come back so soon. But are you sure you don’t need me?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Take some time off. Enjoy your break. I’ll give you a call in a few days. And thanks again, Hannah. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Jim. Bye.” She threw the phone on the bed and jumped in the air. “Yessssssss! Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!”
Her cell phone rang again.
The doorbell rang.
Kylie’s name flashed on her cell. Kylie! She hadn’t talked to her since all this began! She had so much to tell her!
The doorbell rang. Again. And again and again.
“Yikes! Just a minute, Jason!”
She tossed the phone back on the bed, unanswered. I’m sorry Kylie, I’ll call you later, can’t talk now, you’ll understand when you hear what’s been going on! She hoped somehow her mental message would get to Kylie. Yeah right.
Hannah flew around her room, grabbing the rest of her outfit. She hopped on one foot then the other as she pulled on her black slacks then ran a brush through her clean hair. She brushed her teeth in record time then hurried to the door. She stopped, took a deep breath.
Be calm. Look relaxed. She opened the door.
“Why didn’t you tell me there was a blizzard out here, girl? I coulda killed myself coming over here!” Jason stomped his shoes on the welcome mat before stepping into the apartment.
“I didn’t know.” She peeked out then shoved the door shut against the frigid air. “I slept all afternoon. Is it that bad out there?” When she turned around, he was there. Right there.
“Whoa—Hannah. You look amazing,” he said, folding his arms across his chest as if studying her. “I mean really amazing. You clean up good.”
Her face warmed under the scrutiny of his attention. “Well that’s good to know. I guess?” Seeing such affection in those warm green eyes reduced her knees to linguine. “Um, so you think it’s too dangerous to drive?”
“It’s looking pretty bad. The roads aren’t impossible but don’t plan on coming home tonight. You’ll be snowed in for sure.” He took both her hands in his. “Which, of course, would be such a shame now, wouldn’t it?”
The butterflies flitted through her stomach. She plastered a nervous smile on her face. “Give me just a second, will you?”
Hannah hurried to her bathroom, grabbed her small makeup bag and tossed it in her purse. With these people, you never know when you’ll be home again. The thought scattered the butterflies on another round. Still, she couldn’t help feeling excited.
Twenty minutes later they walked hand in hand to the back entrance of the McKenzie’s estate. Hannah slowed her steps, her hand tugging Jason back.
He turned. “You okay?”
“I’m really nervous, Jason. All these people . . . I don’t think I can do this.”
He cupped her face in his gloved hands. “Look. You liked Mom and Dad, right?”
“Of course I did.”
“So see? We’re all related. We’re just a normal family, Hannah. You’ll do great. And I promise not to leave you stuck with any of them. Deal?”
She sighed, only slightly reassured by his promise. “Deal.”
The evening was one of the sweetest Christmas memories Hannah ever experienced. Just as Jason promised, his family turned out to be a conglomeration of McKenzie warmth and kindness. They made sure to include her in their conversations, asking questions about her studies, her interests, her family, her plans. Jason kept his promise, staying close to her side, sitting on the arm of her chair or sprawled on the floor in front of her, leaning back against her legs.
After their traditional Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings, the family relaxed around the spacious home. They talked, they watched football—just like any other family. Jason was right. They were just ordinary people like everyone else.
Well, almost.
“Hey, whassup! Anybody home?”
Hannah knew the voice immediately. In mere seconds she would meet another member of Blue. Gevin Michaels. She noticed her hands trembling so she intertwined her fingers, hoping to still them.
She watched across t
he room as a whole new flock of cousins and nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles spilled into the family room. Jason jumped up to greet them all, hugging kids and kissing aunts and uncles on the cheek. She spotted Gevin, a head taller than the rest of his family.
“Don’t even think about it!” Gevin warned as Jason pretended he was going to kiss his famous cousin. Gevin faked a punch to Jason’s stomach. “It’s bad enough I have to work with you day in and day out. You’d think I could have a little space on Christmas.”
“How’s it goin’, Cuz?” The teasing aside, they shared a hug. Jason cocked his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. “And what’s with the silly grin?”
Hannah watched Gevin’s face beam. Everyone called him the serious member of the band, but you’d never know it today. “What’re you talking about? What grin?”
Jason twisted his head the other direction, curiosity still etched on his face.
“There’s someone here I think you know,” Gevin said. He reached back through the pack of people behind him, grabbing a hand the color of coffee with cream. Suddenly, a striking African-American woman squeezed through the crowd.
“Marissa!” Jason pounced on her, scooping her up in his arms. “What are you doing here? This is great!” As he hugged her, the slender beauty’s wild curls danced all over his face. “What a nice surprise!”
“Sheesh, McKenzie, you guys sure have a lot of family,” she laughed, looking over the crowd. “Who are all these people?”
She stepped back beside Gevin, his arm wrapping around her slender waist. “I talked Rissa into spending Christmas with me, family obligations and all, so here we are.”
Hannah watched Marissa Shaw snuggle into the comfort of Gevin’s arm. Back in her groupie days, she’d read about the talented tour manager for the band. She was known for her no-nonsense approach to management, keeping the entire production team in line and on schedule. Her peers maintained a healthy respect for her, recognizing her immense talent and vision overseeing one of the hottest groups in the industry. Quite a remarkable feat for a woman so young. But Marissa was also known to adore her “boys.” With them from the start, she was part of their huge success story. But Hannah had never known how beautiful she was—tall and graceful with arresting caramel eyes, flawless skin, and a captivating smile with perfect white teeth.
Hannah turned to notice the strange look on Jason’s face. Then, as if snapping out of a fog, he suddenly faced her with blinking eyes. “I’m so sorry! Hey, Gevin—Rissa. I’ve got someone you need to meet.” He grabbed Hannah’s hand, pulling her into the circle. “This is Hannah. Mom picked her up at the grocery store yesterday and well, we can’t seem to get rid of her.”
“Jason!” Hannah laughed out loud, elbowing him in the ribs.
He put his arm over her shoulder. “I’m teasing. Well, sort of. Anyway, Hannah this is Gevin, but you probably already knew that.”
Gevin’s smile broadened as his eyes grew wide. “Nice to meet you, Hannah.” He embraced her in a hug and pretended to whisper in her ear. “But I probably need to talk to you later about your taste in men.” His thick eyebrows raised to acknowledge some inside wisdom. “We’ll talk,” he whispered loudly.
She laughed. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Gevin. But I’d be a little skeptical of advice from a family member. Gene pool and all that.”
He threw his head back laughing. “Point well taken!” He turned to Jason. “Sharp girl. Though what she’s doing with you baffles me.”
Marissa reached out her hand toward Hannah. “Nice to meet you, Hannah. Looks like you and I are the only sane people in the crowd. I’m glad you’re here. I was afraid I’d be suffocated by The Family.” Gevin hummed the theme from The Godfather as Marissa crossed her eyes. “See what I’m talkin’ ’bout, girl?”
Gevin grabbed her hand. “If you’ll excuse us for a moment, we need to say hi to Aunt Laura and Uncle Frank. We’ll be back in a minute.”
Hannah sat back down. Jason slowly lowered himself on the armrest again, his arm landing across the back of her chair. He leaned over, whispering in her ear. “Something’s up.”
“What do you mean?” She felt his face against her hair, actually heard him inhaling the scent of it. An unexpected shiver trickled down her back.
“Gevin and Marissa have always been close. The two of them, I don’t know—it’s like they rule the roost. Y’know what I mean? They hang out and all that. But something’s going on. I can tell by the way he’s grinning. Like the cat that ate the canary.”
“Aren’t you and Gevin really close? Wouldn’t he tell you if something was up?”
He hummed a few bars of something she didn’t recognize, but the look in his eyes revealed a mind turning over every stone. “Maybe that’s why they’re here together. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
When the rest of the McKenzie/Michaels battalion said good-night and made their way into the driving snowstorm outside, Jason huddled next to Hannah, both shivering in the driveway as the last carload inched slowly out of the drive.
Gevin walked up behind them holding a plastic cup of Coke. “Geez, I thought they’d never leave.”
Whomp! A snowball socked Gevin dead center in his chest. His cup flew into the air, Coke cascading through the flake-filled sky before drawing a brown dotted line across the snow-covered ground. In a fancy display of footwork, he fought to keep his balance, but lost. “Hey!” he protested, flat on his back.
Jason slipped into the shadows as Hannah leaned over to help Gevin to his feet.
“What’s with you McKenzies falling flat on your butts all the time?”
Jason heard Hannah’s taunt and the sound of their laughter, then watched as Marissa shuffled along the ice, joining them from the dark bushes on the other side of the sidewalk.
“Girl, you see what I got to work with?” She winked mischievously at Hannah. “These boys can’t stand on their own two feet for nothin’!”
“Did you throw that? Rissa, you hit me! You knocked me down!”
Whomp! Jason ducked back behind the trees after lobbing a huge snowball that plastered the back of Hannah’s shoulder. He watched her from his hideout.
“Ouch!” she yelled, turning to see where it came from. “Jason! I know you threw that! Come out here and fight like a man!”
He watched her lock eyes with Marissa. Uh oh. In a single fluid motion they charged for a bank of snow and the war began.
Their screams and laughter pierced the cold night air as the snow fell harder. Snowflakes stuck to their eyelashes and covered their hair. Marissa’s tight curls looked like so many iced Tootsie-Rolls. Hannah’s face glowed pink from the cold, her ears almost red. Gevin’s beard looked like a frosted chocolate donut, his red nose easily rivaling Rudolph’s famed snout.
The four of them poised in a face-off, each daring the other to throw one more snowball. Jason couldn’t feel his fingers anymore, but he wasn’t about to give in. He dug his hands back in the snow for one more missile, but they refused to cooperate. He rubbed them against his legs to get the blood circulating again.
Marissa stood up straight across the driveway, waving her hands in the air. “Truce! We’re FREEZING! We gotta go back inside!”
Later, wrapped in quilts and sitting by the fireplace in the loft, they sipped hot cocoa and tried to stop shaking. They relived their battle, boasting and posturing about the promised rematch. Eventually, the conversation slowed.
Jason felt sleepy. The sound of the hissing fire lulled him into a relaxed trance. He looked up just as Gevin set his empty mug on the coffee table then moved to sit beside Marissa on the hearth. He watched his cousin cover her with his quilt and snuggle close to her. Gevin kissed her on the cheek and held her against him as they rocked to the music of Kenny G.
Jason watched them. An uneasy wave washed over him. Just like before.
He sat in the exact spot on the sofa where he and Hannah had fallen asleep the night before. She sat in the easy chair adjacent to
him now. He caught her eye, patting the seat beside him on the sofa. She wrapped the quilt around her and joined him. He draped his arm around her shoulders, amazed how comfortable and relaxed he felt with her.
Was it only last night she walked into my life?
“Well, now, are we all comfy and cozy?” he teased.
Gevin and Marissa looked at each other then back at them. They nodded in unison.
He couldn’t stand the suspense. “All right, you two. That’s it. Out with it. What’s going on?”
Marissa dropped her head, quietly laughing. “You tell him,” she called up.
His heart pounded in his chest. “Tell me what?”
“Cuz, it looks like you need to get your tux to the cleaner’s. Seems I’m in need of a best man.”
Jason eyed his cousin then exploded in a wild outburst. “Get outta here! You guys are getting married?” His shout echoed against the beamed ceiling as he jumped to his feet.
Gevin wrapped both arms around Marissa. “We most definitely are.” He planted a passionate kiss on her lips then stood into Jason’s bear hug.
“I can’t believe it!” Jason drew Marissa into the hug.
“I was dying to tell you earlier.” Her eyes glistened with tears of joy, her voice husky with emotion.
Jason pulled back to look at her. “Rissa, this is fantastic! I’ve always thought you guys were perfect for each other!” He scooped her up in his arms, lifting her off the ground. “When did this happen? When did you—”
“It’s been going on for a while,” Gevin said with a shrug. “We just didn’t want anyone to know until we were really sure ourselves. I proposed last night. You guys are the first to know.” He paused for a split second, looking across the room. “And Hannah, I—”
“You don’t even have to say it.” She moved closer toward them. “This is confidential and I totally understand that. I won’t say a word to anyone. I promise.” Hannah could see the visible relief on their faces. She joined their communal hug. “Congratulations— to both of you!”
They settled back and talked incessantly. Jason pelted them with questions. When did they first know it was more than friendship? How did they hide it so well? Had they set a date? “So when are you gonna tell the rest of the guys?”