Ryan’s college years were a rocky time, and his relationship with Nicole was on-again, off-again. Even then, Aaron had her back. On more than one occasion, he was her shoulder to cry on and there had been moments when the boundaries of their friendship got a bit fuzzy.
She quickly forced thoughts of Aaron’s lips from her mind as she approached the daycare. All that had been a lifetime ago and Aaron would probably agree.
Friday night came much sooner than Nicole was prepared for. Her week had been a hectic flurry with the clubhouse project but she was having a blast planning the transformation. It helped that she had such a lovely backdrop. Stone fireplaces, spectacular views, and an entryway water wall, Stone Valley made a wonderful canvas. She had spent hours stringing white lights, and handcrafting beautiful centerpieces. Purchasing gorgeous material in shades of mocha and gold, she had worked feverishly at her sewing machine creating table runners. She intended to use a similar design style in pale blue and silver for the transition to a winter wonderland. With a satisfied sigh, she inventoried her purchases. She needed to focus on autumn before she spent one more minute or dime on Christmas. She intended to make more purchases for autumn at the pumpkin farm so she could finish the project while it was still timely.
As she finished primping for the dinner party, Ike ran around playing with his toy train. Nicole hoped she could get him to “Harper Manor” without either one of their outfits being destroyed. She smirked again at the term that Aaron had dubbed many moons ago. It was startling how often he’d crossed her mind since Avery had mentioned him. It was stranger still that he hadn’t crossed her mind more often before. Her shrink said she was an expert at compartmentalizing her life. Aaron was probably just another casualty of her substandard mental health.
As she drove to her in-laws’, she prepared herself for the awkward reception she was sure to get from her mother-in-law. They’d never had a loving relationship, but since Ryan’s death, things had only become more stilted and uncomfortable between them.
As the house came into view, Ike popped his thumb out of his mouth and began to yell enthusiastically.
“Grandpa! I love my Grandpa!”
Nicole beamed at his reflection in the rearview mirror. He smiled knowingly as they drove up the long stately driveway and parked in front the palatial home.
“Hello there!” John Harper’s booming voice called as he descended the stone steps toward them. Ike could barely contain himself as Nicole pulled him from his seat in the Jeep. The moment his feet hit the ground he tore off in Grandpa’s direction.
“Grandpa! I want candy.” Ike grasped John’s legs. John laughed and picked him up.
“He knows which side his bread is buttered on,” John said to Nicole, who nodded in agreement. John was a good man and pleasure overwhelmed her at the thought of Ike having his grandpa as an influence in his life.
“Did I hear a handsome man in my driveway?” Sandra Harper approached them in her typical queenly manner. She looked like a million bucks in her black dress that accentuated her tiny waist. Her dark hair was cropped in a sassy bob. It was easy to see where Avery had inherited her looks.
“Grandma … I love candy,” Ike replied batting his hazel eyes as he and John ascended the stairs.
“I’m sure you do, Isaac,” she replied with a genuine laugh. She greeted Nicole with an air kiss and an awkward side-hug. “Nicole, you look lovely.”
“Thank you. So do you.” Nicole had her doubts of Sandra’s sincerity in that compliment. She had gained 25 pounds when she was pregnant with Ike and since delivery had only lost about ten of them. Her hourglass figure was even shapelier now than it had been when she had married Ryan, and she was painfully aware that Ryan’s mom disapproved. She fidgeted with her necklace and looked quickly down at her rose-colored dress, hoping she had pulled off the look she was going for—casual elegance.
Avery came out of the house wearing dressy dark jeans, brown boots, and a chocolate-colored top. Seeing what Avery chose, Nicole felt more at ease with her attire. Ike led her in-laws inside on a hunt for the candy he felt entitled to.
“Drink?” Avery fell in line next to Nicole.
“Absolutely,” Nicole muttered. They entered the sprawling home and headed through the foyer into the great room. There was a wet bar on the far side of the room where the eldest son of the Harper family, Mitchel, was in the process of shaking a martini. A blue-eyed teddy bear in his late thirties, he was an exceptionally dashing man. He graced her with a broad smile and waved the martini shaker.
“Hiya, Nic.” He turned to pour an appletini for his wife, Jolene, a trim and athletic redhead. She glanced over her freckled shoulder at Nicole and grinned.
“Hi, Mitch. Jo, nice to see you. How’s business?” Nicole asked as Avery joined her oldest brother behind the bar.
“Growing all the time.” Jolene’s hazel eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. The couple owned a microbrewery in town. Jo was a CPA and Avery had told Nicole she was “the brains” of the operation and Mitch was the “face man.” Like Ryan, Mitchel had a gift with people. Mitch had no head for business, and would have been the first to agree with her. Most of their success and rapid growth was due to Jo’s careful planning and skill.
“Fantastic. Is this one of yours?” Nicole pointed to the beer bottle in front of Mitch.
“It sure is. It’s called ‘Red Headed Woman.’” He chuckled, popped it open, and pushed it toward her. “I named it after a sassy sex goddess I know.”
“Mitchel…” Jolene murmured, glancing around and clearly embarrassed. She looked so prudish at that moment that Nicole mused that he’d married his mom’s clone.
“I think it’s sweet,” Avery chirped uncharacteristically, and Nicole tried not to choke on the beer.
“This is fantastic. You should be honored to have this named after you, Jo,” Nicole commented and took another drink.
“Careful, Nic. I have a glass of wine with your name on it and you have to drive home sometime,” Avery joked. Suddenly, the sound of laughter and sneakers squeaking on the floor alerted them that a gaggle of children were headed their way.
“Aunt Nic!” A pre-teen girl who was the spitting image of Jo ran up and hugged Nicole, followed by three teenagers.
“Hi, Anna.” Nicole hugged Mitch and Jo’s youngest daughter. The teenage girl behind her was their older daughter, Faith. She was a sullen seventeen-year-old that inherited Mitch’s good looks.
“Look at you, Faith. You’re so grown up. Mitch, you had better clean your shotgun,” Nicole joked.
“Yep. The boys are sniffing around already.” He did his best redneck impersonation.
“Dad…” Faith turned red.
“She’s had two boyfriends already this year,” her little sister chimed in, her freckled face contorted in disgust.
“Shut up, Anna.” Faith stared venomous daggers at her sister.
“Enough.” Jo’s tone immediately silenced both girls and sent them off in opposite directions. Nearby, the two high-school-aged boys who had been watching the argument with verve chuckled in appreciation.
“How are you two?” Nicole moved in to steal hugs from both of them.
“Livin’ the dream,” said Jake, the eldest brother, with a deadpan look on his face. He and his brother, Andy, were the sons of Avery’s oldest sister, Angela, and her husband, Dean.
“You’ve got to be the tallest man in this family.” Avery gave him a hug.
“That’s not saying much,” Jake retorted, pointedly looking Mitch in the eye. At sixteen, he already towered over Avery’s father and brother.
“Ha ha,” Mitch replied good-naturedly, “I can still paddle your ass.”
“Bring it,” Jake joked back.
“I’m going to be taller than he is,” Andy interjected, clearly not wanting to be left out. He was fourteen and Nicole silently agreed with him. He was well on his way to being taller than the previous generation and probably would tower over his older brother.
&
nbsp; “And just as sassy,” Jo added with a sip of her martini. Nicole thought she looked very relieved that she’d had daughters.
“Where are your parents, boys?” Nicole asked.
“They’re in the kitchen snooping around.” Andy’s brown eyes filled with annoyance at the mention of his parents. “Where’s Ike?”
“With Grandma and Grandpa,” Avery said for Nicole, who was drinking more of Mitchel’s beer.
“Let’s go find him.” Jake said to Andy and they retreated as quickly as they had appeared.
“What are they feeding those two? They’re giants!” Nicole laughed.
“Probably a wheatgrass shake or some other such nonsense. You know Angela.” Jolene’s eye roll implied her sister-in-law was a nut case.
“No doubt,” Avery agreed. “She would probably say they’re growing through the power of prayer.” It was a well-established fact that Avery thought Dean and Angela were religious zealots. “Speak of the devil … no pun intended.”
Nicole turned to see the last Harper sibling, Angela, and her husband, Dean, enter the room carrying trays of hors d’oeuvres. At 38 years old, Angela was a handsome woman. She had a bigger build than Avery and her mother, but she was fit. She had a full head of gray short-cropped hair, which was almost laughable when she stood next to her mother, Sandra, whose hair mysteriously stayed dark brown. Sandra truly looked younger than her own daughter, thanks to a close, personal relationship with Botox. Angela’s husband, Dean, was a sandy-haired lanky fellow. His sons had obviously inherited their height from him.
Angela had taken her Irish Catholic background much more seriously than the rest of the Harper children, becoming a teacher at a parochial school. She’d met Dean working in the school system. Except for Avery and Ryan, The Harpers attended church regularly. Avery’s excuse was that she thought most of the local Catholics were hypocrites and proudly called herself an “Easter and Christmas Catholic” and Ryan’s argument had been his scientific background. He’d often referred to himself as a “Recovering Catholic.”
Angela shot Nic a genuine smile and Nicole returned a grin. Many things could be said about Angela, but Nicole knew she meant well.
As the family was finishing dessert later that evening, Sandra stood and clinked her glass with her knife. Avery fought a valiant battle to keep from rolling her eyes.
“The new poster and signs for my campaign are ready, so I want you all to take a sign home and put it in your yard. We don’t want that bar owner to be our mayor again, do we?” She looked at them all severely, daring anyone to argue with her. Everyone except Avery murmured in agreement.
Avery was ready to dig into her dessert when Dean stood and clinked his silverware against his glass. Avery saw her mother shudder a bit in her peripheral vision and beat back the smirk threatening to overtake her face. God forbid someone else be the center of attention at one of Sandra Harper’s flawlessly executed events. The family looked at him expectantly.
“Oh, wow,” Ike commented. All the kids at the table snickered.
“Angela and I have an announcement.” He smiled at his wife. She smiled back brightly. “We’re expecting.”
The table erupted in a combination of gasps, applause, and pandemonium. After Angela’s two teenage boys, she’d had a series of miscarriages. It instantly became clear that there were two camps around the table—those for another pregnancy, and those against it.
After what seemed like minutes of roaring chaos, John Harper stood and placed one silencing hand in the air. It was rare for him to assume the role of authoritarian now that his children were grown, but he was still effective at it.
“Harpers! This is an occasion for celebration,” he decreed. His wife looked unconvinced and was the only person who dared to challenge the statement.
“But is it safe? There have been so many times when things have not come to fruition.” Her husband and oldest daughter sighed simultaneously.
“It’ll be fine, Sandra. Angela is twelve weeks along. The scariest part is over,” Dean replied confidently. His sons stared at him with conflicted looks on their faces. Avery felt for the boys; they’d watched their mother go through hell to expand their family.
Turmoil ensued. Avery saw Nicole sit back and watch like a spectator and figured she had worked up a pretty good buzz on the beer and wine. Coming from a single-parent family and being an only child, Nic had confessed she’d never gotten used to the mesmerizing display of their family’s rows. Ike ignored the entire scene and continued to dip his pickle into his mashed potatoes.
“What do you think, Aunt Nicole?” Anna’s twelve-year-old face looked serious. Everyone turned and waited for her response.
“I think life is too short to not make yourself happy,” she replied after a small pause. You could have heard a pin drop in the room.
“Here, here!” John agreed, lifting his glass and taking a sip. Sandra rose from the table and melodramatically ran crying from the room. Nicole sighed and looked at Avery who shrugged and tossed back what was left of her wine.
Later, the adult children were gathered around the fireplace enjoying dulcet tones of silence as the kids played far away in the rec room. John had gone to do his husbandly duty of consoling his wife in a noble attempt to get her to come back to her own party.
“Well, that was a fucking disaster.” Avery poured herself another glass of beer.
“Language, Avery,” Angela corrected.
“Sorry, Ang. A goddamn, son of a bitchin’ disaster.” Avery grinned, pleased with herself. Angela sighed and Mitch snorted appreciatively.
“I am truly sorry, everyone. I thought it was great news.” Dean’s earnest expression and tone were part of his charm. He wrapped his arms protectively around his wife.
“Of course it is, Dean.” Jo frowned as she continued to rub her husband’s shoulders. “We just worry, that’s all. We don’t want anything to happen to Angela. Your boys looked scared out of their minds.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” Nicole chimed in again. “You wouldn’t be doing it if it didn’t mean a lot to you and if you weren’t sure it was safe.”
Dean looked just the slightest bit uneasy at her comment and Avery picked up on it right away.
“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Avery caught her older sister’s eyes. When her sister paused, she knew she was onto something.
“Jesus Christ, Angela,” Avery spat angrily, sitting up on the edge of her seat ready for battle. Mitch held up a hand to intervene and his sisters ignored him.
“No. Just one of His servants, Avery,” Angela replied. Out of the corner of her eye, Avery saw Nicole cover a smile hearing the lame attempt at a comeback.
“She’s having twins,” Dean volunteered, again silencing the group.
“Oh my …” Jo instantly became paler than usual. They all knew pregnancy was riskier with multiple births. No one said anything for a few moments and Angela seemed incensed.
“Avery, if you focused on your own private life, you wouldn’t still be single.”
Avery felt as if her sister had kicked her, and smoldered. Nicole and Jo’s mouths fell open. Dean and Mitch were literally positioning themselves between the two sisters.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Jo’s tone had the same effect on the adults in the room that it had had on her daughters earlier that night. “This is supposed to be a welcome home to Nic and Ike.”
John and Sandra appeared at the door, arm in arm. Sandra looked at the group apologetically. Avery saw from her father’s expression that he knew something was amiss.
“Thanks for the party, Ma. Mitch can you give me a ride home?” Avery’s rage was bubbling under the surface.
“Yep,” her brother responded, instantly jumping to his feet.
Poor Mitch, Avery thought. He’d always despised confrontation and was a natural peacekeeper. They were out the door before anyone had time to utter a word.
Warmth and sunshine persisted as Nicole pulled Ike from hi
s car seat at Foster’s Farm. Avery helped Lauren remove her two little girls from the back of Lauren’s minivan. Avery was particularly somber today and had not called Nicole since she’d left her parents’ home so abruptly the night before. Nicole knew better than to hound Avery; she had always been one who needed to retreat and lick her wounds.
Nicole’s astonishment was blatant as she gazed around the farm. So much had changed since she’d hung out here in her youth. In addition to the paved parking lots, the remodeled foursquare home had a brand new wraparound porch. Someone had gone to a lot of effort and expense to remodel the red barn and build two new steel buildings. Rows upon rows of Christmas trees waited patiently for December, while the pumpkin patch and corn maze stole all the attention. Avery and Lauren led the kids to the petting zoo area and Nicole proceeded on her mission to shop for her autumn tablescapes.
She wandered amongst the cornstalk bundles and the fall plants and gourds, practically drooling at the wide selection. She’d seriously underestimated the variety of décor options Foster’s Farm could provide. She’d already filled one basket and was trying to juggle a second, when a familiar voice rang out behind her.
“Hey, good lookin’. Come here often?” Every nerve in her body sparked at the sound of his voice, which had always reminded her of a sexy deejay. She turned slowly with an impish smirk on her face before she even saw him.
“No, it’s my first time.” Nicole fought to keep her cool. Aaron Foster stood looking down at her and his bright, dimpled smile was like warm sunshine after a week of cloudy days. Breathless, she wasn’t prepared for her physical response to him.
“That’s not what I heard,” he teased. That rapier wit of his hadn’t dulled a bit, even with the passage of time. As he casually leaned against the table, she noticed his looks, too, seemed untouched by the years. He towered over her, ruggedly handsome with broad, masculine shoulders and muscular arms. Aaron oozed virility with his raw strength. He had a thick head of dark hair, streaked blonde from his time in the sun. The only thing different about him was that he now sported well-kept facial hair, which framed his dimples. She decided it suited him.
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