Page 40 of Terms and Traditions

Ignoring his mother, Hiram hummed to himself, patting Zara’s arm. “Children and their little rebellions.” He blinked at me. “You’ve disappointed me yet again, Stephanie.” To the rest of the group, he waved, adding, “Carry on. We’ll get settled and cleaned up”—he eyed Zara, frowning slightly at her jeans and blouse—“into something more… suitable, and then we’ll come join you.”

Once they were out of earshot, Great-Aunt Edith threw a handful of popcorn in the air. “Woo-hoo! Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Nana instantly jumped back into karaoke mode, calling for the next pair—Hailey and Ivy. With Hailey being a professional singer, she was always a guaranteed win. She should have been paired with Nash.

But I barely heard the duet as Nash steered me towards the couch, settling in with his arm draped lightly over my shoulders. I tucked my legs under me to counteract the dizziness swirling through my veins, and the slant of the sofa tilted me towards him. I couldn’t find it in my heart to care that I was almost plastered against him as the adrenaline drained from my body.

His fingers gently caressed the side of my neck, loosening the tight muscles. I wanted to fight the sensation. Fight the urge to relax. But I was too tired. Too… everything. Giving in, I let myself sink against him, dropping my head against his chest. Listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

“You regretting coming?” I muttered. Not that anyone could hear me over the sweet sound of the women singing “Winter Wonderland.”

Nash’s chuckle rumbled under my ear. “Not a chance.” His soft words tickled the hair at my temple. “I’m exactly where I want to be. Chilly reception notwithstanding. I’m not here for them. I’m here for you, Steph.”

The words warmed my soul more than the cozy blanket he tugged over our laps and were twice as sweet as hot cocoa topped with marshmallows. His eyes softened in the glow from the Christmas tree, and his lips tipped up in a grin.

Steph, stop staring at his lips. This is FAKE, girl. I blinked rapidly and refocused on the duet, clapping as Hailey and Ivy bowed dramatically. But not before Nash chuckled again and tipped me farther into him. He had noticed me looking at his mouth, and no doubt my thoughts were way too obvious in neon lights above my head. It could be real though.

Liz had been right to question my acting abilities. This was going to be a long week.

Chapter nineteen

Nash

Our team won karaoke. Based on the team groupings revealed in the end, most of the score was thanks to Hailey and the cute kid duets. It definitely wasn’t thanks to Hiram, who after his “see you soon” holed up in his quarters the rest of the evening. Zara joined us, fidgeting with the ends of her loose curls, saying he was on a “work call.” I felt bad for her, getting thrust into a ready-made family without anyone in her corner. She deserved better than that.

After getting the kids down for the night, Stephanie’s siblings and their partners, except Gabe and Ivy, cracked out the alcohol and were enjoying the hot tub on the enclosed back deck, judging by the muffled raucous laughter. Which left Hailey, Stephanie, and me in the living room with the enchanting glow of the light from the tree, hot mulled cider in hand. Nana had yawned loudly about twenty minutes ago and excused herself for the night, saying an old woman needed her sleep, but she was as spry as the rest of us, so my money said it was a ruse. But Hailey regaled me with stories of her and Stephanie growing up. They were close, despite growing up in different cities and often different states. It was easy to see that with their shared comradery, the “remember when…” stories, and the uninhibited laughter.

“Remember when I’d sleep over with you at Nana and Papa’s, and we’d be up till midnight talking? And Nana kept coming in and threatening to separate us if we weren’t quiet?” Hailey asked.

Stephanie snickered. “Yeah, but it was your idea to keep smuggling toys under the covers until there was a big lump between us in the middle of the bed.”

“You were older! You should have stopped me!”

“Would you have listened?”

Hailey’s head dropped back against the sofa as she shook with laughter, nearly spilling her cider. “Point taken.”

The ease between them made my chest twinge. I didn’t have these close sister-cousin type relationships of my own growing up, but watching them reminisce had me aching for my own kids to have these close connections one day.

Whoa, buddy. Brakes on. We’re not at the kids’ stage of this relationship yet.

I knew this and yet… somehow seeing Stephanie surrounded by her nieces and nephews clamouring for her attention flashed a mental picture to life. Her with a passel of kids with our looks combined, swarming me when I came home. Her big eyes sparkling as she smiled at me with a baby on her hip… Yeah, that felt way too easy to picture as real.

The topic of conversation shifted to karaoke, and I learned these two were the perpetrators for starting the tradition of tonight’s suffering.

“It was all you.” Hailey wagged her fingers at Stephanie. “You got me obsessed with High School Musical, and we had to make home movies of our singing every single track.”

Stephanie didn’t deny it. “Hey, our rendition of ‘Gotta Go My Own Way’ practically got you your first audition. Besides, that franchise is golden.”

“I agree,” I slipped in casually. “They don’t make them like that anymore.”

Both women gaped at me, wearing identical wide-eyed expressions. Side by side, it was easy to see how they were related, especially with those hazel eyes and facial mannerisms.

“You know the song?” Hailey demanded.

“You’ve seen all three of them?” Stephanie gasped.

I shrugged. “Ryan—” Glancing at Hailey, I added, “—one of my best friends, had a phase in college. He was trying to impress a cute—his words, not mine—theatre major who loved the shows. Emmett, our other best friend, and I never quite recovered from that binge watch weekend.” I chuckled.