N E S S A

"Are you ovulating?"

We'd raced straight from dropping Gabriel off at Grace and Lillian's to a private airport in San Francisco, and while all I had on my mind was getting into the air on time, Grayson was clearly thinking about something else.

One track mind, that man.

"No, Gray." I shook my head with a rueful smile. "I'm not ovulating."

The corners of his mouth fell into a frown. "Damn."

I laughed. "Why?"

He parked the car, eyes glittering when he glanced my way. "I was hoping for an excuse to bend you over the backseat before we met up with the others."

Of course he would say that. And of course my stomach would flip with hopeful anticipation.

"Beau is right there," I hissed, admittedly disappointed to point that out as I jabbed my finger toward the other side of the parking lot. "And I'm sure everyone else isn't far, either."

Beau caught my eye through the car window and waved excitedly. With our hectic schedules and living a handful of hours apart, it had been a few months since we'd last seen him. A familiar warmth blossomed in my chest at the sight of his cheeky grin.

"Do you remember when Beau rated my dirty talk because he could hear it through the walls in your college apartment?" Grayson smirked, pushing a hand through that silky brown hair of his. It was growing longer, wilder. I liked it. "I don't think he'll mind if we take a few minutes for the sake of procreation."

One of the happiest days of Grayson's life was likely the day that I told him I was ready for baby number two. He took impregnating me very seriously. And, well, I suppose I couldn't complain. But I also knew we were on a schedule today.

Not to mention, Beau was flat-out staring at me now. His smile dipped into a frown as he walked across the parking lot.

"He will if it makes us late," I said, knowing he was coming over to hurry us along. We were already late. Grayson's moms insisted we join for dinner after bringing Gabriel over to stay for the weekend, and while I loved Lillian's cooking, it had really fucked up our timetable.

Two seconds later, Beau knocked on the car window.

"ARE YOUR PANTS ON?" he mouthed, overly loud and obvious, as though I couldn't hear him perfectly through the glass.

Grayson chuckled, lifting a brow. "See, he was expecting it."

Rolling my eyes, I bit down on a smile and nodded to Beau.

He took that as an invitation to yank the door open.

"Then come on," he urged. "Crew is ready. Get a move on, will ya?"

"I was trying to tell Grayson to get a move on, but he had other ideas."

Grayson was, as usual, unbothered. He got out of the driver's seat, and I met him at the trunk to grab our luggage. He pulled one suitcase after another out of the car.

"Time is precious," he said with a shrug. "We don't get much of it without a nosey preschooler running around."

Beau clapped a hand on Grayson's back as we started toward the tarmac. "You're welcome to make use of the bathroom on the plane if you want to join the mile-high club."

After making a face as though he was considering it, Grayson laughed. "I doubt your mom would appreciate that. We already owe her for letting us borrow the plane for the weekend."

"Excuse me." Beau looked affronted. "I'll have you know that this one is mine."

"The plane?" I cried.

I knew that Beau had been successful with the branch of his mom's company that he'd taken over, but owning a plane was a whole other level of success.

"Is that so?" Grayson added, amusement dancing across his face.

"It is so," Beau confirmed before leading us through the tiny airport and out to a sleek jet with a set of stairs leading down to greet us. Madie, Bren, and Collins stood in a small circle at the base of the steps, chatting animatedly. Well, Madie and Collins were chatting animatedly. Bren was watching with his own version of a smile.

"There she is," Beau exclaimed. The light in his eyes made me wonder if he was talking about his plane...or his wife.

Grayson clapped an arm around Beau's shoulders, his face carrying a happiness I could feel.

"Missed you, Beau."

Beau's typical Cheshire-cat grin appeared. "Missed you, too, football boy."

****

Nearly six hours in the air and an afternoon on the road later, the six of us drove into Whitebridge, Massachusetts. It was the most charming town I had ever seen, and I had to resist the urge to beg Grayson to transfer to an east coast team as soon as he got the chance.

Grayson noticed the gleam in my eyes.

"Do you think you'd prefer the small-town life?" he murmured in my ear. "Move somewhere where no one knows us so we can raise our kids beneath the radar?"

Kids.

Having one kid had been enough of an adjustment—one I wouldn't trade for the world, but still. The thought of two kids was a bit terrifying. But one look at Grayson told me it would all be worth it.

"I think my dad would have a fit if we took Gabriel that far away from him," I whispered.

Grayson's light laugh brushed against my ear. "There are small towns in California."

"Yeah, but not like this."

I watched the houses pass by, old ones with wrap-around porches. A small grocery store sat on the corner, and a coffee shop with large bay windows was decorated for the season. It was idyllic.

"Is there a reason you're driving like we're not already an hour late?" Beau grabbed the back of the driver's seat, sticking his chin on Bren's shoulder from behind.

Bren kissed his teeth in irritation—well-warranted, considering Beau had been on his ass for the entire drive.

"I can pull over if you want to drive the last ten minutes," Bren offered.

Madie turned around, pinning Beau with a curious glare. "Is there a reason you're in such a hurry? You're not usually so...uptight."

Her eyes shifted from Beau to Collins, who simply lifted her hands in the universal sign of don't look at me.

Except, of course, we all did look at her. And while Collins was the keeper of all things Beau, all the things that we could only guess about him, she did not have the best poker face.

"He's planning something, isn't he?" Madie asked, narrowing her eyes.

Collins diverted her attention to the window, but not before a tiny smile graced her lips.

"What did you do?" Madie looked back to Beau, who'd sat back in his seat with his arms crossed. He gave a casual shrug.

"Dude has been busting his ass off for years," he muttered. "He deserves one hell of a graduation party."

"Beau, I haven't stayed up past ten o'clock for years," I said, starting to worry a bit based on his and Collins' expressions. "What makes you think that any of us will survive one hell of a party? We're old now."

"Oh, lighten up, Nessie." The smile he tossed me was chaotic and on brand. "It's one night."

Grayson leaned in, his nose brushing my ear as he spoke softly. It tickled. "If you can stay up until the end of the night, I'll have a surprise waiting for you."

"Your dick is not a surprise," Bren hollered from the front seat. He flashed Grayson a knowing look in the rearview mirror, and Grayson glared back at him.

"Shut up and drive, Hawkins."

"Faster, if possible," Beau added.

Bren rolled his eyes.

But stepped on the gas.

****

Julian was plastered by the time we arrived, and it was, of course, thanks to Beau.

"I knew as soon as they started bringing in the crates of booze that it was your doing," Julian said, beaming as he threw a sloppy arm over Beau's shoulder.

"I wanted you to have the good stuff tonight, and I worried your local bar might run out," Beau said. "None of that piss water beer for you, law school grad."

"I happen to like my piss water beer." Julian looked down at this glass. "But this shit is pretty damn good, not gonna lie."

"I was hoping to be here when the shipment arrived, but I'm glad you helped yourself to it in the meantime." Beau looked Julian up and down, noting his glassy eyes while making a face that told me he realized maybe, just maybe, he'd made a bit of a mistake.

"I haven't been drunk since undergrad," Julian admitted, slurring as he took another sip of his Beau-approved drink.

Well, that explained it.

"That was...years ago," Beau said, clearly flabbergasted.

"Been busy with shit." Julian looked around the bar. It had Christmas lights framing the door even though it was June, a jukebox that clearly didn't work in the corner, and a single grumpy bartender. It was the definition of a small-town watering hole, and Julian wore a half-smile as he took it in. "It's different back home, ya know? And law school was...intense."

In a way, I understood. Not the law school part, but how things were different now that we'd moved on from undergrad.

Our time at OSU had been like living in a little bubble. Time in the outside world had suspended in a way—until suddenly graduation came, and the bubble popped. The parties, the group sleepovers in Grayson's living room, the endless coffee dates at The Grounds...It all stopped.

Of course, we still grabbed coffee when we could, and there were parties for big occasions like this one. But it was different.

For me, it wasn't going back home that was different because I never did move back to Patterson. But life after college had definitely been an alternative reality.

Not that I was complaining. After all, I still had Grayson.

"Oh, it's not so bad here."

A redhead slid in beside Julian. His sister, surely. Or one of them, anyway. There were a couple floating around, and they all looked strikingly similar. Although, this one had to be one of the oldest, and she definitely sparked my memory.

"It has its days," Julian agreed, giving one last sweeping look around the bar before smiling down at his sister.

When a brunette stepped in beside them, his entire expression changed. It wilted like a flower being pelted by rain. Julian's blue eyes narrowed before his next words slurred off his tongue.

"You know, like when she's not around."

He jerked his head to the side.

Oh. I knew exactly who this was. This was the same girl Julian had acted like an ass around at a party six years ago, too.

"Julian, be nice to Juniper," his sister chastised.

Juniper.

I smiled to myself, settling further into Grayson's side. His arm tightened around me. Was there popcorn here? The situation seemed fitting for it.

"It's okay, Gems." Unbothered, Juniper flicked her hair over a shoulder. "I honestly don't think Julian has the emotional capacity to be nice to me. I'd be concerned if he were anything other than severely unpleasant."

Julian cocked his head. The chattering of other guests became more noticeable as he paused, thinking. Studying.

"What did you do to your hair?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Bren lean back against the bar, one hand on Madie's waist and the other holding a bottle of beer. We were wearing identical smirks.

Juniper straightened, her hand flying to her hair as she smoothed it down self-consciously.

"I got it cut," she said.

Julian pursed his lips. "I liked it long."

A flare went off in Juniper's eyes, brighter than Julian's hair. "Then I'll probably cut it shorter."

He took a step toward her, which wasn't a fantastic idea considering how much he wobbled when he walked. "How did you even get in here?"

"The front door." Her eyes flicked up and around in annoyance. "You know, it's really a wonder that you managed to get into law school, much less graduate."

I realized that someone should likely interrupt this spiraling conversation, but our heads were too busy turning back and forth, our mouths too busy trying not to smile.

"Managed it before you," Julian drawled lazily. Drunkenly.

"By a week."

After taking a second to consider that, Julian took a long drink. It was so long that Beau's hand slunk out to try to steal the glass away, hoping to save Julian from himself. He wasn't quick enough, though. Julian slammed it, empty, on the bartop.

"I'll be sure to crash your graduation party, too, Daisy," he muttered.

"Jokes on you," Juniper said hotly. "I don't think I'm having one."

Julian stilled, the fire and amusement draining from his eyes. "Why not?"

Juniper shrugged, glancing away before stalking off completely. Apparently, she'd had enough, and I couldn't exactly blame her.

Frowning, Julian leaned down to whisper—loudly—in his sister's face. "Gemma, you're throwing her a party."

It wasn't a question.

"I know I am," she said defensively. "But it's a surprise, so keep your drunk mouth shut. Okay?"

With that settled, Julian visibly relaxed. But then, after an apparent second thought, he trailed after Juniper.

There seemed to be a different part of his brain in charge tonight than usual.

Gemma's mouth fell open, her eyes following after her brother. "Oh my God, he's going to tell her, isn't he?"

With a shake of her head, she followed Julian and Juniper, clearly intent on performing damage control. I had a feeling it would be needed.

Glancing over at Grayson, I found him smirking at his friend. He didn't say anything. I was pretty sure that none of us knew what to say.

Bren was the first one to break the silence.

"That was....something."

It sure was.

A laugh slipped out of Madie, and Collins lost the fight with hiding her knowing grin.

The rest of the night was similar. Grayson followed Julian around, trying to rein him and his drinking in a bit. Beau helped, too. Guiltily, I was pretty sure. But when midnight came around, I found my husband leaning in the bar's back hallway, staring at a worn door covered in flyers.

"I think Julian went into the wrong bathroom," Grayson said, trying to withhold laughter but doing an abysmal job of it. "Can you go check?"

I nodded, giving Grayson a kiss on the cheek before pushing open the swinging door. Sure enough, Jules was washing his hands in the sink when I walked in. He stopped when he heard someone enter, squinting at me in the mirror.

"Your hair is long again," he rasped.

"My...what?"

"Your hair," he said, exasperated that I didn't understand the first time. His eyes rolled up, landing anywhere but on me. "God, you drive me fucking—"

He broke off with a groan, lowering his gaze back to the sink. His sudden concentration on his hands while he scrubbed them told me something was off. Well, everything about his demeanor told me something was off. Or maybe everything.

"Jul—"

"What the hell are you even doing in here, Juni?" he grunted without looking up. "You should leave."

His voice gave away every ounce of his obvious frustration, and I frowned. Julian had never talked like this to me before. Of course, he wasn't really talking to me, was he? But still, I'd heard him holler at the guys on the team before and snap at his roommates when they were being asses on occasion. This was something else, though.

And since I was more than curious about the root of it all, I decided to dig.

"Why?"

"Because—shit, because being around you is goddamn impossible. In the best and worst fucking way." He heaved a sigh so heavy that I wondered what exactly was sitting on his shoulders. "Leave. Please, Juni."

I left.

The least I could do was save Julian the torture.

"Yeah, he's in there," I confirmed.

"What's he doing?"

"Aggressively washing his hands and trying not to admit that he's obsessed with his sister's best friend."

Grayson nodded. "Sounds about right."

"So..." I smiled up at him. "Remember when you said that if I stayed up late enough, you'd have a surprise waiting for me?"

"I thought we'd never get back to that." His wicked expression was all I needed to know. "But I should probably make sure Jules makes it to his bed first."

Julian took that opportune moment to stumble out of the bathroom, and I gave Grayson the side-eye.

"Probably a good idea."

Grayson winked in response, and the look on his face told me that staying up late would be worth it.

Although with him, it always was.