The bedroom Granny always saved for me was exactly as I remembered it, bright and clean with the soft scent of fresh linens. For the holiday season, a red and white reindeer-patterned quilt covered the full size mattress, and matching throw pillows sat in the chairs on either side of the large window overlooking the backyard.

Nate and I stretched out on the bed with our legs hanging off opposite sides and our heads together in the middle. Inhaling for the count of ten, I shoved my anger and frustration down deep into the pit of my stomach.

It would have to wait until I had time to cry and recover from the puffiness. There was no way I'd let Briar see that anything she did bothered me.

"I'm so embarrassed, but thank you, Nate. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't walked in when you did."

"There's no reason to thank me."

He shifted, and although I knew he was looking at me, I closed my eyes.

"Your Dad seems nice, Joby too."

"They are. This would be easy if it was them and Granny."

"You know the way the rest of them behave has nothing to do with you, right?" He reached around to rub my temple gently with his thumb.

"I'm sorry my mother was rude to you. I thought she'd be more friendly if I brought a boyfriend, but I guess I'm on her shitlist until a ring is involved. And Briar, there's no telling what her problem is. When we were kids, we were best friends, and then suddenly, she was like this."

He leaned his head against mine, and kept moving his thumb in soft circles. His silence was comforting, it made me want to vent about all my problems, but I wouldn't. If I started, I might not stop, and I'd definitely cry.

Changing the subject was easier. "When we were little, Joby and I would spend most of our school vacations here while our parents worked. Summer was the best. Dad and Mother would come and go from Savannah, but we got to stay. Briar was usually with us then.

"For two entire months, we helped Granny in the garden and with her charity work. The Humane Society was my favorite, even if cleaning out the cages was gross. Outside of that, we spent every hour we could at the beach. Granny said we swam through the waves like fish, and tanned like peanuts."

"Cute." Nate chuckled. "Do you and Joby talk much now?"

"Not really. We were close until he left for college, and then he didn't have time for me anymore." I sat up and grabbed the water bottles Granny had set on the nightstand, passing one to Nate before opening mine and taking a long drink.

"That's not cool."

"I understood for a while. He was becoming an adult, and I was a couple of years behind him. But we're adults now, and there's no reason we can't be friends. I'm not sure what I did. He lives within forty minutes of me and I have to come all the way to Wayden to see him. It's nuts."

"If you guys work it out, at least he'll be close." Nate replaced the cap on his bottle and set it on the nightstand. "Does he live in Atlanta?"

"Midtown. He's the manager for the Peachtree and Kings Resort Hotel, and he lives there. Have you heard of it? There's only one location, but it's huge."

"No. It sounds ultra high end, though."

"It is. I couldn't afford to eat in their fancy-pants restaurant, let alone stay the night."

"And your brother lives there. That must be nice."

"He seems to like it but says the hours are super long. That's probably why he's still single. It'd have to be hard on a relationship."

Nate made a sound of agreement as I unzipped my toiletries bag and found my brush. After fixing my hair at the vanity, I realized my makeup could use some freshening too. While I worked on that, Nate sat beside the window across the room, looking out at the yard.

My phone signaled a text, and he pointed at my purse. "Do you want me to grab it?"

"Yeah, thanks. It's in the outside pocket."

He passed me the cell and I read the text Laurel sent.

Dearest Liv, I'm writing to tell you everything in extreme detail. JK! Hahaha. I emailed Taylor Residential. Probs won't hear anything before Monday. Just keeping you in the loop, partner! Have fun and walk in the sand for me!

I tossed the phone on the bed.

"You look happy," Nate said.

"It was Laurel. She made fun of Mother, updated me on a work thing, and said to walk in the sand for her."

"Oh! Maybe later?"

"Definitely! We'll need a break."

"Jolivette!" Joby's voice blared up the stairs.

I leaned into the hall. "Yeah?"

"Lunch time."

"Okay. We're coming." I turned to Nate who'd stood to straighten his clothes. "Ready?"

"Yep. What's your aunt's name again?"

"Ruth Grace, but I don't know the husband's yet. We can meet him together."

Nate's lip twitched in an almost smirk. "Things are going to get interesting."

"If by interesting you mean turn into a dumpster fire, then you're probably right."

He took my hand. "Let's go before we miss something."

***

In the two minutes it took Nate and me to get to the dining room, everyone had already sat at the twelve person table with a burger in front of them. Thankfully, there were open seats across from Joby and Granny that gave us as much distance as possible from Sawyer and Briar.

Ruth Grace was at the end farthest from us, telling a story involving botched plastic surgery. I inconspicuously scanned her for an issue but found nothing out of place—any more than usual.

Her brow lift had been a tad overdone, leaving her expression in a state of perpetual surprise, and her lip filler had gone down some since the last time I saw her but was still unnatural. It was too much for me, but she was happy, and her confidence was through the roof, so more power to her.

When it became clear Ruth Grace was talking about some type of butt lift, Nate made a tiny choking sound, grabbed my knee, and squeezed. I couldn't even peek at him. It was already all I could do to keep a straight face.

"Anyway, Kiaan yanked out those squished cheeks, replaced them with some brand new ones, and now Marcy's rear looks like a million bucks." Ruth Grace patted her husband's hand, and he gazed at her adoringly.

Where did she find these guys? Kiaan was handsome, somewhere in his fifties, and apparently a plastic surgeon—unless that was some sort of back alley butt job, and I sincerely hoped it wasn't.

No one spoke. I didn't think anyone knew what to say. Joby shrunk into his chair in an effort to disappear. Mother's eyes bugged out, and Dad leaned with his mouth against his fist, trying not to laugh. Sawyer fiddled with his napkin, and Briar's face pinched in anger—there was nothing new there.

"How wonderful for Marcy." Breaking the silence, Granny said, "I'm sure she appreciated your work, Dr. Varma."

"I do my best, but please, call me Kiaan."

Granny smiled. "Alright, everyone, let's eat before it gets cold."

At once, people reached for ketchup, potato salad, anything to busy themselves and move past the awkwardness blanketing the table. I leaned back, sipped my sweet tea, and risked a glance at Nate who was grinning at me.

I bit my lip and shook my head, trying not to encourage something that would end with me in trouble. Let Mother focus her distaste on someone else for a while.

Soon, everyone was eating and having their own conversations. Nate leaned closer, and put his arm around me to whisper, "Your aunt is hilarious. Your mom looked like she was going to keel over."

I giggled and nudged him with my elbow mouthing, "Cut it out."

"Don't worry," he whispered. "They'll just think I'm saying something dirty."

My shoulders shook as I laughed harder.

He tucked my hair behind my ear, and his breath tickled me as he spoke. "Especially if you keep blushing; that's adorable. Have you noticed that your aunt's jewelry is probably heavier than her? She must be ripped to carry all of it."

He was right. She'd always been skin and bones with a lion's mane of platinum blonde hair and a rainbow of colorful stones covering her hands, neck, and wrists. At some point as she aged, the scale had tipped, making her at least sixty percent jewelry.

"So Nate," Mother cleared her throat. "How did you two meet? Jolivette hasn't told us anything about you."

He straightened in his seat but kept his arm around me. "I've known Laurel for years, and when I moved to town over the summer, Liv helped me find my loft."

"Ah, well, I'm glad to hear you're pulling your weight, Jolivette, since your friend was kind enough to give you a position."

Nate tensed, but I unclenched my jaw. "Actually, I was responsible for half the sales last year, and Laurel recently made me a full partner in the company."

"That's fantastic!" Granny beamed at me. "My little grand girl, a big shot businesswoman."

"Great job. I'm proud of you." Dad patted my hand.

Nate kissed my cheek. "I'm proud of you too, Liv."

Before I had a chance to bask in the praise I so rarely got at family functions, Mother said, "You know, when boys called the house asking for Liv, I'd tell them they had the wrong number and hang up because her name is Jolivette."

Nate arched an eyebrow. "I respect her enough to call her whatever she asks me to. Plus, lucky for me, I have her personal number and no reason to play silly games."

Mother's eyes narrowed, but Granny cackled. "If you're finished eating, I'm getting you another cookie, Nate. Liv, you found a keeper."

"He's pretty amazing." I smiled up at him and he winked.

Briar scoffed and dropped her fork on her plate with a clang. "Mama, could you ask the butt wizard to pass the pickles?"

Ruth Grace's gem covered fingers flew to her bony chest. "Briar!"

"My goodness, child." Granny huffed. "I'm sorry, Kiaan. Please excuse this rude family." She stood. "If everyone's done, let's spread out. Nate and Liv, would you mind helping me package the cookies?"

"Of course not, Granny."

"Whatever you need." Nate got to his feet and pulled my chair back for me.

"Briar and Ruth Grace, can y'all clean up the lunch table?" Granny phrased it like a question, but it clearly wasn't one.

She walked down the hall with Nate and me following. "I'll grab the tins, and we'll have them ready to deliver lickity split."

At the end of the hall, she opened the large supply closet and flipped the light on. After moving some things, and muttering to herself about organizing, she stood with a gasp. "Gracious! I never picked them up. What time is it?"

I checked my phone. "One thirty. Can we get them for you?"

"Would you, please? I hope they weren't closing early today."

"We'll go right now; don't worry."

"I appreciate it, kids. Boy, I tell you, it's tough getting old and losing your marbles."

"Granny." I frowned. "You're not losing anything. You just have a lot going on. We'll hurry." I hugged her and smiled when Nate hugged her too.

***

The bell jingled as Nate held the door to This & That and we stepped inside.

"Jolivette Carson! Look at you, pretty as a picture," the owner, Mrs. Hembry, called my name from behind the counter.

"Thanks, Mrs. Hembry. How are you?"

"Doing fine. I bet you're here for your Granny's tins."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We're closing soon, and when I saw they hadn't been picked up yet, I had Harold put them in the car. Told him we could drop them off on our way home."

"That's so nice of you. Granny didn't realize she'd forgotten them until a few minutes ago."

"It's the least we could do if it means getting some of those cookies." She simpered. "You give me just a minute, I'll grab them for you."

"Awesome!" I smiled as she turned and went through the employee exit.

Nate was inspecting the eclectic range of things for sale. "What is this place?"

"It's a resale shop that also sells craft supplies for every hobby imaginable, an enormous selection of old-fashioned candy, and they do personalized orders for all kinds of stuff. You know," I pointed at the window with the name on the glass, "This & That."

"Okay, smartass." He chuckled and then cringed as he picked up the creepiest antique doll and shook it at me.

"Ew, put that thing down before you wake it up and it tracks us home." I smacked the thick sleeve of his jacket and waved the doll away. "Come check this out."

He followed me around the corner to the treat section. "Whoa, that's a lot."

"I loved coming here when I was a kid. The licorice and flavored honey sticks are my favorite." The colorful array of honey in its clear straw-like packaging called to me. "I think I need some of these. They're perfect for hot tea, or if you have a sore throat, or—"

Nate grinned. "You don't have to convince me. Let's pick out a bunch for the ride home." He studied the shelves as the door jingled signaling another customer. "Are there bags or something?"

"Yeah, cute little paper ones with the store name on them. There's usually a stack on the front counter."

"Okay, I'll grab a couple."

While he was gone, I started collecting treats. Lavender honey, and orange flavor. Blackberry honey sounded yummy. Why did it have to be on the highest shelf?

Nate and another man chatted with Mrs. Hembry. The low buzz of their voices was just loud enough for me to not feel alone.

I could wait for Nate; he could easily get them. Nah. I reached up on my tiptoes, slipping two thin tubes from their cup with my fingertips, and my purse swung forward, hitting a container of chocolates and sending it to the floor with a clatter.

"Everything alright back there?" Mrs. Hembry called.

"Yes! Sorry. I'm cleaning it up."

I set the honey aside and knelt to scoop the chocolates into their display container. A warm laugh rumbled above me. "Let me help you." The man lowered to the floor.

When I glanced up, tingles exploded at the base of my neck. "Andre?"

Deep brown eyes only a shade darker than his skin scanned my face, and he smiled when recognition hit. "Jolivette? Wow! The red hair looks great."

"Thanks. You too. I mean, you shaved yours off. You're handsome."

In an effort to stop gawking, I tore my attention from his high cheekbones and sharp jaw, only for it to be trapped by the broad frame and strong chest hidden under his maroon thermal. Andre was always cute, but damn.

"You got huge." Yikes! Was that out loud?

I winced, and he chuckled. "Yeah, ten years can do that to a guy."

He collected the candy and set the container on the shelf while I internally cursed myself for being such a dork.

We stood, and as he reached behind me for a bag of coconut stacks, I noticed he wasn't wearing a ring. "They're my niece's favorite. I wanted some for her stocking."

"How sweet."

He rubbed his chin. "So, how long are you on the Isle? Maybe we could—"

Nate rounded the corner, tucking a box under his arm. "I got Granny's tins and bags for all the sugar you can stand, babe." He held out the paper sacks and paused when he realized we weren't alone. "Oh, hey."

"Yeah, hi." Andre's gaze shot between Nate and me, he frowned, and took a step back. "You guys have a Merry Christmas."

"You too." Nate answered as Andre rushed away. "He left in a hurry."

"That was Andre. I think he was asking me out." My stomach turned as I stared after him. My luck was unbelievable.

Nate's eyes widened. "Andre as in the guy you should've picked instead of Sawyer?"

"Yeah."

"What happened? Why'd he run off?"

I blinked at him and waited for him to figure it out. "Crap." Nate slapped his forehead with his palm. "Do you want me to stop him? You could tell him the truth."

My shoulders sagged. "I can't. First, how freaking pathetic would that sound? But also, everyone could find out the truth, and I might actually die of embarrassment."

"Liv, this sucks. That man is hot as hell."

"No lies detected."

"Babe." Nate pulled me in for a hug. "Would getting a bunch of candy help?"

After a deep breath and a long sigh, I took the bags from his hand. "I mean, it can't hurt."

What did you think of Ruth Grace? I can't decide if she'd be fun to hang out with or a total mess. 🤣

Poor Jolivette can't catch a break. Too bad she'll probably never see Andre again. 👀