When Josh's truck pulled around the drive and stopped in front of the house, there was a heavy silence as they all stared at the enormous monstrosity that stood before them. It looked like it belonged on the beaches of Malibu not in the Virginia countryside. The coolness of the snow looked so absurd next to the pale pink walls that there were no words to explain the contrast.

Kellan leaned forward and patted Josh on the shoulder. "This is going to be fun."

They watched as the front door to the McMansion opened, and Bree and Pamela walked out onto the almost non-existent front porch which was surrounded by potted palms. They were followed by Jenny and two people she didn't recognize, whom she guessed were staff for the estate.

"I still have no clue why I agreed to this," Kellan said, reaching for his tie and throwing Josh's at him. "I don't think Devon is underdressed."

The men made quick work of their ties while Devon looked at her sister. She was wearing a beautiful wool dress the same color as her eyes, and her hair had a tousled look that must have taken hours to perfect. "I think Bree took as long on her hair as Will takes on his beard," Devon said without thinking

Kellan and Josh started laughing at her observation, and they were still laughing as Josh reached for his jacket then opened his door. Kellan followed his lead, but Devon, who was still unsure about the entire fiasco that was about to be Bree's wedding, remained in her seat, watching the pleasure on the women's faces at the sight of the men.

Josh wasn't going to let her linger though as he opened her door for her. "Are you going to put on your shoes or would you like me to carry you?" he asked, blocking her from view of the ladies on the porch.

She blushed at the thought of Josh carrying her and reached for her shoes, putting them on in a hurry. "I can't imagine which would be worse, the fact that I'm barefoot or you carrying me."

"Let's find out." Josh reached to grab her, but she jumped out of the truck before he could.

"Josh, don't cause trouble," Devon hissed as he closed her door behind her.

The two staff members came down the steps, and Josh directed them towards the luggage without taking his eyes off of Devon's flushed face. Pamela and Jenny started down the stairs to greet their children. Pamela gave Devon air kisses, turned to Josh and gave him a hug, then turned towards Kellan, introducing him to Jenny. Jenny had hugged Josh, nodded to Devon, and shook Kellan's hand.

"It's nice to finally meet Josh's mother." Kellan had turned the charm on full blast and it rivaled Josh's.

Devon remained silent, listening to the chatter around her and watching Bree who was enemy number one where Josh was concerned. The thought brought Devon up short. When did she decided that Bree was the enemy? She had never viewed her as one before, no matter how many boyfriends of hers she stole. It was Josh, Devon had decided that she wanted him, and she had never wanted any other man before him and that made Bree a threat. 

The thought of Josh and Bree together made her sick.

Bree stood before them with her sweetest smile in place, waiting until the other ladies were finished greeting them. She was going to make Josh and Kellan come to her. Josh took Devon by the arm as if to escort her up the stairs, and the Smothers chittered about how wonderfully polite he was.

"Polite my ass," Devon hissed into his ear as she remembered him leaving her sitting on the cold ground with a Christmas tree on top of her, or all of the times he had ignored her at the bar, or now when he was really using her as a shield against Bree.

"Maybe I just want to be beside you Devon, hold you close and feel your warmth?" Josh whispered in her ear.

Devon's knees went a little weak at his words which caused her to stumble a little, but it was hardly noticeable as Josh kept a tight grip on her arm. "Be careful, Firefly, we've already established that you don't want me to carry you."

Devon wanted to scream in frustration. He was playing with her like a toy and she was secretly enjoying every minute of it.

Bree couldn't throw herself into Josh's arms so she settled for taking his other arm as they walked into the house which was just as ugly on the inside as it was on the outside.

"I think someone needs a geography lesson," Kellan softly said behind them.

Bree let go of Josh's arm as Kellan took Devon's other side. Devon smiled as pride swelled within her, how in the world had she ended up wedged between two such amazing men? Where were all of her past boyfriends who had passed her over for Bree now?

Bree danced ahead a little, laughing as she lead the way to the dining room which was full of people, some Devon recognized and others she didn't. Hal, Hal's parents, her father and Josh's father were all there as well as Hal's best man Kurt whom she had met when they were dating. She had liked Kurt, and she nodded at him with a smile. There were three girls present who Devon recognized as old friends of Bree's. They had never liked her nor she them, and it made her feel almost giddy as they looked with shock at the two men with her, eyeing them with interest. There were two other men that Devon didn't recognize, and they were introduced as groomsmen.

"Look guys, mistletoe," Bree giggled, making a move forward, towards them.

Kellan grabbed Devon first, dropping a quick and friendly kiss on her lips with a grin at his quick thinking as he looked at Josh. Bree had been so startled that she hadn't made her move on Josh yet, and it allowed Josh to grab Devon and spin her around dropping a quick kiss on her lips as well.

Devon couldn't help the heat that stole up her cheeks at Josh's kiss. Kellan's had been pleasantly friendly, but Josh's had, although brief, burned her.

Josh seemed unaffected as he turned towards Bree and smiled. "We wouldn't want to make Hal jealous." Everyone laughed, although they all looked at the three of them questioningly. There seemed to be some confusion as to which man Devon was with since neither one would let her go, and what happened next made it even worse.

"It's a full house, isn't it?" Josh noted as he pulled out a chair first for Bree and then Devon.

"Yes it is," Bree smiled at him. "I hope you don't mind Devon, we're so full I had to put you in with Kellan. You two don't mind do you?"

Devon and Kellan looked at each other startled, and Devon was about to say she minded very much when Josh spoke.

"No, Kellan can have my room, and I'll share with Devon." The silence that descended on the room was deafening as everyone looked at Devon. She was so mortified that she missed Pamela and Jenny's concerned glances.

Bree practically glowed with the ammunition that Josh had just handed her. "Well, Devon? Which man is the favored on this week?" Bree was the morally challenged one, always had been, but in one fell swoop she had made Devon appear to be the one who had no morals by bringing two boyfriends to her sister's wedding.

She could kill Josh.

"Neither, they can share the room and I'll keep one to myself. They're used to bunking together." Devon did her best to smile and appear as if what had just happened hadn't mattered.

"That will work too," Josh agreed as he turned to the bridesmaid on his left and started to chat to her. Devon remembered her name being a color or something, Fuchsia or Coral, something ridiculous.

Lunch was something to be survived. It was terrible. Josh and Kellan were flirted with, and Devon was ignored. She looked up and caught Josh's father looking at her, and when he caught her eye he gave her a wink. At least one person was on her side. She didn't dare look at the Smothers. As soon as lunch was over she made a clean getaway and found herself in the library.

She kicked off her shoes and threw herself down on the large sofa in front of the roaring fireplace with a sigh. It was going to be a horrible week, especially now that everyone thought that Kellan and Josh were sharing her bed.

She hadn't been alone long when Josh's father, James, came in closing the door behind him. "I think you found the perfect spot. There aren't too many readers in this lot."

Devon sat up, moving her feet so he could join her.

"How are you Devon? We didn't get a chance to talk the last time we saw each other." he asked as he sat next to her.

"I'm fine Mr. McIntire." She couldn't help the wobble in her voice as she looked at him. He was handsome like Josh but warm and friendly unlike Josh.

"Come here, dear. I think you need a good hug." He opened his arms as a father would, and she scooted across the couch, resting her head on his shoulder as the tears started to seep from the corners of her eyes.

He kissed the top of her head, "I always considered you a daughter. Has Josh gotten his act together to make it a real possibility?"

"No!" she wailed as the tears came harder. "He's horrible and mean and he likes to play games." Devon felt like she had reverted to being fifteen and calling Josh names because she didn't know what else to do.

She felt James laugh as he listened to her, no doubt he was thinking the same thing. "Josh's life is complex, not that I'm making excuses for his behavior, but he doesn't want to hurt you I'm sure."

"You're talking about the SEAL thing?" Devon sniffed. "That was what he said ten years ago when he left without a word."

"He told you about that?" James asked, pulling away and looking down at her.

She nodded. "Not that he had a choice since we work together."

James looked at her hard as he considered her. "I think I underestimated you. I think we all did, Josh most of all." He pulled her back into the crook of his arm. "That scene in the dining room was embarrassing, wasn't it?"

"Yes, and I'm going to kill Josh next time I see him for putting ideas in Bree's head that she will now use for the rest of the week."

"Ideas, was that all they were?" James mused.

"Yes, on both counts," Devon growled.

"Don't be too hard on Josh. I think he was jealous at the thought of you and Kellan sharing a room, so he said the first thing that popped into his head. I'm sure he regrets it. I know he will after you kill him." James laughed at the thought.

"I can and will kill him," Devon insisted.

"Yes, even if it's just with a look. You've always been able to ever since you were both children. You're the only one he has ever let get the best of him or upset him." James's voice was calm. lending weight to his words.

Devon mulled over his statement as she and James sat silently watching the fire.

"It's so much harder than it used to be. I know the danger, I watch him leave to go fight who knows what, and I see the scars it leaves on him when he returns. I want to be there for him, but he won't let me." She looked up at James and saw a tear on his cheek.

He nodded in understanding. "I fear for him every day, but I can't imagine knowing what you know, having to watch him leave, and not being able to stop him. He's my son. You work with him, you know more than any of us, so you carry a bigger burden. Have you asked yourself if you can handle that? Have you never wondered if that burden is what Josh is trying to save you from? I don't doubt that he wants to come home to you every single time he returns. It gives him more to fight for, but he knows it wouldn't be an easy thing to live with, the waiting and worrying." He paused as if unsure. "I know he loves you, he has since you were kids, but he fights it."

"Just one more battle." Devon snorted at the irony of it.

"I have a strong suspicion that he will lose this one." He kissed the top of her head again, "Now, tell me all about you, and what you've been up to."

They spent at least an hour talking, and Devon felt herself starting to relax. They had just moved on to reminiscing when Josh and Kellan entered the room with guarded glances.

"Is this where you've been hiding?" Josh asked, crossing his arms, looking from her to his father.

"I had to take a little time to myself to recover from your stupidity," Devon said calmly, having realized that James was probably right, and Josh had acted without thinking at the very least.

"So, you leave me and Kellan to the wolves?" Josh sat down on her other side. "You too?" he asked his father.

"He likes me better, and was concerned that you had done irreparable damage to my sensitive nature." Devon explained in a haughty tone.

"Sensitive nature." Josh snorted his disbelief.

"She was crying, Josh." James said, looking at him sternly. His look told him to get his crap together and fix it.

Devon stuck her tongue out at Josh then nodded. "Crying." The look on Josh's face made her jump up and move across the room, towards the door, and out of his reach. "I'm going to go to my room and rest in my big bed, all by myself. You boys enjoy your afternoon. I'll see you at dinner."

Josh jumped up and grabbed Devon's arm before she could make it through the door. "Would you both please excuse us?" 

Devon watched in horror as both Kellan and James left the room, neither one staying to defend her. When they had gone Josh closed the door and locked it.

Devon stepped away licking her lips nervously. "Are we going to have our talk now?"

Josh walked towards her like a panther about to pounce. He had lost his coat and tie and his sleeves were rolled up, he put his hands in his pockets as he circled her, watching her. Devon closed her eyes unable to handle the sight of him.

"No, we will talk, but not right now," he said as he pulled her into his arms. Her eyes flew open in time to see his lips as they descended towards hers.

"Josh." Devon wasn't sure if it was a plea or a wish, but when his lips met hers all thoughts left her. His kiss was better than she remembered. He buried his hands in her hair as he pulled her towards him. Devon let her hands move up to his neck and then into his hair as she pressed against him. She was finally where she had wanted to be for the past ten years. 

"That was how I really wanted to kiss you under the mistletoe." He stepped back breathing hard, looking at her lips as if he wanted to taste her again.

When she moved towards him, he stepped away. "As much as I want to, no. We have to talk first, and I promised a few of the bridesmaids that I would spend the afternoon with them."

Devon felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger "You son of-"

Josh grabbed her again pulling her close and kissing her hard. "I'll be thinking of you the entire time, in your big bed, alone, and resting."

Devon stomped her foot in frustration. "You never finish what you start!"

"It's your fault for abandoning us and failing to protect our virtue."

"Why would I do that when you did your best to ruin mine?"

Josh took her in his arms again and looked down at her as he held her close. "I'm sorry about that, but there was no way in hell that I was going to let you share a room with Kellan."

"I don't want to share a room with Kellan!" Josh's arms felt so good around her. She felt as if she was finally home.

"What about me, do you want to share a room with me?" His voice was rough.

"It's a non-issue." She avoided the question, and thankfully there was a knock at the door.

"I have to go." Josh gave Devon another quick kiss before he released her, letting her off the hook. "I'll see you at dinner." He smiled, then opened the door and left with Kellan.

Time to think, that was what she needed.