Garrett

Ivy sat across from the four older women, her olive skin stained pink. I wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or the wine. It was a good chance it was both, and if I was a better man, I might have saved her from the chaos a long time ago.

But I didn't. Mostly because I enjoyed seeing her with my mom and the others. Imagining her with them had been something I was too scared to do before, but she fit in perfectly.

Carol picked up the bottle of wine and topped everyone's glass off. Her short gray hair stuck up in different directions, and her glasses refused to sit anywhere but the tip of her nose. My father met her at an art gallery, and Haden resulted from that fling.

"When Celia messaged us all that there was a girl at the cabin, I was certain you were with Haden," she said, swirling the red liquid in her glass as she talked. "It wouldn't be the first time he's used the cabin to woo a woman."

"Don't forget about the time I caught Troy up here with two," Melissa chimed in.

Deborah cackled and wiped her eyes. "I wished it was my Liam. The boy can't get his nose out of a book long enough to look at a woman, much less sleep with one."

I covered my laugh with a cough and pretended to check the roast going in the crock-pot. Liam had them all fooled. He might not be as open about his relationships with the moms as the others were, but he had no shortage of female friends. Turns out the quiet, college professor vibe was catnip for some women.

My mom's voice rose about the other's laughter. "To be honest, I would have guessed Liam before Garrett. I love my son, but he's married to his company."

"Alright ladies," I called out, spying the frown forming on Ivy's face. "Dinner is almost ready, and you need something to soak up all that wine."

I pulled out the plates and forks, handing them to the women as they filed into the kitchen. My mom was the last to enter, and I glanced back into the living room to find Ivy.

"She ran upstairs, dear. She said she needed to wash up."

"Oh." I set the last plate down and pulled off my apron. Since everyone arrived, Ivy and I hadn't had a chance to talk. "I'll go check on her."

"I bet he will," Melissa said. Honestly, she was as bad as Troy.

"Ivy?"

I rapped my knuckles on our bedroom door as I pushed it open slowly. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring into empty space until I sat beside her. She flinched and forced a smile as she turned to face me.

"Sorry. You didn't have to come get me. I would have been right down."

"Are you okay?" I pushed a dark strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her wine stained lips. "You're not upset about the others being here, are you? I know I promised you a week to get—"

"Garrett." She put a finger over my lips. "Stop. I have loved every minute with them. Your mom, in particular, is a hoot."

"She's the best, isn't it?" I said it with pride, but also with happiness. It was such a relief to know Ivy not only got along with my mother, but enjoyed her presence. It was more than a lot of couples got.

"She is."

"Then why do I keep getting the feeling that something is wrong?"

"It's just...I keep thinking about what your mom said about how you planned on asking Iris out, and now we're together. What is that going to look like?"

"It's going to look normal because I don't have feelings for Iris. I have feelings for you. Sure, I was attracted to her... Hell, y'all are identical, so you can't be mad at me about that," I teased.

She pushed me gently and smiled. "The only thing identical about me and my sister is our looks."

"I thought that too, but then I got to know you. You're a lot more like her than you realize."

My words didn't have effect I intended. Ivy's eyes darkened, and she fell into somber silence. Finally, when I thought I couldn't take it any longer, she said, "Garrett, I need to tell you something."

Fuck. She was going to break it off. Either she was more upset about the Iris thing than she let on, or my family overwhelmed her. I swallowed hard and took her hands in mine.

"You can tell me anything."

"This is going to be a lot to pr—"

An alarm went off downstairs, and the women shrieked. I bolted down the stairs, with Ivy not far behind. Smoke billowed out of the kitchen, and Carol opened all the doors, bringing the frigid air in and letting the smoke out.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded, relaxing when I didn't see a fire.

"You forgot the rolls in the oven," Deborah said. She raised a sheet pan filled with blackened bread.

"Good thing there's more in the freezer," Melissa said, pulling out an extra bag of rolls. "We can't not have bread with roast. Right, Ivy?"

"Pretty sure that's a crime in all fifty states," Ivy replied with a laugh.

"Hey, we can finish our conversation."

"No," she said, grabbing her plate. "It's nothing that can't wait. Let's just eat."