It felt weird, like I was there because I’m James’ girlfriend, but he assured me that it wasn’t because of that. Looking at my work was a favor to Angelica, who apparently likes me a lot, but offering me the access badge was something he did because he thinks I’ll deliver good photography.
I haven’t told James yet, either; I’m planning to spill the beans on the drive down to his parents’ place. I’ve never had a secret like this to keep before, and honestly, it’s pretty fun.
But even if I do this, even if I sell some photographs to the university, or enter the contest Laura just told me about, it doesn’t replace the reality of my situation.
Laura looks like she’s going to push, but I shake my head incrementally, so she backs off. “Show me what you’re going to wear to Christmas dinner. Do they cook? You know what, they probably have a chef. That’s what my parents do, especially for holidays.”
“James! Beckett!”
Sandra pulls both of us into a tight hug the moment she opens the door, even though we’re still bundled up in our coats on the front porch. My knit cap—the same one James knocked right off my head when he kissed me after his practice—goes askew thanks to the force of her embrace.
“Sandra,” I reply with genuine fondness. I haven’t really had a chance to speak with James’ mother, so the enthusiasm is puzzling, but welcome anyway.
Three whole days of this before we head down to Atlanta for the championship game. Despite Laura’s best efforts, I’m not at all calm about this. Christmas for me usually means pie for dinner on Christmas Eve and opening presents while Elf plays on the television, then dinner at Aunt Nicole’s. This Christmas, I may as well have gone to the moon to celebrate.
She helps me get the hat back on properly before giving Cooper and Sebastian the same treatment. “I’m glad you got down all right—was the traffic rough?”
“It’s Long Island, the traffic’s always rough,” Cooper says, his voice muffled against his mother’s hair. When she pulls back and sees his face, she gasps. The remnants of a bruise linger on his cheekbone.
“Cooper Blake Callahan,” she chides, rubbing her thumb over the bruise.
“You should see the other guy,” he says, trying for a grin.
I sneak a glance at James because we both know that’s not from hockey. Cooper and Sebastian got into a bar fight with some dudes at Red’s a week ago, and as far as I know, it’s on the list of things Richard Callahan is hopefully never going to find out about.
She sighs. “Do you need help bringing in your things? Richard, the kids are here!”
As we walk into the entryway of James’ parents’ house, I have to make a conscious effort not to let my jaw drop. We left McKee mid-afternoon, so it’s evening now, and it didn’t sink in, when we first pulled up to the house, just how much of a mansion it is. I’m pretty sure the entirety of Abby’s Place would fit into the entryway alone. It has one of those towering cathedral ceilings with a double staircase leading to the upper level and a chandelier overhead; in between the staircases, there’s a tree that’s at least twelve feet tall and decorated to perfection with gold and silver trinkets and lights. Sandra takes my coat and scarf. I hear her complimenting my sweater dress, but I’m too busy staring at Richard.
Even though I’ve seen him a few times now, it’s still jarring to realize that James and Cooper look so much like him. For half a second, I feel like I’m looking at my boyfriend twenty years into the future. He smiles as he takes in the sight of his wife fussing with Sebastian’s collar, but then his gaze finds mine, and his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes anymore.
“Beckett,” he says, nodding at me as he accepts a hug from James. “How wonderful that you’ll be joining us for the holiday.”
I try to keep my smile relaxed, even though inside, I feel like bolting. That intensity that James radiates out on the field? Richard has that all the time, apparently.
“Isn’t it great?” James says, winding his arm around my waist. “It took some convincing, but I think what really sealed it was the promise of the annual Monopoly game.”
“Which I’m winning,” Cooper declares. “Three years in a row.”
“One year and two years of cheating,” Sebastian retorts.
“I hope you don’t mind traditions like this,” Sandra says with a fond eye roll. “We’d love to do a family football match, but no one wants to risk the injury. Anyway, I had Shelley set up snacks and drinks in the den. Izzy’s back there picking out tonight’s movie.”
Sebastian and Cooper give each other a look before dashing down the hallway.
“Cooper thinks it’s not Christmas until we watch Christmas Vacation,” James murmurs in my ear. “Sebastian prefers Elf. Izzy is a wildcard who can easily be bought with the promise of more presents.”
“And what about you?”
He grins. “You first.”
“I’m siding with Sebastian.”
His jaw drops. “No way. Here I was thinking my girlfriend had taste.”
Instead of leading me down the same hallway, though, James pulls me into the next room. “I figure I’ll give her the tour now,” he tells his parents.
“Sure, honey,” Sandra says. “But don’t take too long, there’s hot cider.”
“We want to hear more about what you’ve been up to,” Richard says. His tone is light, but I hear the question in it, and James must as well, because his jaw tightens slightly.
He turns on the lights in the room, revealing a formal sitting room with a massive fireplace. There are bookshelves all along one wall, and a piano in the corner.
“Izzy was really into it one summer,” he explains.
“It’s nice,” I say. The room doesn’t feel all that personal, though. Hopefully the rest of the house looks like someone actually lives in it.
He takes me through his father’s office, kisses me underneath a bunch of mistletoe in an entryway, and shows me the hallway that leads to his parents’ wing of the house. In the kitchen, an older woman with a spiky blue hairdo chides James as he steals a cookie from a plate.
“Thanks, Shelley,” he says as he breaks it in half and hands me a piece. “This is Bex, my girlfriend.”
Shelley holds out her hand for a shake, her eyes crinkling when James drops a kiss to the top of my head. I’m blushing, but I don’t mind much. I can’t stop staring at the incredible marble countertops and the industrial-sized refrigerator.
He takes me upstairs, walking past a series of doors. Sebastian’s room, Cooper’s room, Izzy’s room. Two guest bedrooms. I peer into one of them. It looks cozy enough to spend a few nights in, piled with throw pillows and a thick quilt. For some reason, there’s a painting of a cow on the wall opposite the bed. I’d gotten more of a coastal-chic vibe from the rest of the decor, which feels fitting for a house only minutes from the beach.
James reaches around me to shut the door. “You’re not sleeping there.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What about your parents?”
“We’re adults. They know we’re sleeping together.” He entwines his fingers in mine and tugs me down to the end of the hallway. “No point in pretending.”