Colton poured a short shot and tipped the glass in Duff’s direction. “I knew you liked me.”
On the stage behind them, J. T. strummed a few warm-up chords and paused to tune the strings.
“That was a nice speech you gave him.” Duff smirked. “You believe any of it?”
“Aren’t you sick of psychoanalyzing me yet?”
“Aren’t you sick of avoiding my questions yet?”
“Come on, man. I’m on top of the world. Shit’s finally going my way.”
“So I guess you found what you were looking for.”
“I did.” Colton spread his hands out wide and adopted his bad British accent again, this time to quote the Ghost of Christmas Past. “？‘Would you so soon put out the light I give?’？”
Duff poured a shot for himself. “That quote doesn’t mean what you think it means.”
Jesus, not this again. Why did everyone think they knew the meaning of A Christmas Carol better than he did? But he took the bait anyway. “Fine. What does it mean?”
“That your journey ain’t complete until you’re willing to stare into the glare of your own past.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Gretchen couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this nervous.
The next night, Colton met her on the front porch when she pulled up to his house. He wore those sexy jeans again and a T-shirt, and two thoughts came to her mind. First, he was too damn good-looking. Second, coming home to him was too damn appealing.
He left the doorway and met her halfway up the porch stairs. “Okay, so I should warn you.”
“Uh-oh.”
He dropped a kiss on her upturned face. “My family is really, really eager to meet you.”
“Are they going to scream Oh my God, she’s here! and all that stuff again?”
“I guarantee it.”
Colton reached for her hand, and she folded her fingers into his and let him lead her inside. He swung the door shut, kissed her again, and— “Oh my God! She’s here!”
Colton laughed against her lips. High-pitched shrieks blended with childish giggles and the pitter-patter of feet all headed their way.
“Where is she?” The question came from a tone of voice that had Mom written all over it.
“Don’t scare her, Mom, geez.” That came from a younger woman’s voice.
Gretchen clutched her hands in front of her and then let them drop and then clutched them again. Breathe. She could do this. Colton placed his hand on her back and led her into the living room just as his family emerged from the kitchen.
Colton smiled at her as if nothing were amiss. “This is Gretchen,” he said, beaming at her as if he really were proud to show her off.
Gretchen lifted her hand in a wave and then mentally used the same hand to smack herself. Who the hell waves?
Without warning, Colton’s mother threw her arms around Gretchen’s neck. “Oh my gosh, I am so excited to meet you.”
“Let her breathe, Mary,” Colton’s father scolded playfully.
His mother let go, stepping back with a laugh. “Sorry. I’m just so happy you could come tonight.”
“Kyle Wheeler,” Colton’s father said, holding out his hand.
His grip was strong, his hand massive. If she hadn’t already known he’d once been a football coach, she would’ve guessed it by now.
“This is my sister, Jordan,” Colton said, motioning to a petite brunette with the same deep dimples as her brother. Next to her was a youngish man with glasses and a slouchy wool beanie, the kind the hipsters wore around the East Side neighborhood. “And her husband, Danny. And these are their kids, Daphne, Phoebe, and Gabe.”
Gretchen filed the names away in her mind as everyone greeted her.
“My brother, Cooper, won’t get in until tomorrow,” Colton added, as she tried to keep up.
“Finish taking those suitcases upstairs,” Mary said to no one in particular. “Gretchen, come keep me company in the kitchen while the men do some heavy lifting.”
Colton gave her that special wink of his before grabbing a suitcase in each hand and rolling them toward the stairs. His father and brother-in-law followed, and soon they were trudging up the stairs and bitching playfully about how much the women had packed.
“Kids, go finish hanging the candy canes on the tree,” Jordan told her children. They ran off with another one of those squeals. Jordan tipped her head back and let out a long breath. “They are never going to sleep tonight.” She looked at Gretchen then. “Welcome to the circus.”