29. Being So Grown Up

"You're okay doing this?" Sage asked him the following week. "Not too much family overload?"

"No," he said. "I'm not someone that does much on New Year's Eve, but this is fine."

"I know we said we'd go out to dinner, but this is the last New Year's Eve Violet and Trace will have no kids. They wanted to have a few people over."

Sage had brought it up a few days ago in passing and he'd said sure. He didn't care what they did. He just wanted to be with her.

It's not like he had that many friends he'd ever do anything with. Most times he was sleeping when the clock struck midnight.

It was just another day for him in his mind.

"Who else is going to be there?"

"Trace and Violet. Luke is working so Heather, Theo, Daisy and Aster."

"Who is Aster?" he asked, frowning.

"I didn't introduce you to him at the Christmas party? Sorry. He was with Luke and Zane, but he knows Trace too. That is why he's invited. Aster served with Luke and Zane, so really knows them well, but at one point he served with Trace, so it's a small world."

"And he's in Mystic now?" he asked. "And works for Blossoms?"

She started to laugh. "I know. It's crazy. Luke came here because he is best friends with Zane and didn't have much of a family. You know how Trace came to live here and he didn't know Zane at the time. He had run into Luke before. And though Aster wasn't in the same squad as Trace, they did serve together somewhere for two years before he ended up serving under Zane. I don't know a lot about him other than Lily hired him to oversee the manufacturing plant in terms of the structure and machinery. I guess that he did a lot of supplies and stuff in the service at one point. Their MacGyver or something they'd called him. He's handy and has been working with Zane since he moved here."

"Doing construction?" he asked.

"Yes. You know they are adding onto the plant. They started over the summer and will be working inside now during the winter. Aster will be there doing that, but they need someone on site daily. Not really maintenance, though they've got that, but someone who can fix machines when they go down by talking to a rep or other bigger projects. He'll be on site all the time, which is needed. Or on call after hours rather than Zane."

Because he knew with another baby in Zane's house that things were probably getting harder and harder with their schedules.

"I guess I'll meet him tonight," he said.

"He's not as outgoing as Trace, but he's friendly. I think you'll get along with him."

"Because I'm not outgoing?" he asked, lifting one eyebrow at her.

"You are and you're not. Daisy insists that Theo is adorably awkward, but I've never seen it."

"Ahh," he said. "Something I'll have in common with him too?"

He wouldn't say wealth was also something to have in common with certain people at this party. No one knew.

Though if anyone ever wanted to check, they could do a search on lotto winners over the years and they'd find his father's name.

There'd be no reason for anyone to do that though.

"We don't have to stay long," she said.

"I'm just picking on you. We can go when you're ready."

It was six thirty now. Sage had worked today, along with him. Violet and Trace said the party started at seven, which gave everyone time to get home from work.

"I just need to get the dips that I made and crackers and veggies to go with them," she said.

She grabbed a box and started to load everything from her fridge into it. "I'll get this if you want to grab your bag for the night," he said.

They were staying at his house.

"It's packed and on my bed."

"You know… Maybe this is moving too fast, but why don't you leave some clothes at my house so you aren't always packing."

He'd already picked up all the hair stuff she used when he saw it there one day. He'd taken a picture of it on his phone and then had it there since.

She didn't have to do anything other than bring clothes back and forth at this point.

"I could do that," she said. "Give me a minute and I'll go throw a pair of jeans and a shirt in there and a few changes of underclothes. I was going to put leggings on tomorrow."

"That works," he said gathering the box of the food. He wanted to tell her to put work clothes in there too, but that might be pushing it. And harder to do.

"I expect you to do the same here," she said.

Which would be easier for him to do that during the week. He wore the same things pretty much daily. Jeans, a shirt with Bradford Electrical on it, and work boots. He could leave a few work shirts here. He had plenty.

"If you don't mind, I'll give you some tomorrow."

"I don't mind at all. Look at us being so grown up. Do you wish we stayed at your house more?" she yelled from her room.

He walked toward her with the box in his hand. "I don't care that much," he said. "I want to say whatever is easiest for you but don't want my head beaten off either."

"Very funny. You remembered that I said I didn't like when a guy was like that. That gave in all the time."

He didn't forget too much about her. Not from twenty years ago and not since they'd been dating.

"Nope," he said, grinning. "But the truth is, my wardrobe doesn't change like yours."

"Very true," she said. "Maybe during the week, if we start staying with each other, it's here, and then on the weekends we just switch back and forth?"

"Works for me," he said.

Her bag was packed, she got her jacket on and they left to go to Trace's.

"Looks like we are the first ones here," she said. "I can help Violet set up."

"I'm sure she is already set," he said, laughing. "Because she cooks and hosts and all. Nonna even said that."

"Don't even get me going with Nonna last week. I can't believe she put me on the spot like that."

"You did learn how to make a few things though," he said.

"I did," she said. "And I'll be trying them out on you. No comparing. She's been making them for decades."

"As long as I'm not the one doing the cooking, I'm all for it."

"You cook just fine," she said. "I appreciate everything you do. I really do."

"The same," he said.

They got out of the truck. Knox was carrying the food and she grabbed the two bottles of wine she'd bought too. He was told not to bring beer, that Trace had more than enough.

"We are here," Sage said, walking in. "Where do you want these?"

"On the table is good," Violet said. "We've got another showing up tonight too."

"Who?" she asked.

"Laurel. She doesn't know anyone here and Heather was at the plant talking to Aster and Laurel came over. She extended it and I said that was great. No worries."

"Who is Laurel?" Knox asked. He didn't remember meeting her.

"She started this week," Violet said. "I don't know her that well, but Heather has been working with her. She's going to be overseeing the operations at the plant too. They need someone in charge of the work. Poppy has been covering for Lily, but we know with all the babies and pregnancies, they are stretched thin. I think with the growth they've had it's about time they do this."

"Do only women work there?" he asked. He found it commendable on one hand but odd on another.

"No," Sage said, grinning. "There are men there, obviously since Aster was hired. But they are few and far between. I know Lily struggled with this position. She had three candidates and two were men. They were all qualified about equally, but it came down to two things."

"How the other workers would relate to a man versus a woman coming in and being their boss?" he asked.

"That was the most important thing," Violet said. "They are used to dealing with the three sisters. Just not promoting within might have caused issues already but bringing in a man could have been more."

"There was no one that could do it within their workers?" Sage asked. "Trust me, I know what it's like to be passed over for positions."

"I don't believe so," Violet said. "But I don't know that much about it. Only what I hear from Jasmine. And she doesn't know much either. She's at the greenhouses and not the plant. Anyone who works in the plant but needs the flowers for oils goes to the greenhouses. They liked Laurel and, you know, the name and all. Kind of fate."

"What's with her name?" he asked.

"Laurel is a kind of flower," Violet said.

"Good lord," he said. "I didn't know that."

"Lots of women"s and men"s names are actually flowers. Like Aster."

"What?" he asked.

"It's a plant in the daisy family."

"That's why I think Aster and I will get along," Daisy said, walking in with Theo.

"Daisy gets along with everyone," Theo said.

"I've got a few stuffed breads," Daisy said. "Meat and vegetarian. I'm starving."

"Set them on the table," Violet said. "Unless they need to be heated up."

"Nope," Daisy said. "Just took them out of the oven and wrapped them up to keep them warm. Heather is right behind us. She got stuck at the light a block over."

For almost five hours Knox watched all the coworkers hanging out and talking. Hardly ever about work, but more about their lives.

The two newest fit in well, but Aster didn't talk all that much. Trace and Aster talked a bit about the service but not a lot.

He could say he had no problem fitting in with this group. Though Theo was a doctor and probably twenty times smarter than he'd ever be, the guy was down to earth and pretty hilarious.

He'd never had this in his life. Not a group he could hang out with and enjoy himself.

And not worry that he didn't fit in. That he was being talked about or laughed at.

None of that happened.

They accepted him into the fold as easily as they did the two new employees.

There was something special about this place and he had to admit he was glad his father had made the first move and asked him to move to Connecticut and give him a start.

That was fate working in a way.

One thing led to another and then here to Sage and this group.

When it was getting close to midnight, Sage moved over and sat on his lap.

"Got to get my kiss in when the ball drops."

Knox leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Would it surprise you to know this is the first New Year's Eve kiss I've gotten?"

He felt like a loser admitting that, but she only kissed him on the cheek and said, "Here is to many more then."