Chapter 34

THIRTY-FOUR

"It's a lot, I know," Jamie said. "My first time at one of these shindigs was sensory overload."

Beside him, Bev stared around the room, wide-eyed, her gaze bouncing around the Talley manor's giant living room, from one group of people to the next or to one of the several Christmas trees visible from their seat on the couch. "Like, I knew you guys were loaded, but this is..." She shook her head, some of the blond strands falling out of the braid Izzy had done her hair up in for tonight's party. "Just wow ."

"It's not about that. It's about family. The Talleys?—"

"The redheaded ones?"

Jamie laughed. "Mostly, yes." It was a fair assessment. "But also the folks they've picked up along the way, like me and you."

"Aidan said they were open to new folks, but..." She dipped her chin, but not before Jamie saw some of the hardships she'd suffered streak across her face. Although the Talleys were an open and welcoming family, Bev had experienced the opposite in foster care, including in Deidra's home, where she'd been made to feel like an afterthought, a means to an end. That would never be the case in this family. A slight sniffle, then she lifted her chin, gaze steady once more. "It's good to be proven wrong."

"Speaking of wrong," Jamie said, "where's your other half in his wrong, ugly sweater?" From his suitcase that afternoon, Angel had produced a truly hideous silver and black Raiders and Reindeer ugly sweater that had gotten him good-naturedly razzed by everyone at the party.

"On the patio trying to flirt with one of the redheads. Talking cars to him, and all he does is talk back about baby goats. He a Talley too?"

"Nope, that's David. He belongs to the cowboy"—he pointed at Marsh in his snow-white Stetson—"and his husband, Levi, the blond beside him." They were chatting with Cam next to one of the TVs that had the football game on, Angel's team playing. "They're both FBI agents too."

"But David has red hair? How am I supposed to keep this all straight?"

"And the redheaded Madigans aren't even here yet."

She hung her head back on a dramatic sigh, a mannerism of Aidan's she'd already picked up.

"I'll draw you a diagram," Jamie said, before leaning closer to add, "And pro tip, hardly anyone in this family is straight."

"My kind of people," she said with a fist held out for a bump. Jamie bumped back, and when she surveyed the room again, he was glad to see it was with more curiosity than awe and trepidation. She gestured to where Katie, who she'd met earlier, stood chatting with Nic. "Who's that Katie is talking to? "

"Aidan's other best friend, Nic. Katie's favorite uncle, though don't tell Aidan."

"The long-suffering sports fan one?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"Okay, here goes nothing." She pushed off the couch, summoning up the confidence he and Aidan had recognized in her from day one, remarkable for someone who'd been through as much as she had at such a young age. She stepped to Katie's side, hand out to Nic. It didn't take but a minute for the group to laugh at something she said, and a minute after that, she had her head together with the two, plotting who knew what.

Jamie didn't get long to ponder before Aidan's mother, Ellen, lowered herself onto the couch beside him. "Hi, sweetie," she said, laying her free hand over his, the other holding the delicate stem of her champagne glass.

He leaned over, kissing her cheek. "Mom. Happy holidays."

"It is, isn't it?" she said. Her gaze made a lap of the room, all of her family gathered and in good spirits, before it landed back on him. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Making him happy." She nodded to where Aidan stood with Izzy, Mel, and Danny, laughing over what sounded like one of Izzy's in-flight stories. "I've missed that sight."

"He missed her too."

"And I heard Mel offered her a job."

Aidan had told him about Angel's idea, a great one, and he'd encouraged Aidan to talk to Mel about it. "Did you hear whether she accepted it?"

She tipped her champagne glass toward Danny. "My baby boy knows how to close a deal." Jamie chuckled. She spoke the truth, and he prayed Danny delivered on this one too. "I have a good feeling about it."

As she sipped her drink, Jamie's gaze flitted back to Nic, Katie, and Bev, who were crossing the room to join Aidan's group. Bev scooted around so she was next to Aidan, bumping his side. He lifted a hand, waited for her nod, and, when she gave it, wrapped it around her shoulders. She looped hers around his waist, leaning into him.

"I always knew he'd make a good father," Ellen said, and when Jamie glanced her way, he wasn't surprised to see tears in the corners of her eyes.

"I just hope I'll be half as good at it as him."

She squeezed his fingers, her grip as strong as he remembered from that night they'd first met, sitting on the porch together worried about Aidan. The worry was gone now, just happiness and certainty in her autumn eyes, the same color as Aidan's. "You'll be the best parents you can be," she assured him. "That's all any of us can do."