25. Carter

“You’re sure you’re ready for this?” I ask Sam as I pull up to my parents’ house and park the car.

“I’ve met most of them a few times by now. How bad can it be?”

“See, the difference here is they were in public. They have to be on their best behavior there. In that house”—I point to it—“they have free rein to be as insane as they want.”

“I think I can handle it.” Sam’s decisive nod is full of his typical confidence. Instead of continuing to question him, I get out of the car. He follows closely behind me, his fingers threaded through mine. After a week of saying “I love you,” our relationship has grown exponentially. I’m not sure what it was about saying those words to him, but it’s as if we’ve settled into the enormity of our feelings.

Neither one of us has ever felt this kind of connection with another person. It was a little scary in the beginning. Now that I’m confident we both are in this until the end, I no longer have any of the nerves I once had.

So while I should be freaking out about walking into Mom and Dad’s house with the man I love for the first time… I’m not. It’s quite nice, actually.

At least, it feels that way until we step over the threshold to shouting.

“No, you’re fucking crazy! I don’t believe that for a second,” Nolan shouts.

Matthew scoffs. “Look it up! I’m telling you the truth.”

I turn toward Sam. “Welcome to the madhouse.”

He grins.

Nolan scowls at Matthew before yanking his phone out of his pocket to look up whatever it is they’re fighting about.

Then Nolan tackles Matthew. “You asshole. I knew you were lying!”

Matthew is dying of laughter, which allows Nolan to get the upper hand. “You’re so goddamn gullible.”

Nolan pins Matthew’s arm in a hold that looks incredibly painful. Matthew taps out quickly while he continues to laugh.

“Hey! Sam and Carter are here!” Nolan bounces up off the floor as if nothing happened. He does a bro hug with Sam as if they’ve been friends for years, and then he squeezes me tight around my shoulders.

We follow him into the living room where the rest of my siblings and their significant others have been watching the show. A chorus of “Heys” and “How are yous” are said simultaneously, to which we both answer in return.

“Sam, how are your Mario Kart skills?” Nolan asks.

“Uh… fine. I think. Why?”

Nolan rubs his palms together. “We’re about to put you to the test. Tucker refuses to play because he’s too good and says it’s not fun. Tilly has already beat me four times, and I don’t wanna play against her anymore. And Matthew sucks, so I’m hoping the fresh meat will bring me entertainment.”

“My boyfriend did not come to family dinner for your entertainment, Nolan.” I roll my eyes.

“But it’s tradition!” He holds his hand out like he’s an Italian mobster or something.

“You didn’t make me play,” Ellie argues. “Does that mean I’m not part of the family yet?”

“Sweetheart, nobody wants to beat the sunshine kitten that you are. It just makes us feel bad.”

Ellie bristles, and all of us wait with glee on our faces to watch her take Nolan down a peg. “Hold on a goddamn minute. You’re saying you don’t ever want to play me because you think I’ll lose and it’ll make you feel bad?”

Nolan blinks at her, suddenly realizing his mistake. “I just… uh… don’t want to make you sad?” It’s a question, not a statement, and I cough to cover my laugh.

Sam’s eyes are wide as they bounce back and forth between my soon-to-be sister-in-law and my idiot of a baby brother.

“Give me that fucking controller.” She holds her hand out. Nolan gently places it in her hand, as if he’s trying not to spook a lion. “I’ll show you sunshine kitten,” Ellie murmurs. Only it’s loud enough for us all to hear, and the laughter can’t be contained any longer.

She grins, her eyes sparkling with humor, and Nolan gets the game set up. Sam takes another controller while Ben takes the fourth. They pick their cars and the track, and then they’re off. Sam holds his own against Nolan, while Ben is close behind them. To no one’s surprise, Ellie blows all three guys out of the water, and the race ends with Nolan faking a bow in Ellie’s direction.

“I apologize, Queen Ellie. I am your humble servant.”

Ellie giggles at Nolan’s ridiculousness.

“Nicely played,” I say to Sam.

“That was just my warm-up attempt. Another couple races and I know I could beat Nolan.”

“Please do that.” I laugh.

More games are played. Sam beats Nolan a few times, but then Nolan gets more competitive and wins a few, as well. We laugh and tease, and it’s as if Sam has been part of the family forever. He can take the teasing just as well as he can dish it out, and I sit there in awe of him.

I got incredibly lucky the day I ran into him at O’Malley’s. And even luckier that he was confident enough to ask me out. Without that, I’d probably still be sitting at home fantasizing about him.

“Carter, bring your firefighter in here, please!” Mom calls from the kitchen.

I raise my eyebrows at Sam. “I thought you might get out of the interrogation since you met her at my house.But I guess not.”

“That’s all right. I like your mom.” Sam stands before I can say anything more, and I follow him into the kitchen.

“Hi, sweetheart.” Mom wraps her arms around Sam’s waist. “You holding up okay after the smack talk in there?”

Sam grins. “Definitely. I didn’t grow up with siblings, so this has been fun to get a taste of what it was like.”

“And your mom is in Greensboro, right?”

“Yeah, that’s where I grew up.”

“I went to college in Greensboro. That’s where I met Steve.” She looks over at my dad with a soft smile. He winks at her. “But boy, am I glad we moved here. This is where Steve grew up, and I’m so glad we raised our kids here. Do you think you’ll stay here, too?”

“Subtle, Mom,” I chastised. She just waves me off.

Sam runs his palm down my back and gives me a soft look. “Yeah, I have every intention of sticking around for a good long while.”

My cheeks flush at the implication. I don’t think I could love him any more than I already do.

The timer over the oven beeps, making Mom jump up from where she was leaning on the counter. “Go yell at your siblings to come sit at the table, please.”

I do as I’m told, which creates a stampede of people trying to get to a chair. We pack around the table like sardines. Everyone’s elbows bump into each other, and not a single one of us complains about it.

“There’s no more room for me to bring someone home. I’ll probably die a bachelor now because the rest of my family took up all the spots at the table,” Nolan laments.

“You’re so dramatic.” Sara throws her napkin at Nolan.

“It’s true, though. I’m never going to find someone.” We all hear the note of resignation in Nolan’s voice and know he’s not kidding anymore.

“You will. You’re just looking too hard. Not a single one of us was actively looking for love when it smacked us in the face. Your time will come,” Adam says.

“Thank you, oh wise one.” Nolan presses his palms together and bows over his hands.

Adam rolls his eyes.

He isn’t wrong, though. Sara and Ben hated each other when they first met. Adam and Ellie were coworkers first. Ellie drove Adam so crazy with her silly antics we thought he would fire her. Tilly showed up on Matthew’s doorstep without notice, and I ran smack dab into my dream guy because I wasn’t paying attention. Even Natalie and Tucker got together because of random happenstance.

Fate has a funny way of bringing people together when you least expect it. I have a feeling whoever Nolan is meant to be with just hasn’t been in the right place at the right time. And when that happens, he’s going to fall hard and fast.

I look over at Sam, who’s laughing at a story Matthew is telling us about a guy from his intramural soccer league. When Sam looks back at me, his eyes soften.

“I love you.” I lean in for a quick kiss.

“Hmmm. What was that for?” he asks.

“I’m just happy to have you here.”

“I’m glad to be here. And I love you, too.”