Fever (30 page)

give them a chance.”

She was suddenly ashamed because Jace was right. She wasn’t giving them a chance. She’d

already passed judgment on them. The very thing she feared they’d do to her.

“I’m being a reverse snob,” she said quietly. “You’re right. I’m not being fair.”

He squeezed her to him again and kissed the side of her head. “You’re understandably nervous. I

don’t fault you for that. What I’m saying, though, is that it’s going to be okay. Trust me?”

She nodded and he looked relieved.

They arrived a few minutes later and Jace helped her from the car. He wrapped his arm around her

and cautioned her not to slip as they hurried toward the entrance to Gabe’s apartment building.

Butterflies took over, swarming her stomach as they rode the elevator to the top floor. When it

opened, she was immediately assailed by delicious smells. A mixture of cooking food, and what

smelled like scented holiday candles. Peppermint and pine?

The interior of the apartment was aglow with candles and in the corner of the living room was a

huge tree, twinkling with hundreds of lights. The entire living room was decorated festively and the

fireplace was on.

“Jace!”

A petite, dark-haired woman hurried over and immediately engulfed Jace in a huge hug. Jace’s

smile was instant as he hugged her back. Then she pulled away and turned her warm smile on

Bethany.

“You must be Bethany. I’m Mia, Jace’s sister. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m so happy you’re

here!”

Bethany started to stick out her hand but Mia enfolded her in a hug similar to the one she’d given

Jace. Bethany awkwardly returned it.

“Thank you for having me,” Bethany murmured.

“Hey, there you guys are.”

Bethany glanced up to see a gorgeous, tall man walk up behind Mia and slip his arm around her

waist. She remembered him from the party. Actually, she remembered both of them. She’s stared

wistfully at them as they’d danced and had thought they looked so much in love. She wasn’t about to

draw attention to the fact that she’d been part of the waitstaff at their engagement party, though, and so

she pasted a bright smile and pretended this was the first time she’d ever seen either one.

Gabe slapped Jace on the back and then turned to Bethany.

“Hi, Bethany. I’m Gabe, Jace’s friend and business partner. About to become his brother-in-law, if

my bride to be will put me out of my misery and set a wedding date.”

“Hi, Gabe,” she managed to choke out.

Jace’s arm came around her, steadying her and offering silent support. In that moment she loved

him for that.

“Come on in the kitchen,” Mia said. “That’s where everyone is congregated, drinking wine and

snacking on the fruit and cheese tray.”

She tucked Bethany’s arm underneath hers so that Bethany was flanked by both Mia and Jace and

then pulled them both toward the kitchen.

Bethany’s stomach dropped when they met Ash in the doorway. She nearly ran into him as he

scooted to the side to get out of the way.

“Hey, man,” Ash said. “Glad you two made it.”

Then he leaned forward and kissed Bethany on the cheek.

“Hello, Bethany. You look beautiful.”

She was positive she blushed. Try as she might, she couldn’t control her instant mortification as

she stared at Ash. Ash was playing it cool. Jace was playing it cool. She was the only one acting like

an idiot.

“Thank you,” she said, forcing a smile to her lips.

Ash smiled warmly at her and then reached down to squeeze her hand. He leaned forward as if to

kiss her other cheek in greeting and whispered so only she could hear.

“It’ll be fine, Bethany. Don’t be nervous.”

With that simple gesture, Bethany relaxed and allowed herself to fully breathe for the first time

since leaving Jace’s apartment. This time her smile was genuine and she squeezed Ash’s hand back in

thanks.

Jace shot Ash a look of gratitude and the tension that perhaps she’d imagined to begin with

dissipated. Jace curled his arm around Ash’s shoulders and the two engaged in mock wrestling.

“Not much changes around here,” an older woman said as she pushed forward. Her smile was

indulgent and it was obvious that she regarded Ash and Jace with affection. “You boys still act like

you did as teenagers.”

Jace smiled and pulled her into his arms. “Hello, Mama H.” He kissed her temple and then turned

to Bethany. “Bethany, I’d like you to meet Gabe’s mom. Mrs. H., this is Bethany Willis.”

Enfolded in another warm hug, Bethany felt her reserve slowly melting around the infectious charm

of Jace’s family.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, dear.”

“Oh hey, here’s Mr. H. now,” Jace said.

Bethany looked beyond Mrs. Hamilton to see an older man push forward.

“Nice to meet you, young lady,” he said in a gruff voice. “Jace is very fortunate.”

Bethany blushed and extended her hand. Ignoring it, Mr. Hamilton hugged her. Bethany had never

been around such a spontaneous, huggy bunch of people. It was weird and yet . . . nice.

“So did you cook, Mia? Or did you cheat and have it catered?” Jace said in a teasing voice.

Mia shot him a dirty look. “Gabe’s mom and I cooked. I’ll have you know it’s pretty awesome, if I

have to say so myself.”

“It smells wonderful,” Bethany said quickly.

Mia smiled. “Thanks. It’s good. Promise.”

Then Mia turned and made shooing motions with her hands. “Okay, guys, out of the kitchen. You’re

in the way. Go in the living room and do whatever it is guys do. I need half an hour and then we can

eat.” She glanced at Bethany. “Want to hang out with us in the kitchen? You can always go with Jace

but we don’t bite.”

Bethany found herself smiling in response to the other girl’s open warmth. “I’ll stay.”

Jace embarrassed her when he leaned down to brush his lips across her mouth. “I won’t be far,” he

murmured.

She blushed because everyone had seen him kiss her. How could they have missed it?

Mia grinned and exchanged conspiratorial glances with Mrs. Hamilton. They both looked

delighted.

The men sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving the women.

“Okay, sit, Bethany,” Mia ordered. “You too, Mrs. H. This won’t take me long. I just need to make

the gravy. Rest is all done.”

“You sure you don’t need help?” Bethany asked hesitantly.

Mia shook her head. “Sit, sit. We’ll have girl time. Which, speaking of, I’ve already told Jace this,

but knowing him he didn’t pass the info along. You have to go out to the club with me and my

girlfriends. You’d love them. They’re all really terrific. We go out every once in a while, have a blast

and then let Gabe get us home afterward. I only made the mistake of taking a cab home alone once.

Let’s just say Gabe wasn’t very pleased with me.”

Bethany’s eyes widened both by the invitation and the fact that Gabe had been angry with Mia.

Mia laughed. “He pitched a fit but he got over it. To keep the peace, I let him have his way and

now we take a car home. Gabe’s happy so it works out.”

“I don’t drink, but I’d love to go.”

Mia’s expression became sympathetic and she reached over to squeeze Bethany’s hand. “You and I

can drink water. I don’t tolerate alcohol very well. I had the hangover last time to prove it.”

There was something in Mia’s expression that bothered Bethany. Almost as if Mia knew . . . Of

course. Jace would have told her. Bethany’s face went warm as a flush crept up her neck. Shame

followed closely behind. She dropped her gaze and folded her shoulders inward in an instinctive,

protective gesture.

“Bethany?”

Mia’s soft voice filled the silence.

“I’m sorry. Was it something I said?” Mia asked.

Bethany lifted her gaze, meeting the concern in Mia’s eyes. “It was your expression. It said it all.”

“Jace told you about me,” Bethany said bluntly. She was amazed she was being so bold and putting

it out there. It wasn’t typical of her. She avoided conflict at all costs. She certainly never instigated

one.

It was then Bethany noticed that Mrs. Hamilton had quietly left the kitchen. Mia walked around the

bar and climbed onto the stool next to Bethany.

“Yes, he told me,” Mia said in a calm voice. “I don’t think he would have but when I suggested you

going to the club with us, he warned me. He’s obviously protective of you and he knows how my girls

and I are when we go out. He didn’t want us to push you into anything. But Bethany, you have to

understand, what he told me doesn’t make me think badly of you. It doesn’t make me think anything at

all other than my brother has found a woman he cares deeply about and that makes me happy. You

make him happy. So I’m going to like you no matter what’s in your past.”

Bethany swallowed against the knot forming in her throat. “I hope I do make him happy,” she

whispered. “I don’t have anything to give him.”

Mia smiled. “And you think I have anything to give a man like Gabe? Like he doesn’t have

everything he could possibly want or need? He seems to just want me and is happy with just that. I

have a feeling Jace is the same way.”

Bethany smiled back. It was hard not to like Mia. She was genuine. There wasn’t an ounce of

fakeness to her.

“Okay, let me get this gravy done,” Mia said, sliding from the barstool. “The menfolk will start to

get restless and cranky.”

Twenty minutes later, everyone was seated at the formal dining table. The centerpiece was

beautiful. Gorgeous, vibrant red poinsettias with elegant tapered candles on either side. Elaborate

candelabras were positioned on the sideboard and the lights were dimmed to cast an intimate glow

over the table.

Gabe and his father occupied the two ends of the table with Mrs. Hamilton on her husband’s left

and Mia to the left of Gabe. Bethany had been positioned across the table from Mia and Gabe and

Jace were on either side of her, with Ash next to Mia and across the table from Jace.

The food was delicious but Bethany found herself lost in the flow of conversation. The problem

with being homeless and penniless was that she had nothing in common with these people. No

common interests. She hadn’t kept up with recent events. She was clueless about sports, the world of

finance, and even more clueless about business.

The longer the meal went on, the more conspicuous Bethany felt because of her prolonged silence.

The others were starting to glance at her with concerned looks and Bethany pasted on a bright smile,

nodding and acting as though she were concentrating on her food. And she was. Even being with Jace

for as long as she’d been now, it was still ingrained in her not to waste food. She still lived with the

idea that she never knew when her next good meal would be and so she had to make the most of the

one she was enjoying.

As if finally sensing just how ill at ease she was, Jace reached underneath the table, rubbed his

hand down her thigh and then lightly squeezed just above her knee.

He leaned over her to get a roll and murmured, “Relax, baby.”

She was mortified when it appeared that Gabe heard Jace. Gabe glanced in her direction, his eyes

softening.

She just wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Better yet, she really just wanted to

go back to her apartment. She was in sensory overload. Too many people. Too much conversation.

She wasn’t used to having to perform social niceties.

It wasn’t that they were horrible or that she didn’t like them. It was just awkward and out of her

scope. She felt completely inadequate despite Jace’s repeated attempts to make her feel as though she

belonged.

That was on her. Jace, his family, no one had made her feel that way. It was strictly her own doing.

Her own insecurity.

“I love your tree,” Bethany said quietly in Mia’s direction.

Mia beamed. “I do too. I adore Christmas trees. Jace used to always take me to Rockefeller Center

for the lighting of the tree. It was a tradition I looked forward to. It was where Gabe proposed to me.”

Bethany’s heart twisted at the instant warmth that spread over Gabe’s features. His gaze was

riveted on Mia.

“I love Christmas trees too,” Bethany said wistfully. “I never had one. A real one, I mean. In an

actual home.”

As soon as the words popped out of her mouth, she wanted to die. Her look of horror couldn’t be

contained. She couldn’t believe she’d just blurted that out. She couldn’t bear to gauge the others’

reactions to what she’d said.

Before she said anything else to humiliate herself, she shot up from her seat. Jace reached for her,

but she was just beyond his grasp. She left the table, heading blindly for the kitchen.

“Jesus,” Ash muttered. “She’s never had a Christmas tree?”

Jace was standing, torn between going after her and giving her a moment to compose herself. He

glanced at his friend and then at the grim expressions on Gabe’s and Mia’s faces, the soft sympathy in

Mrs. Hamilton’s eyes.