Fight With Me (12 page)

And why doesn’t it scare the shit out of me?

I put the finishing touches on my makeup and approve of my soft gray, wide leg slacks, white button-up blouse and wide black belt cinching my waist.  I’m wearing my black Choos, and my hair is in a loose chignon, makeup simple.  Birthday diamonds wink at my ears.

God, I love fashion.

Once downstairs, I survey the kitchen and grin.  There is always too much food at our family parties, and today is no exception, but the whole kitchen and dining area is full of soft pink and gray.  Puffy tissue paper pom poms hang from the ceiling, and the linens on the table and breakfast bar match.  My dining room table boasts a gorgeous display of pink frosted cupcakes stacked on several tiers, and the top tier is a small eight-inch round cake frosted in white and covered in delicate pink flowers.

I walk out into the tent that is now an extension of the house and gasp.  Oh, it’s so pretty out here.

The party planner brought in heaters for the tent.  It is spring in Seattle, after all.  A faux floor has been laid so we don’t have to walk on damp grass.  There are tables and chairs scattered about with more pink and gray table cloths, and long pink, gray and white sheets of fabric are draped from each corner of the tent, gathered into the center, and more softly colored tissue pom poms are hung, suspended over the tables.  They even thought to weave white Christmas lights through the fabric, giving the space a sweet glow.

Alecia, my new party planner, is getting a big, fat bonus.

“Are you happy?” Nate asks as he wraps his arms around my middle from behind and kisses my neck.

“It’s so beautiful.  Natalie will love it.”

He smiles against my neck. “You’re beautiful.”

I turn and gaze up at him, running my fingers through his soft black hair.  He’s wearing a gray button down, fitted shirt and black slacks. His sleeves are rolled up, giving me glimpses of that sexy tattoo.

I want to lick him.

“You don’t clean up so bad yourself, you know.”  I smile and brush his lips with mine.  “They’ll be here soon.  Are you ready for this?”

His smile fades as he sees the apprehension in my eyes.  “Yes.”

“They’re going to like you.  After they beat the crap out of you.”

That brings the smile back and he laughs.  “Why are they going to try to beat me up?”

“Because you’re a man, you’ve had your hands on me, and they love me.  And I think it has something to do with owning a penis.  It makes men want to beat the shit out of each other.  I’m thinking about doing research on it.” I shrug, trying to look nonchalant, but I’m really nervous.

Really. Nervous.

“Have they always beat up your boyfriends?” he asks.

“I’ve never given them an opportunity.”  I shrug again.  “I don’t bring men home to meet them.”

“Why not?” he runs his knuckles down my cheek.

“No one’s ever deserved to meet my family before.”

His eyes flare and his hold on me tightens.  “Julianne, I…”

“There you are!”  My mom bursts through the back door of the house and into the tent, her arms open for me.

Gail Montgomery is a petite blond woman with a big heart and loud laugh.  She’s happy, kind, and I want to be her when I grow up.

“Hi, Mom!”  I pull out of Nate’s embrace and wrap my mom in a big hug.

“Your father and I pulled up at the same time as Will and Matt.  They drove together.”  She swings her eyes to Nate and smiles wide.

“Mom, this is Nate.”  I smile reassuringly at Nate, but he’s already kissing my mom’s hand and laying on the charm.

Why am I surprised?  This man charms people out of millions of their dollars every day.  He’s going to be fine with my family.

“Mrs. Montgomery, what a pleasure.”  My mom melts, and gets a gooey look on her face, and I can’t help but smirk.

“Well, hello Nate.  Please, call me Gail.”

“Why is it so fucking pink in here?” Will pushes his way into the tent his hands on his hips, glaring at me.

“Because, douche bag, Natalie is having a girl.” I punch him in the arm before I kiss his cheek. “I owe you,” I whisper.

He looks down at me with a frown.  “Huh?”

“I’ll explain later.  I have someone I want you to meet, and I want you to be nice.”

Will isn’t really the one I’m all that worried about anyway.

“Will, this is Nate McKenna.”  I step back and bite my lip.  My brother is taller than Nate by a good three inches, and is wide-shouldered, muscled, and strong.  He’s a freaking football player for the love of Moses.

And we have the same genes, so he’s hot in a he’s-my-brother-and-he’s-gross-to-me-but-all-of-America-wants-to-bang-him kind of way.

It runs in our family.

“I enjoyed last season,” Nate states as he holds out his hand for Will to shake. 
Oh, he’s good.

“Yeah?  Why’s that?” Will asks and shakes his hand.

“Well, we kicked Green Bay’s ass, you didn’t get injured, and you helped me win a bunch of money during the playoffs. Next season looks promising.” Nate replies.

“He can stay,” Will declares and goes back inside to find food.

One brother down, three to go.

And my dad.

I need a drink.

Nate winks at me and slides his arm around my waist.  “Stop worrying,” he whispers.

“I’m not worried.” I lie.

He laughs and I lead us back inside so I can put some music on.  Will is eating a bowl of spinach dip with corn chips and talking with our brother, Matt.  Matt is the most laid back of my brothers, and I know he’ll be polite to Nate.  Matt gestures for Nate to join them, and I breathe a sigh of relief while I plug my iPod into the sound system and bring up the playlist I made for today.

Adele starts to croon about finding someone like you and I turn as Nat and Luke walk into the room.

Well, Nat waddles.

“I love this song,” she says as she hands Luke her coat and hugs me close.  She’s adorable in a black maternity dress and black flats.

I rub my hands over her belly and laugh.  “You play Adele for this baby way too much.  She’s going to be born bitter and angry at men.  Give the poor girl a fighting chance, Nat.”

“Hey, Adele is brilliant.”

“I agree, but start the baby out with something more optimistic.”

“It’s beautiful in here,” Natalie kisses my cheek and I grin.

“I know.  Alecia, my new bff, is brilliant.  Wait until you see outside.”  I glance over at Nate, to make sure no one has killed him and hid the body, but he’s joking and eating with Matt and Will and my dad and Luke have joined them, and my dad seems relaxed and cool.

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

“Nate seems to be enjoying himself,” Natalie murmurs.

“So far, so good, but Caleb’s not here yet.”

“Oh,” she says.

Yeah.  Oh.

“Come on,” I grab her hand and pull her out into the tent.

“Oh, Jules, this is just…” she stops and takes in the pretty party room and bursts into tears.  “I love you so much.”

“Nat, don’t cry.  Don’t cry.”  I hug her close and rub her belly.

“I’m not sad; I’m so fucking hormonal I cry during Doritos commercials.”  She sniffs and wipes the tears from her cheeks.  “This is really wonderful.  I have a crush on Alecia now.”

“Me too,” I laugh.

We wander back inside and I see that my eldest brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy and my niece Sophie are here.  I scoop the sweet baby girl into my arms and blow kisses in her neck, making her giggle.

“Hey, Nate!” I call across the room and motion for him to join me.  He excuses himself from the guys and joins me, placing his hand at the small of my back.

Isaac frowns and eyes Nate up and down, and I roll my eyes.

“Nate, I’d like to introduce you to my oldest brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy, and my gorgeous niece, Sophie.”

Sophie immediately holds her arms out to Nate to hold her and he responds without hesitating, bracing her on his forearm, and spreading his other big hand along her back to hold her steady.

Oh my.

“Wow,” Stacy says with a laugh, rubbing her own round belly. She’ll be having their second baby in just a few months. “That’s a first.  Soph’s been going through a stranger danger phase lately.  She doesn’t usually go to anyone she doesn’t know.”

“I’m good with kids.” Nate shrugs and smiles at Sophie.  “Hey, gorgeous.” Sophie squeals with delight and slaps his cheek.

Is there no woman in the universe that Nate can’t charm?

Probably not.

“Where are Brynna and the girls?” I ask Stacy. Her cousin, Brynna, and Brynna’s five-year-old twin girls recently moved back to Seattle from Chicago.

“The girls have colds, so she decided to keep them home,” Stacy replies.

Isaac hasn’t said anything, he’s just watched Nate with his daughter, but finally looks over to me and gives me a slight nod.

Nate has passed the test with three brothers and my father.

Maybe Caleb won’t show up.

Luke’s parents arrive along with Luke’s older sister, Sam.  His younger brother, Mark, is on a fishing trip up north, so he won’t be joining us. I make more introductions as Natalie joins the boys around the food to chat and snack.

Nate keeps a firm grip on Sophie, who has now laid her sweet little blonde head on his shoulder, as he shakes everyone’s hands.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Nate,” Luke’s mom, Lucy, says and winks at me.

“Definitely great to meet you, Nate,” Sam agrees and smiles at me with the look that says I-so-want-details-later.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Julianne,” Nate says and kisses Sophie’s cheek before handing her back to Stacy.  “Should we move this party to the tent?  There’s more seating out there.”

“Good idea.”  Now he’s hosting this party with me.

Oh my God, we’re a couple.

“Let’s load up some plates and head out to the tent you guys.  It’s heated, and there’s a lot of seating.”  Somehow, Goddess Alecia managed to have my sound system wired out into the tent as well, so the music follows us.

The gift table is over flowing with wrapped boxes and bags and bows and Natalie catches my eye with a frown.  I just smile sweetly and look away.

I’m spoiling this baby, damn it!

“Julianne,” Will says in a sarcastic, sing-songy voice, “would you please hand me a napkin?” He winks and I want to deck him.  Nate snickers next to me, not at all bothered by my brother’s teasing.

“Julianne,” Matt’s face is perfectly serious.  “How is work going?”

“Fine,” I spit out between clenched teeth and my brothers laugh.

“So, Ju-li-anne,” Isaac stretches my name out, enunciating each syllable, earning a smack from Stacy.  I want to kill them all.  They know I hate it when people call me Julianne.

Except Nate.

“What?” I snap. Nate links his fingers through mine and clenches tightly beneath the table, making me look up at him.  His eyes are laughing.

“Don’t sweat this,” he murmurs.

“Boys, leave your sister alone,” Mom warns.

“We’re not doing anything,” Will murmurs with a sulk and I bust out laughing.  What are we, five?

Across the table from Nate and I, Luke is leaning over, whispering in Natalie’s ear, and she’s smiling softly.  God, they’re disgusting in public.  But so in love.  I need to stop worrying about Nate and my family.  This party is for them.

“Presents!” I jump up and down in my seat and clap my hands.

“Jules,” Nat frowns and swallows hard.  “Can I just say thank you all so much and open them at home?”

“No,” I pout. “This is the fun part.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Luke jumps in.  “There’s a lot here.  It’ll take all afternoon.”

“I don’t mind,” Stacy agrees, and there are nods and agreements around the room.

“Well, hell.” I mutter.  “Okay, but will you just open mine?  ‘Cause I want to see your face when you see it.

“Okay,” Natalie smiles and I clap again.  My present isn’t on the table with the others, it was too big.

“I’ll be right back.”

I run through the house and out to the garage, and thank God that I have that upper body strength Nate’s dad mentioned last weekend because this mother is heavy.

I manage to get back to the tent, and Nate jumps up to help me when he sees me come through the door.

“Christ, why didn’t you ask me to help you?”

“I’ve got it.”

“Jesus, Julianne, you’ll hurt yourself.  Give this to me.”  Nate wrestles the large wooden sign out of my hands and I notice the grins of delight on my family’s faces as we walk around the table to Natalie and Luke.

“Okay, turn it around.”

Natalie gasps and her hand flies to her mouth as she reads the words that I painted on the rough wood.  I know she has a thing for old barn doors, and inscriptions, and I decided to give her both.

I had the door cut down to three feet by four feet, and I sanded and stained it, and painted the inscription in dark gray and pink, the colors Natalie chose for the nursery.

“Read it,” I murmur.

“
No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you.  After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”

“Jules, where did you get this?” Luke asks.

“I made it.” I shrug and grin.

“You made this?” Nate asks, surprised.

“Yeah, I can be crafty if I need to be.”  I flush and smile at Natalie.  “Do you like it?”

She’s started crying again, and I hope that’s a good sign.

“Oh, it’s perfect.”  She stands as quickly as possible, which isn’t terribly fast and I walk around to hug her.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Caleb!”  I turn around at my mom’s excited voice and find my brother glaring at Nate from the doorway.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Chapter Thirteen

“Caleb!” I turn to march toward him, but Nate stops me with a hand on my shoulder.  His eyes are locked on Caleb’s, ice cold, but his face is completely expressionless.

If this is how he looked at his opponents in the ring, I’m surprised they didn’t turn and run and cry for their mommy.