The Party (4 page)

Aidan opened his mouth to protest, but John’s
snickering interrupted him. “Seriously? He could barely get Mason
out of the carrier, not to mention he had no idea what a pacifier
was.”

“He can always learn,” Megan argued.

“Yeah, don’t hold your breath on that one,”
Aidan replied.

It was then that the priest came striding up
to them. “Miss McKenzie, we’re ready to begin.”

Megan nodded. “John, Percy, Georgie—go run
and tell the others it’s time.”

“Okay,” Georgie replied before sprinting down
the aisle.

After the boys hurried off, Megan grinned.
“Ready?”

Aidan smiled back at her. “As ready as I’ll
ever be.”

***

Adjusting the last place setting on the
table, Emma Harrison stepped back to surmise how everything looked.
Not that her three best friends really cared about the set-up.
Tonight was about camaraderie and support rather than appearances.
But the perfectionist and Public Relations side of Emma felt the
need for everything to be just right.

Candlelight flickered throughout the dining
room while muted orchestra music played festive holiday carols in
the background. Although it was Christmas time, the centerpiece of
the table wasn’t poinsettias. Instead, it was a huge arrangement of
vibrant wild flowers—much like the ones in the mountains where she
had grown up. In the middle of the flowers was a picture of her
late fiancée, Travis.

Today was December 15
^th
--the five
year anniversary of his death. The day that marked the end of the
perfect life they had together. It had all been taken away because
a drunk driver leaving a holiday party had crossed the center
line—killing himself and Travis instantly.

Most people couldn’t fathom having a
celebration of life party for someone who was dead. But when the
first anniversary of Travis’s death approached, Emma’s best friend
since 7
^th
grade, Connor Montgomery, broached the subject
of marking the date each year with drinks and dinner from Travis’s
favorite restaurant. Emma had liked the idea and invited along
Travis’s roommate and best friend from medical school, Nate Rossi,
and his fiancée, Casey Turner, who happened to be her best friend
as well.

The first year they had tried eating at the
restaurant, but it was too loud and crazy for the emotions they
were feeling. The next year they decided to host it at someone’s
house—with the same food and drinks but with a more intimate type
setting for the somewhat somber occasion.

The doorbell ringing brought her out of her
thoughts. She hurried to the front door and threw it open. “Hi
guys!” she cried.

Her best friends of seven years, Casey and
Nate, stood on the porch, bundled in coats and scarves from the
December chill. Casey waved her hands, which both held wine
bottles. “Hello, hello. We come bearing spirits.”

Emma laughed as she eyed the alcohol in
Nate’s hands as well. “I’m glad to hear it. Connor texted me about
five minutes ago that he was on his way from picking up
dinner.”

Nate grinned as he and Casey stepped into the
foyer. “It’s only for my love of Travis that I eat the Olive
Garden’s alleged Italian food.”

Shrugging out of her coat, Casey nodded.
“Remember the time we took him to a more authentic place Downtown,
and he was like, ‘This isn’t real Italian food!’.”

“Poor Travis. He had too much of the
mountains in him to be very continental,” Emma mused.

Nate shook his head. “That was just part of
his charm.”

Emma smiled. “That’s true.” She’d just hung
up their coats when Connor burst through the door, laden down with
food bags.

“I’m here, so we can get this party started,”
he bellowed.

“I think I might be slightly more excited for
the food than your presence,” Emma teased.

“Whatever,” he replied, leaning in to kiss
her cheek. He then made his way past her into the dining room to
deposit the food bags on the table. Plates were passed around, and
the food was slid from plastic to-go containers onto Emma’s late
mother’s china. Then the wine was poured into crystal goblets. Once
everything was ready, they sat down.

Throughout dinner, the wine flowed as freely
as the conversation. For a while, they danced around the ghosts of
the past by catching up with the present. It wasn’t until the
plates had been cleared that Travis once again became the topic of
conversation. “Please tell me you made Trav’s favorite dessert?”
Connor asked, rubbing his belly.

Emma grinned. “What do you think?”

Connor’s eyes rolled back in bliss. “Thank
God. I’ve been craving Red Velvet cake all week!”

After heading into the kitchen for the cake
courtesy of her Grammy’s secret recipe, Emma came back into the
dining room. As she passed around the slices, they began to follow
through with another tradition—telling a favorite Travis story.

When it came time for Connor’s, he took a
long gulp of wine. “My favorite Travis story…” He inhaled deeply as
he cocked his head. “It would probably be when I came out to
him.”

Emma groaned and covered her eyes. “Oh God,
not that one.”

Nate glanced between her and Casey. “Wait, I
don’t think I’ve heard this one.”

Casey shook her head. “Me either.”

Connor grinned. “See, I’ve saved the best
story for last.”

Emma snorted. “I don’t know about that
one.”

After shooting her a look, Connor continued.
“So picture it—”

Emma giggled. “What is this, the Golden Girls
with Sophia and ‘Picture it—Sicily?”

Connor cleared his throat. “Can I just tell
my damn story please?”

“Fine, fine.”

“So as I was saying, here we were in an empty
football locker-room. Travis and I had equipment duty, so we’re the
last ones back in from practice. We’re standing there in nothing
but our jock-straps, and it just hits me—”

“That you’re in love with Travis?” Casey
asked.

“God no!” Connor replied. He turned to Emma
and smiled. “No offense, Em. But Travis was so not my type.”

She grinned. “None taken. Now finish the
story.”

“Anyway, so he’s getting his shit out of his
locker to go take a shower, and I know it’s now or never time. I
mean, I’d come out to Emma like a few weeks before. Like her,
Travis had been my best guy friend since middle school, so I knew
he needed to know. My heart was thundering so loud in my ears I was
sure he could hear me. But I knew that I couldn’t wait one more
day, least of all a minute, without telling him that I was gay. So,
I grabbed his shoulder, whirled him around, and said, “Trav, I know
you’re going to hate me after I tell you this, and I’ll understand
if you never speak to me again. But dude, I’m gay.”

Nate’s dark eyes widened. “Holy shit. What
did he do?”

Connor’s lips curved into a wide smile. “He
goes, ‘Conman, that’s nice of you to want to unburden yourself to
me when we’re both stark ass naked, but I’ve known you were batting
for the other team for a long, long time. And I could give a shit
less. You’re my buddy, and that’s all that matters’.”

Casey glanced over at Emma. “Had you told
Travis about Connor coming out?”

Emma furiously shook her head. “No, of course
not. It wasn’t my story to tell.”

With a laugh, Connor said, “You could have
knocked me over with a feather at his reaction. But that was Trav.
On the one hand, he was this typical, rough and tumble, manly man
jock. But then he also had a hell of a tender side.” Connor sighed.
“He was the sweetest, most accepting guy I have ever had the
pleasure of meeting. And one of the best friends I’ve ever
had.”

Tears stung Emma’s eyes. “That’s true.”

Casey held up her wine glass. “To Travis. One
hell of a stand-up guy who was taken from us far too soon.”

Emma leaned forward and clinked her glass
with the others. “To Travis.”

***

At a little before midnight, Casey and Nate
started to leave. As Nate helped Casey slide on her coat, she
asked, “So we’re still on for the office party tomorrow night,
right?”

Emma wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know,
Case.”

“And why not?” Casey asked.

“After tonight, the last thing I want to do
is get dressed up for a bunch of meaningless conversations over
cocktails and hors d’ouvers.”

Casey wagged her finger at her. “With Nate
working, you promised you would be my date. Besides, you haven’t
been at the company that long. You need to make an appearance.”

Emma exhaled a defeated breath. As much as
she hated to admit it, Casey was right. After four years at her old
job, she had transferred to Burke and Company back in October at
the request of one of her former work colleagues. Her boss,
Therese, had pulled a lot of strings to get her the job and the
sizeable pay increase. Emma knew couldn’t let Therese down.

“Fine, fine. I’ll be your date.”

Casey grinned. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.
And wear something super sexy. Since it’s the building Christmas
party, there will be more than just the eligible, single guys at
our company.”

Rolling her eyes, Emma asked, “Let me guess.
You would advocate the green dress you picked out for me to wear
when I sang at that corporate party last year?”

“Ooh, the one that’s practically backless,
has a plunging neckline, and shows off that fabulous rack of
yours?”

“Yes, that one.”

Casey bobbed her head. “Oh yeah, you’ll have
the men eating out of the palm of your hand.”

“Fabulous,” Emma muttered.

After giving Nate and Casey both lingering
hugs, they headed out onto the porch. “Bye guys. Love you lots,”
Emma said, waving one last time before she closed the door. She
walked back into the living room and then flopped down on the couch
beside Connor. Letting out a long, drawn out sigh, she gripped one
of the pillows to her chest.

“It’s no good, Em.”

“What?” she asked.

“The act you’ve got going on.”

Emma cocked her eyebrows at Connor. “What
act? I think it’s time to cut off your wine, especially if you
won’t crash here for the night.” When she reached to take his
glass, he smacked her hand away causing them both to laugh.

“You’re unhappy. I can tell.”

“Of course I am. Today always makes me sad,”
she argued.

Connor shook his head. “There’s more than
that.” He leaned closer to her to where their thighs and shoulders
bumped together. “Tell me.”

Nibbling her lip, Emma stared down at her
lap. “You know what it is.”

“The baby thing?”

She nodded.

“Is it because of mine and Travis’s last
phone call?” When Emma shrugged, Connor gave her a sad smile. “I’ll
never forget the way he sounded that day. I don’t think I had ever
heard him happier in all my life—well, except for the night of your
engagement party. ‘Conman, you’re never going to believe it. I’m
going to be a daddy!’ he said.”

Tears stung Emma’s eyes as the painful memory
seared into her soul began to fester and burn. She’d been a week
late for her period. She was an emotional wreck thinking she was
pregnant, but Travis was ecstatic. Although they had been engaged
for over a year, Emma still didn’t want to consent to them getting
married. There was Travis’s medical school to think of and her
starting her career. But Travis didn’t care about any of that—he
just wanted Emma to be his wife.

Sniffling, Emma wiped the back of her hand
across her nose. “He kept saying, ‘Yeah, now you’ll have to go
ahead and marry me like I’ve been beggin’ you to’!” she said, her
voice choked with emotion. She didn’t stop to wipe the tears
rolling down her cheeks. “He never knew any different. I got my
period after he left for work the day he was killed.”

Connor reached over and drew her into his
arms. Hard, guttural sobs wracked her body as Connor rocked her
back and forth. “Emmie Lou, he died one of the happiest men in the
world. Be thankful for that.”