by Lynn Galli
“You kinda suck at cooking, Will.” Her snarky side was pretty much reserved for me and Briony. I couldn’t wait for the day she’d let it loose on the rest of our mob.
“Barbequing is not cooking,” I protested. “Plus I have a meat thermometer.”
She pinned me with a long stare. “You think a thermometer will keep you from burning the hell out of a steak?”
She was right, dammit, the little smart-ass. I’d bought extra in preparation for the all too likely disaster. I fl icked my eyes into the 149
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kitchen and she took the hint, bolting inside to get the marinating steaks. With her help, we could knock this out. I felt grateful and proud to have a friend that would step in to help, especially on this of all dinners. I’d had to let her in on the surprise because I knew she’d need the time to prepare. She’d wanted to decline, but she almost never did with me.
Soon enough, the clan started showing up in pairs. When Quinn and I fi rst relocated to Virginia, the group only had two couples: Des and Skye and Caroline and Sam. Kayin and Isabel were just beginning to date, but Jessie, Lauren, Austy, and later, Briony, were all single, some of them happily so. Now everyone was partnered up, most ecstatically so.
“Hey, guys,” Jessie greeted when she stepped out onto the patio. “Are we eating out here tonight?”
We laughed, our breaths showing in the cold November air.
“I haven’t set the table yet, Jess.”
“Lauren’s on it. Is my buddy coming tonight, M?”
She looked at me fi rst before remembering I wasn’t Briony, who would have answered for her. “Not tonight. We thought it would be too much for Olivia to take. They’re having a pizza and movie night with the sitter.”
Jess and I shared a proud look, wanting very much to talk to M about their new eleven-year-old foster daughter. Neither of us asked, though. We’d have to wait for Briony if we wanted a full account. When I’d fi rst learned that they were getting a foster child, I’d been surprised, but then I started thinking back to all that M had left unsaid about her upbringing and deduced that she might have been a product of the foster system herself. If I were the type to pry, I’d ask her outright, but it made perfect sense that, as an adult, she’d want to provide a safe haven for another child.
If I had any patience, I might be inspired to do the same.
“Anytime they want to scrape gum off the machines and fold towels at the gym, they’re welcome,” Jessie offered.
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“Screw child labor laws, right, Jess?” I joked.
“No worries, I know a good lawyer.”
“I leave you alone for a second and you already need a lawyer?” Lauren asked as she stepped outside with a blissful smile for her partner. They were constantly showing each other affection. As a non-PDA advocate, I’d normally be nauseated by their lovey-dovey ways, but something about these two friends who’d taken years to fi gure out their love for each other made these little displays heartwarming even to me.
“I’ll always need a lawyer,” Jessie promised.
Lauren laughed and turned her attention to me. “Is there something going on that I don’t know about? You normally postpone these dinners until after Quinn’s season is over.”
“She’s got home games this week, and I felt like seeing everyone,” I said coyly. Keeping secrets in this group was tough, but I’d managed this one somehow.
“You?” Jessie asked, disbelief dripping from her annoyingly gorgeous face. “Shouldn’t we be worried that you’ll go crazy and bite everyone’s head off before you slink back to your cave for the winter?”
My retort was cut off by several of the friends poking their heads outside to say hello. Quinn ordered everyone back inside to keep the cold out and give us some peace. Amazingly, they complied. Briony lingered a little longer with an update on their kids’ plans with the sitter, but the cold air and our cooking focus pushed her back inside soon enough.
“Tell us you did most of the grilling, M,” Caroline insisted when we brought in the fi nished product. “Willa burns water.”
“I’m surrounded by comic geniuses.” I rolled my eyes, but it turned to a quick smile when I caught Quinn’s gaze. Everyone was taking their usual seats at the table. A nice warm buzz of chatting fi lled the room. I had to admit, when everyone behaved themselves, there was no better feeling than being surrounded by 151
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friends.
The doorbell rang again. It was too noisy for anyone to notice, but I winked at Quinn and headed toward the door.
“Welcome home,” I greeted my visitors on the doorstep.
Stepping back, I brought them inside and marched them into the dining room.
“What the—”
“Oh my—”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Austine!” Lauren’s surprised shriek stopped everyone else’s reaction to having our usually absent friends, Austy and Elise, standing in the room. She jumped up from her seat and enveloped her best friend in a fi erce hug. “You said you wouldn’t be here for another two weeks, you liar!”
“Don’t hog the hugging, L,” Isabel ordered and grabbed Austy as soon as Lauren let go.
Greetings went round in the usual boisterous manner. Elise had grown used to it, and now that her job was the reason Austy was moving back, she’d instantly become just as important.
I reintroduced M and Briony to Austy and Elise. They’d met briefl y on a couple of Austy’s visits, but I was glad I’d insisted they come tonight. As the newest additions to our group, they’d need to feel included when we welcomed back a member who’d left before they joined in. I was once in their position, and it took a long time before I felt comfortable around everyone. Austy had made the integration easy for me, and I knew she’d do the same for them.
“How are you here?” Kayin asked Austy.
“I settled my last case early, and we sold the loft sooner than expected.” Austy fl ipped her eyes to me, the new owner of the loft, before looking back at the group. The clan had been worried she’d be stuck in Seattle for another six months trying to sell her place before they could buy in Richmond. As soon as I heard she 152
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was moving back, I made the offer on her loft since my sister and I already owned the rest of the units in the building. That it helped bring Austy back to Virginia earlier was an added bonus.
“You’re really moving back?” Sam asked.
“We’re already moved back,” Elise told them. “Or as close as a fi fty minute drive is to being back anyway.”
“I can’t believe you kept this from me,” Lauren accused Austy. “I was going to be waiting at your house to help you move in. It was going to be a whole day!”
“Movers,” Austy told her. “Plus, Will thought it would be fun to surprise you.”
“Willa!” Lauren turned her charming ire at me.
“Surprise,” I said mildly. Elise hid a grin, almost as relieved as Austy had been that she wouldn’t have to deal with the entire group when moving into their new house. As helpful as Lauren would be, it would have been hard to keep everyone else away.
“Do you start work tomorrow?” Lauren asked her.
“I’ve got two more weeks of freedom.”
“Good, we can get you settled before you’re overloaded at this U.S. Attorney’s offi ce,” Lauren said.
More questions about logistics and plans went around the group. I settled back and watched the change in the group dynamic. We’d missed Austy these past fi ve years. Things hadn’t been quite the same. Now that everyone was back together and we’d acquired two more cherished friends, our not so little group who’d become our adopted family was fi nally complete.
I glanced at Quinn, catching her eye. She smiled at me, and it felt like a window opened in my heart. Lightness and warmth seeped in as I took in the happiness in our home. When we’d fi rst gotten together all those years ago, I hadn�
�t let myself think too far ahead. Now, I didn’t need to wonder where life would take us.
With Quinn by my side and these wonderful women to support us, we could handle anything.
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