Inked Memories

by Ryan, Carrie Ann

“Never,” Everly said quickly, her voice sure. “It’s what you need it to be, and we support you.”

  “Damn straight,” Maya put in.

  She smiled, relaxing once again when the others didn’t once make her feel like she was being judged. These people were honestly too good to be true, but she wasn’t going to hide from them and their comfort any longer.

  They ate pizza, and most of them drank more than they normally would have. Jillian just laughed with them. A lot of them did not have to work the next day since it was a holiday, but since they usually had to be up early for their kids, having a night like this wasn’t exactly common.

  She said her goodbyes when she was ready to head home and texted Wes like she’d promised, telling him she was on her way. Most of the husbands had come by to pick up anyone who had been dropped off so they could have more than the one beer she had, but since the others hadn’t known about Wes until tonight, she’d declined his offer of having him drive her there and back.

  By the time she got home, she was exhausted and ready to crawl into bed. The others might not have a workday in the morning, but she had to visit the warehouse site to at least check on things before taking the afternoon off. While Storm and the others had told her it could wait until Tuesday, she didn’t feel comfortable doing that after the large leak.

  She had her phone out to text Wes that she’d made it home, something that made her feel oddly giddy inside when she paused. Something felt…off. She looked around the house, her senses on alert. Nothing seemed out of place, but she could have sworn it felt as if someone had been in her house. She didn’t know why, but it was like everything was just slightly off-kilter.

  Phone in hand, she searched the house, but didn’t find anything and frowned. Nothing was wrong. She’d just had a long night and a longer day, and she was losing it.

  She sent the text to Wes and put all thoughts of strangers being in her house out of her mind. There was no reason anyone would be in her place, and no one had a key, so she was just going crazy. A weird feeling did not equal proof.

  Jillian fell asleep face down on her bed, shoes still on, even as she told herself she had nothing to worry about.

  Because she didn’t.

  Right?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Wes took a deep breath and tried not to panic, but he couldn’t really help the tightening in his chest at the sound of all of them. At last count, there were forty-nine, maybe fifty Montgomerys around his parents’ home and backyard. Somehow, his formerly expansive childhood home was filled to the brim with family members that he either saw almost daily or for only events like this.

  How had his mother and father arranged all of this without help from their children?

  How the hell was he going to remember all of his cousins’ names without looking at his tablet?

  The funny thing was, he knew these people, knew their names and faces, yet with all of them together in one place, it was overwhelming. He didn’t even want to think about what some of the newer additions to the family would think.

  Or Jillian.

  Hell, he couldn’t believe his mother had invited her, but then again, he would be glad to have her as a lifeline once she finally got there. Because he had a feeling with this many people in one area and with the shared and tangled histories they had, things could get interesting.

  Or they’d be completely boring, and everyone would go home and wonder why they didn’t do this more often.

  You never could tell what you were getting yourself into with a Montgomery function.

  “So, you ready to head out there?” Storm asked as he came to Wes’s side.

  Wes hadn’t exactly been hiding from anyone since, hell, he’d worked with his family all week at the site—and Jillian for that matter—but they hadn’t actually spoken about the barn incident and what it all meant.

  “Mom will find us when it’s time,” Wes hedged.

  Storm shook his head and laughed. “True enough.” There was an awkward pause, and Wes really wished he had a beer or soda in his hand. Anything so he could keep busy instead of feeling uncomfortable next to his twin.

  “So…you and Jillian?” Storm didn’t sound angry or frustrated, just curious. And despite the fact that Storm hadn’t punched him in the barn or at work, Wes was still a little worried that his brother would snap and get pissed off.

  “Yep.” He swallowed hard. “I know we probably should have talked to you first but…”

  “Hell no, you shouldn’t have talked to me first. You’re my brother, and she’s my friend. My best friend at that. And though she and I have history, it’s not something that is going to stand in the way of her happiness. She never once stood in the way of mine and Everly’s. If you make each other happy, I would be a bastard for griping about the fact that you’re together. I’m sure at some point I’ll give each of you the speech about if you hurt her or if she hurts you I’ll kick some ass, but other than that, it’s not my business.” He paused, and this time, it wasn’t awkward. “I’m happy for you, though. Jillian’s a good woman and deserves a good man. And, Wes? You’re the best man I know.”

  And now Wes was this close to crying in the middle of his parents’ house. “You’re a fucking rock star. Just saying.”

  Storm smiled wide. “Yeah, I am. Everly tells me so every night.”

  Wes flipped his brother off, grateful that the kids were outside playing. His phone buzzed, and he looked down to see a text from Jillian telling him she’d parked down the street. With so many cars, he was surprised she’d found any parking at all.

  “Jillian’s here. I’m going to get her and then meet you guys out there.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Storm said, his gaze on the windows that faced the yard. “Come find me when you can, we’ll hide from the cousins if we need to.” He winked and strode off, leaving Wes laughing.

  Wes made his way outside and met Jillian as she was walking toward the house. “Hey, you,” he whispered, kissing her softly, knowing they were alone for the time being. He wasn’t sure if she wanted to be here as his...girlfriend, woman, significant other…or here only because of his mother’s request. He’d let Jillian decide since she was the newcomer in this situation.

  She licked her lips, and he held back a groan.

  He’d missed her, damn it. Their one stolen night during the week hadn’t been enough. Yeah, he was falling fast for her, but damn it, he couldn’t help it.

  “So, are there like forty bearded dudes in there with some inked women sprinkled throughout?” Jillian asked, her eyes bright.

  Wes shook his head, a smile playing on his face. “Some of the cousins shaved, and Griffin just shaved off his beard since he finished his book and likes to feel human. His words, not mine. As for the ink? Well, some of it is showing from what I could tell, but I know that every single cousin either has or will get the Montgomery iris. You know, the MI in the middle of a circle with the flowers on the side? Mom and Dad designed it as a logo for the company years ago, and it sort of transferred over to most of the other companies and then became a family logo. The cousins picked it up, and now it’s sort of a thing. I have a feeling Austin and Sierra’s boy, Leif, is going to be the first of the next generation to get theirs done. His dad is a tattoo artist, after all, and he’s the oldest little one.”

  Jillian ran her hand over his shoulder and winked. “Well, as I’ve licked over your tattoo, I do have to say, it’s a good design.”

  He shook his head, smiling as he kissed the top of her head. His Montgomery logo was buried in a broken wall surrounded by a dragon on his shoulder blade. The dragon went down his back but wasn’t too big in the grand scheme of things. Austin and Maya had worked on it together since he didn’t have as much ink as the rest of his family and having them take turns was the only way to appease them.

  “Let’s go inside, Wesley. I’m not late, as your mother told me to be here at this time, but I’m not about to be late because you’re trying to neck with me ou
tside.”

  “Neck? How old are you?” He winked and then let out an oof as she punched him in the gut. She didn’t hit as hard as she could have since she was still playing, but damn.

  “Lead the way, Montgomery.”

  “You can’t call me that in there. Fifty people will turn their heads.”

  The grip on his hand tightened, and he soothed her knuckles with his thumb. “That’s a whole lot of Montgomerys.”

  “Gird your loins,” he whispered, and she threw her head back and laughed.

  That was the first glimpse his parents got of her when they walked through the door—Wes grinning like a fool, and Jillian laughing, leaning into him at his words. And while he might have been slightly worried what his parents would think about him and Jillian, he knew he shouldn’t have been.

  “You’re here!” his mom said as she walked toward them, arms outstretched. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by since we last saw each other, but planning this thing got a little crazy.”

  Wes rocked back on his heels as he watched Jillian hold his mother back just as tightly. He knew she was still feeling lost after losing her father and that his parents helped her during the funeral and wake, so he was happy that she could have them now to lean on if needed. She was already so connected to his family, and they’d just started dating. He probably should have been worried about that, but he couldn’t make himself be. Everything just felt…good.

  And after so many years of feeling left behind and then not so good with Jillian when they’d first met, he’d take this reaction any day.

  Jillian said something he couldn’t catch and then stood straight as his mother patted her on the cheek. “Thank you for having me. Really. Though from the noise from outside, it sounds like you have a full army out there.”

  “One or two,” his mother said with a wink. “Now hold onto Wes and make some introductions. He’ll make sure you don’t stray into a field of Montgomerys, never to be heard from again.

  Wes held out his hand and laughed as Jillian’s eyes widened before she clung comically to his side. “There, there. The Montgomerys don’t bite.”

  His dad laughed a little too hard. “If that’s what you think, Wes, you’re not living up to your full Montgomery potential.”

  “And on that note…” He tugged Jillian closer and led her to the French doors at the back of the house. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Again, he laughed and opened the doors. The sound was almost deafening, and there were so many people at once who looked like family members—dark hair, light eyes, and ink—he was afraid he’d fumble all the introductions.

  “So. Many. Beards.” He barely heard Jillian’s whisper beneath the cacophony of sound, but he still chuckled.

  “Let’s do this.” He nodded to one group in a corner. “Okay, that’s half of the Denver Montgomerys. You know them.”

  She nodded and leaned into him so they could talk easier over the din. “Yes, Wesley. I know who Storm and Everly are. Thanks for that.”

  “Just checking, Jilli. Let me introduce you to one of the smaller groups.” He led her to one of the tables his parents had set up and waved.

  “Shep, good to see you, man.”

  His cousin smiled, his eyes crinkling just a little at the corners. Considering how much this particular cousin had to smile about these days with his wife and child at his side, Wes figured he’d be getting more of those lines soon.

  “Hey, Wes, have you met Livvy?” He gestured toward the toddler in Shep’s wife’s arms. “Looks just like Shea, right?”

  “Not yet.” Wes winked, and the little girl ducked her head behind her mom’s neck. Shy. But considering she was a Montgomery, that might not last long.

  “She’s adorable,” Jillian said softly.

  “Guys, this is Jillian. Jillian, these are the Colorado Springs Montgomerys. Or rather, they’re mostly from there since Shep now lives in New Orleans.”

  “Not for long,” Shep corrected.

  Wes’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “Things are changing,” Adrienne, the eldest girl of this particular branch put in. “Lots of good things we can talk about later.” She came forward and hugged Jillian hard. “Hey, girl. Did you finish your scarf?”

  Jillian shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever cut it as a knitter.”

  Adrienne nodded, the laughter in her eyes mixed with sympathy. They all knew who that scarf had been for. “I think Meghan might be the only knitter.”

  “Maybe I’ll try it out,” Thea put it softly. “Hi, by the way. I’m Thea. Since Wes introduced us as ‘the guys.’” She rolled her eyes as she said it and held out her hand. Jillian took it, and then Wes reached around to tug her close. She squealed when he ran his knuckles over her hair. “Stop that right now, Wes Montgomery.”

  “This is why I call him Wesley,” Jillian said as she tugged Thea away. “He just does Wesley things.”

  Wes let out a groan. Great. Now the whole family was going to call him that.

  Roxie’s eyes narrowed as she studied him. “Wesley, huh? I like it. I’m Roxie. Nice to meet you.”

  “She’s the baby of the family,” Shep said.

  Roxie waited until little Livvy was turned the other way before flipping her brother off. “I’m not the youngest cousin. One of those guys takes that title.” She waved over at the large groupings of people.

  “Has Wes introduced you to everyone?” Adrienne asked.

  “Not yet, but I know that no matter what happens, I’ll never remember their names.” Jillian turned an apologetic glance at Roxie and Thea. “I will forget your names in about ten minutes but never forget your faces. I just happened to have met Adrienne a couple of times before so I’ll remember that. Sorry.”

  Thea waved her off, and Roxie laughed. “It’s really okay. We Montgomerys tend to multiply.”

  Roxie nodded. “And we’ve had our whole lives to memorize the family tree. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to decline the quiz that will be offered at the end of the party.”

  “Quiz?” Jillian asked.

  “Oh, you know,” Wes said offhandedly. “Who is who, who is married to whom, which child is which, what jobs do they have now, who is next in line to get married. All the good stuff.”

  Jillian’s eyes widened. “I…I have no idea how your family is so big. I only had my dad for so long and…” She trailed off, and he held her to his side, kissing the top of her head.

  “Well, you’re a Montgomery now,” Shea said. “I married in, of course, but marriage isn’t the only way to be part of the family. Once you’re part of the circle, you’re kind of assimilated.”

  “One of us. One of us.”

  The fact that Adrienne, Roxie, and Thea chanted at the same time only made it that much funnier.

  “Okay, so, who is who?” Jillian asked, turning to face the other groups.

  He pointed at one group. “Those four are the Montgomerys that now live in Boulder.” He gestured to each one and told her their names, though he knew she’d never remember them. “The others that you don’t recognize are the five from Fort Collins. Some of them brought dates, and I can honestly tell you I don’t remember if anyone is married or not.” He winced. “My brain hurts.”

  Jillian rubbed her temple. “Don’t talk to me about your brain hurting when you’ve met these people before.”

  “Yes, but never all at once. I mean, not since we were little kids. Anyway, that’s all of us. Now, I need food and a beer because that was exhausting.”

  Jillian lifted on her toes and kissed his jaw. “A beer sounds pretty good, Wesley.”

  He growled and narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to forget that you told the others what you call me.”

  She shrugged. “True, but you’ll only like it when I call you that, won’t you? I see the way your eyes darken and the fact that your breath catches just a bit when I say it. You like it.”

  “I like you.” He shrugged when he
r eyes widened. “Just saying.” He reached around and spanked her softly, even with all of his family watching. He’d apparently gone crazy. “Food, woman. And a beer. Let’s go.”

  “Onward, noble steed,” she said as she moved to the side.

  He laughed, holding her close as they walked, aware the others were watching them, and for some reason, he truly didn’t care. He didn’t know how it had happened, but he’d fallen for Jillian Reid.

  What he was going to do about it? He didn’t know, but the idea that he was comfortable enough to be himself with her with so many of his family members looking on and wondering, well, that meant something.

  And when they were alone, he’d do his best to figure out what exactly what that something was.

  Chapter Sixteen

  This wasn’t going to be weird. There was no way tonight would be weird. And if Jillian kept repeating that to herself, she might believe it. Her stomach rolled, and she let out a breath. After everything that had happened recently in her life, a double date with her boyfriend, his twin—who happened to be her best friend and ex-friends with benefits—and that man’s fiancée, who also happened to be Jillian’s new friend shouldn’t be that big of a deal.

  And considering how many words it took to describe the four of them, no wonder her brain hurt.

  Wes reached over and gripped her hand even as he kept his attention on the road in front of them. “You’re going to give me a panic attack if you don’t calm down.”

  She glared at him and hoped he could see her out of the corner of his eye. “You say that, and yet you look remarkably calm.”

  He gave her a squeeze before taking his hand back so he could make the turn into the parking lot. “It’s just my brother and his fiancée. We just had a huge reunion where you met a million and one Montgomerys, yet right now, you look more freaked than you did then.”

  He turned to her after he’d parked and shut off the engine, and she couldn’t help but calm ever so slightly when he looked at her. Perhaps calm wasn’t quite the right word since he revved her personal engine every time he was near her and had before she even realized what that chemistry was. Nothing about Wes Montgomery calmed her, but having him next to her like this helped her find her breath just a little bit easier.