All of Me: A Holiday Bites Novel

by Heather Young-Nichols

  Damn, my girl was beautiful. I’d wanted to follow her up to our room but knew that was an awful idea. We’d get wrapped up in each other and miss the dinner completely. I didn’t want Killian to be the one to tell my parents, so none of that could happen.

  I’d have to settle with knowing that I’d be able to peel those clothes off of her later tonight.

  Then we headed out to my jeep and I drove us carefully over to my parents’ house. They lived about twenty minutes out of town and the roads hadn’t been great all day. The last thing I wanted was an accident to mar these events. Hell, with Luna in the car especially, the last thing I wanted was an accident at all.

  Killian’s black Hyundai was already in the driveway when we arrived and the warm light coming from inside hinted at how we’d feel once we went in. My parents’ house had been and would always be home, even if my home was wherever Luna was. I’d known my whole life that I could come back anytime for advice, a meal, or just to be with my parents and Luna had that with them too.

  Even if she didn’t realize it yet.

  “Luna!” Mom called out as she made a beeline for her as soon as we got through the front door. Hadn’t even taken our jackets off yet. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  “It’s not like you didn’t see her last week,” I said.

  Since we’d been back together, Mom had acted like it was the first time she’d seen Luna since we’d broken up every single time they’d seen each other. Mom hadn’t hugged Luna much before, but now it was every single time and Luna didn’t seem to mind.

  “Thanks for having us for dinner,” Luna told her once she’d been released.

  “Absolutely.”

  Dad came up behind Mom, having taken his time because he didn’t feel the need to ambush the two of us.

  “You’re welcome here anytime. Even with this guy,” Dad told her as he gave my girl a quick hug.

  “I’d like to remind the both of you that she’s my girl,” I told them as if they needed a reminder. “You keep hugging her like that, I’m going to think you’re trying to steal her.”

  “Maybe we are,” Mom countered.

  Killian groaned from the kitchen. Their floor plan was open, so you could hear everything in the living room, which was by the front door, from the kitchen.

  “That’s conjuring up all kinds of images that I don’t fucking need,” he said.

  Mom turned and started back to the kitchen but slapped him on the back of the head as she passed. “You don’t have to make everything so disgusting.”

  “It’s a gift.” Killian stood from the table and came toward us. We each closed the distance by half and met in the middle. My glare of warning should’ve been enough to keep him on his best behavior. “Nice to see you, Luna.”

  That was something at least. Better than I’d expected.

  “Hi, Killian.” Luna sounded normal, but she slid her hand into mine as if she wanted the reassurance that I was there for her. I would always be on her side. She quickly let go. It was only a brief reassurance that she needed. “Do you need help with anything, Shannon?”

  Luna had joined my mom in the kitchen. Every single time I’d brought my girl here, she’d offered to help. That was just how she’d been made. I’d done the same thing at her mom’s before.

  “No, no, honey. I’ve got this all under control. The boys will set the table. You’re our guest.”

  And that had been my mom’s response every single time. If there was something she did need help with, then Killian or I were going to be the ones helping. She never wanted guests to feel like they weren’t being taken care of, but the joke was on her. Luna was family and if she wanted to pitch in, I’d make sure she did. Just so she didn’t feel like an imposition.

  “She can help me with plates,” I told Mom.

  “You can’t handle five plates on your own?”

  “You know I’m weak.”

  Killian snorted. “At least you admit it.”

  Luna and I had talked about when to tell Mom and Dad and she’d said it was up to me since they were my parents. I’d decided we’d do it after dinner. Not only would that make Killian stew a little while, which he deserved, but we’d all have had a nice evening beforehand and maybe Killian would keep his mouth shut. Though I was pretty sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t react well to him being anything less than one hundred percent happy.

  While I grabbed the plates, Luna went to the other cupboard and got us some glasses. There were plenty of nights that meals were more buffet-style where we’d all make our plates at the stove then take them to the table to eat but never when we had company.

  Killian worked on the silverware and napkins.

  “What can I get everyone to drink?” Luna asked.

  “Harrison can take care of that, dear,” Mom told her. “I know you worked today. Have a seat.”

  Luna gave me a lopsided grin, then shrugged. If Mom says…

  I grabbed Dad a beer because that was what he’d want anyway. Water for Mom and Luna because I knew them well enough. Milk for me, but I had to ask Killian what he’d want. He went with milk as well.

  When we’d been kids, Mom had insisted we hadn’t been drinking enough milk, so we always had to have it at dinner. Now as adults, we didn’t follow that every night, but when we were home, we fell back into it.

  Killian and I then helped Mom bring the food over. Meatloaf, which might’ve been disgusting for some people. It wasn’t when Mom made it. Hers was so good Killian and would often fight over the last piece, even if we were just trying to take it home as leftovers.

  As soon as we were all at the table, we began passing out the dishes. Luna was beside me, so I made sure she got hers first. That was how I’d been taught. Dad did the same thing with Mom. They were across from each other on the ends, but the table wasn’t that big and he’d always tell us to pass things to her first.

  Once we all had a slice of meatloaf, a scoop of mashed potatoes, and carrots, along with a roll, we settled in.

  “How is the business going?” Dad asked Luna.

  She brought a finger to her mouth as she chewed the way people did when they were hurrying. But she didn’t need to hurry. Luna could take her time and we’d all wait for the answer.

  “Good,” she finally said after swallowing that bite. “We’ve mostly been busy since we opened. So things are going really well. Better than I could’ve hoped when I started. I thought for sure it wouldn’t be profitable for at least a year, but I’m thinking we’ll turn a profit at the end of our first year. Or that’s what my accountant tells me.”

  “That’s amazing,” Mom told her. “Could you pass me the butter, Killian?”

  My brother gave her the butter, but his gaze settled back on my girl and me. He watched us like we were the ticking time bomb that he was waiting to explode. I had news and he wanted it out there but he’d just have to wait.

  “What about you, Harrison?” he asked.

  “Things are going well at the restaurant. Marilee is a great manager and we’re always busy. So I think I have some job security.”

  “And the winery?”

  “On the slower side because it’s winter, but not what I’d call slow,” I told him. “In the summer, this winery has to add extra tastings because they fill so quickly. We’ll see. I’ve only had it just over a month.”

  “I’m very excited to go for a tasting this summer,” Mom told me. “I’m thinking of setting up a book club field trip.”

  I chuckled. “You don’t have to wait for summer,” I explained. “We can do it whenever you want. Even a private one.”

  Mom’s book club was mostly an excuse for her to get together with her friends, eat a bunch of food, and drink copious amounts of wine. Maybe that was where my love of wine had come from. I didn’t know.

  “Even better.” Mom took a bite of a roll. “Killian?”

  “As you know,” he said with meatloaf in his mouth, “it’s winter. I work in construction. Do the math.”

>   “Killian,” Dad warned. Killian was more likely to be snarky to our parents than I was.

  “Yeah. OK. It’s fine. I’m working in the office every day like I do every winter. I’d rather be outside.”

  “You’re a freak,” I told him. “It’s cold as balls out there.”

  Killian’s gaze darkened. “Some of us aren’t pussies.”

  “Boys,” Mom snapped, though she couldn’t have known that his comment was about more than just working outside.

  It was a dig at me being with Luna.

  “I thought you were over that,” I said. He’d come and helped us paint the house. That had been his peace offering and everything had been mostly fine since then. Now it seemed my older brother had something stewing inside him. I wouldn’t let his issues explode all over my wedding to Luna.

  “I was.”

  Ah. So this was about me getting engaged. Where had he thought this was leading to?

  “Boys, boys,” was all Mom commented before we all fell into a more comfortable kind of conversation.

  We were talking about mostly nothing, but Dad told some funny stories about us when we were kids and he talked about work. Mom did too. It was a good time. And it wasn’t long before Mom said the boys, meaning Killian and me, could clear the table. She had an angel food cake for dessert, she’d said, and I knew she’d made it because one of the first times Luna had come over Mom had made her a cake from scratch and Luna couldn’t get enough.

  I’d told her it was the sticky frosting Mom always put on it. That shit was addicting.

  “Before we clear the table,” I said as Killian began to stand. He reluctantly looked over at me and when I raised an eyebrow he slowly slid back down. The look on his face was a non-verbal way of asking me if I was doing this now.

  I slid my arm around Luna while I waited for him to settle.

  “Luna and I have some news,” I told them. “On Friday, I asked Luna to marry me and she said yes.”

  “Oh my god!” Mom popped up from her seat and barely gave Luna the chance to stand up herself.

  I followed my girl because if my mom got too clingy, I’d step in, though Luna had never once complained about how affectionate my mom was with her.

  “Congratulations,” Mom gushed. She pulled my girl in for another long hug as she smiled over at me. I’d swear my mom had tears in her eyes. “Let me see that ring.” Luna held her hand out to my mom who took it and pulled it closer. “I didn’t even notice you had a different ring on tonight. How could I not notice?”

  “Because you’re not a stalker,” I told her. “Which means you don’t inspect Luna the moment she comes through the door.” Luna wore jewelry all of the time when she wasn’t at work. There was no reason for Mom to notice.

  Dad was suddenly next to me with his arm around my shoulders. “Congratulations, son.” Then he hugged me. It was a real one, not one of those brief guy ones that happened with a lot of people. When Dad hugged, it was full.

  It wasn’t that we never hugged. It just wasn’t an every time we saw each other occurrence the way it was with Mom. But if anything deserved it, this was it.

  Mom finally let Luna go and came for me, which gave my dad the chance to give Luna a hug of his own and congratulate her too.

  “I’d say welcome to the family,” Dad told her, “but you were already part of it.”

  Damn right she was.

  The only person not in the center of this celebration was my brother. But then Mom and Dad looked over at him expectantly. Mom still had her arm around my waist because she wasn’t tall enough to reach my shoulders and Dad had his around Luna.

  “Congratulations,” was all he said.

  “That’s it?” Mom asked at the same time Luna tentatively said, “Thank you.”

  “What?” He threw his hands in the air. “I’ve known since this morning.”

  “Get over here,” Mom insisted.

  Reluctantly, Killian came over and joined us in a family hug. It wasn’t the first time we’d had one of these and it wouldn’t be the last.

  At least Luna was on my right, so I had my arm around her, then I kissed the top of her head.

  I’d known this was how it would go, but I was still happy to have the conversation.

  Once we broke up the circle and Mom was getting dessert ready while Killian and I cleared the table, Mom spoke directly to Luna.

  “I’m so excited. We’re obviously all here to help with anything. Have you decided on when?”

  “Um.” Luna tucked her hair behind her ear. “Harrison wants to get married as soon as possible. Like within the month.”

  “Sooner if possible,” I added to her eye roll.

  “What’s the rush?” Killian asked. “You pregnant?”

  Killian had asked that

  Mom hit him with her napkin. “It wouldn’t matter if she is.” My mom locked eyes with me with a hopeful look.

  Luna looked at me with a face that could only be described as I told you so. I shook my head.

  “Nah,” I told him. “I just love my girl.”

  “Don’t get our hopes up, Killian,” Mom chided him, which made us all laugh.

  I definitely wanted to see Luna all swollen with a kid that I’d put there, but that wasn’t happening right now. I wanted to enjoy it being just her and me for a while. We had plenty of time.

  After the excitement calmed down, we all had a healthy-sized piece of cake in front of us and dove in.

  “I know you’re probably missing your mom right now,” Mom said as we ate the delicious cake. “And I know there’s no one who will ever take her place, but you have me if you want me. I’ll help with wedding planning and anything you need. I don’t have any girls, so this will give me a taste of what it’s like to have a daughter.”

  Luna’s chin trembled, which I knew meant she was on the verge of crying and I didn’t want her to cry. But her pink tongue shot out and wet her bottom lip as she took a deep breath to keep herself from breaking down.

  “Thank you,” Luna said, her voice breaking as she spoke. Then she focused back in on her cake and got stone quiet for a few minutes.

  I didn’t think my mom could’ve done anything to make Luna feel more like a part of the family than she just had.

  10

  Luna

  Dinner at Harrison’s parents’ house couldn’t have gone better than it currently was. His parents were some of the best people I’d ever met. Even Killian appeared to be at ease with the idea and him, I’d been worried about.

  He’d seemed to be getting more comfortable with the idea of Harrison and I being together than he had when I’d first come back. And now, I had his parents on my side.

  Harrison was helping his Mom with dishes and wouldn’t let me help despite all of my protests. If I was part of the family, I should’ve been helping. Maybe next time. His dad disappeared somewhere, which left Killian and me alone at the table together.

  “Congratulations,” he said so just I heard him. This was the first time he’d spoken directly to me. “On your incredibly fast engagement.”

  I shook my head. I knew there’d be something he’d have to say about this. And of course, he waited until we were alone in the room. Though it surprised me that Harrison left us alone in a room at all since he knew his brother far better than I did.

  “Trust me. The speed is all your brother’s idea.”

  “Huh.” Killian folded his arms over his chest. Harrison and his mother were chatting away, not paying the slightest bit of attention to me. “Maybe he wouldn’t be so keen to marry you so fast if he weren’t worried about losing you.”

  “He’s not going to lose me,” I said quickly, but I hated that he’d hit on the first worry I’d had when Harrison had asked. “I love your brother. We were both devastated when we broke up and if we can get over it, maybe you should too, Killian.”

  “Easy for you to say,” he mumbled.

  “What’s going on over here?” Harrison slid in beside me and rest
ed his arm on the back of my chair.

  “Nothing,” Killian told him. “Just bonding with my future sister-in-law.”

  They both looked at me and I didn’t want to start any trouble between them, so I said, “Yup.” Then I swallowed hard and let myself fall into the background.

  Killian’s words hit me harder than I would’ve admitted to anyone. Even though Harrison had explained that losing me wasn’t something he’d wanted to do, obviously it wasn’t the reason he wanted to get married right away. He wanted me. He wanted us. And he wanted it as soon as he could get it.

  Yet I was still left feeling utterly anxious and more nervous than I ever had been before.

  We spent a few hours after dinner at his parents’ house after everyone decided to watch a movie. It was an action movie his dad had been wanting to see, which immediately got Harrison and Killian into it. I loved action movies, so I was in and his mom was in too.

  She offered us popcorn, but nobody could eat another bite. I hadn’t even finished the cake, but she’d given me a giant slice.

  In the living room, their mom and dad settled on the couch, which didn’t leave much space if you wanted to be comfortable. Killian dropped into one of the recliners and immediately put his feet up, which left Harrison and me the option of not sitting together. One of us, probably me because I was smaller, could’ve sat with his parents, the other in the recliner that was left.

  Not surprising when Harrison claimed the recliner. It did surprise me when he yanked me down onto his lap then situated us so that my ass was next to him, but my legs were across his.

  “What’re you doing?” I asked him as I tried to push myself up.

  His parents and brother were right there. Now we lived together, so they clearly knew we were having sex, and he’d always been comfortable showing affection in front of his parents and I had been in front of my mom, but I’d never sat on his lap like this.

  “Keeping you close,” he murmured in my ear, then he gently kissed my cheek.

  Killian made a gagging sound from across the room. As far as I knew, he wasn’t seeing anyone right now, and maybe that was where some of the hostility came from. Though I knew most of it was due to him still holding me responsible for breaking Harrison’s heart.