AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My family is full of traditions.
Sundays are sacred, and our church is a football stadium. Thanks to my brothers and brother-in-law, they’re shared with hockey these days. But football will always come first.
Thanksgiving dinner is always at Grandpa’s house, even if that means the family—Theentire family— has to celebrate it on a different day. Nearly thirty of us all. It wasn’t always easy, considering Dad and two of my four uncles played pro football and Grandpa coached. Still does. Uncle Tommy has been his assistant for years, and now Dad’s a quarterback coach.
Christmas meansThe Nutcrackerballet. First performed by Mom’s baby ballerinas, then going into the city to see it or be in it.
And our entire family gets together for one week every July to celebrate birthdays at our beach compound. As a kid, this week was my favorite. Callen is only a week older than Everly and me. And yes, our family dynamic is a little strange because he’s also technically our uncle. The three of us have celebrated our birthdays together most of our lives. Last year was the first year we missed it.
I was touring the country with an amazing company, performingGiselle. Everly was working. And well, Callen... he was preoccupied with one of his many girlfriends. Not that you can really call them girlfriends if you don’t know their last names. And he never knows their last names. I’m not even sure he knows their first names half the time.
But it’s the one time each year that all the Sinclairs, Murphys, and Ryans come together for a few days to relax and have fun. And I can’t believe I was going to skip it. Especially right now as I sit, surrounded by my sister, cousins, and a few of our closest friends with our chairs in the sand and our toes in the warm ocean waves, watching the boys toss a football around.
Brynlee is on one side of me while Everly is on the other. And neither has stopped talking since we drug our chairs down to the water’s edge. I push my glasses up into my hair and turn to Brynn. “Are you sure you don’t mind if I stay with you for a few weeks? I’m sure I could always crash with Mom and Dad if I need to.”
“I told you,wehave room,” Everly answers first, and Brynn laughs and smacks my leg with her paperback.
“Don’t be stupid. I’ve got more than enough room. It’s a five bedroom, and I’m only using one room, now that Kenzie’s in DC for her residency.”
Bellamy and Caitlin lean forward in their chairs. “Are you looking for roommates? I mean, I love living with Ares, but having my own room wouldn’t be terrible.”
“Hey,” Cait bitches. “At least I don’t snore.”
“I do not snore.”
“How long do you think you’re going to be home, Grace?” Brynn ignores everyone else.
“I’m not sure. At least two months. I’ve got to see how everything goes. Jenkins was furious when I told him I was taking time off to heal. I’m not sure if he’s going to let me comeback.” I think back to how pissed he was when I bailed on him yesterday. “I think I’ll be more surprised if he does let me come back, to be honest.”
“What are you going to do if he doesn’t?” my cousin Lilah leans forward and asks with a giant smile. She’s a few years younger than Everly and me, but she’s been touring the world for a few years. First as an opening act for a popular boy band, and now, as the main event on the ticket. I’m in complete awe of her world domination. “I could use a new choreographer.”
“Grace isn’t going to give up ballet,” Everly answers for me, and I don’t correct her.
“What was wrong with your last choreographer?” I ask instead.
“She refuses to see that I’m not the sixteen-year-old trying to market to the tween-age set anymore. If I want to be taken seriously, I’ve got to be allowed to grow as an artist. This album we’re working on now is the first time I’ve really been in love with what I’m doing. It’s supposed to wrap by the end of the summer, and the tour kicks off this fall.”
A football lands at our feet, and I look up to find Ares jogging our way with a one-year-old Jax on his hip. Red board shorts hug his lean hips, stretched over thick thighs, and I slide my mirrored sunglasses back in place so I can stare properly without getting caught. I’d dare anyone to not stare at that man holding a baby. It’s impossible.
Can you feel your ovaries exploding?
Because I think mine just did.
Lilah picks the ball up and hands it to Jax, who hides his face against Ares’s chest. And the smile he gives my popstar cousin may or may not make my eye twitch the tiniest bit.
Brynn elbows me gently.
Shit. Was I that obvious?
She’s the only person who has any clue what happened after Everly’s wedding or that Ares and I have been talking since. Even if I haven’t had a chance to fill her in on everything that’s happened this week.
She’s going to lose her mind.
“Ladies,” Ares laughs as Jax continues to hide.
Everly stands and tries to take her baby from her brother-in-law, but Jax refuses to budge.
Can’t blame you, kid. If I was wrapped around that naked chest, I’d refuse to move too.
