The Bromance Book Club - Lyssa Kay Adams Page 0,41

think Thea probably already has a color-coded spreadsheet with links of where to buy everything and what’s already on sale.”

Despite his mood, Gavin smiled. Yes, that sounded exactly like Thea.

“Hey, maybe you guys can come here for Christmas!” his mom said. “You could spend Christmas Eve here, and the girls could open their stockings here. Oh, Gavin, it would be so fun.”

An ache bloomed in his chest at the picture she painted. It would be fun, but there was no way Thea, who had just appeared at the bottom of the stairs, would agree to it.

“Hey, Thea’s standing right here. Do you want to talk to her and see if she got the email?” Gavin held out the phone. “It’s my mom.”

Thea gave him a look that could extinguish a fire. But she sucked in a breath and put on her best voice. “Hey, Susan. Happy Thanksgiving.”

Gavin listened to Thea’s half of the conversation, and the ache spread. His parents adored Thea. They said she was the daughter they always wanted and joked that Sebastian was going to have to work extra hard to even come close to finding a wife as perfect as Gavin’s.

That was the main reason he hadn’t yet told them that he and Thea were having trouble. It would devastate them. But that wasn’t the only reason. His parents had the perfect marriage, and they’d be so disappointed to know that Gavin couldn’t live up to their model.

Thea said goodbye, ended the call, and handed Gavin his phone. “You need to tell them, Gavin.”

“Tell them what?” he countered, bitter at her constant reminder that this was a temporary thing for her. “You gave me until Christmas to win you back. Until then, there’s nothing to tell.”

* * *

• • •

Del and Nessa lived outside Nashville in a mansion-filled subdivision that was home to several of Music City’s rich and famous. The twenty-mile drive took only a half hour in the sparse holiday traffic, and if it weren’t for the girls in the back seat, it would have been a silent trip.

“Mommy, can we swim?” Ava suddenly asked.

Del had an indoor pool, and it had become part of the tradition that after everyone’s dinner had settled, the guys took the kids swimming. Thea turned in her seat to look at the back seat. “I brought your bathing suits.”

The girls let out a cheer. At least they would have fun today.

Gavin pulled along the curb in front of Del’s house. A ribbon of nervous tension tightened around Thea’s chest. This would normally be the time when she would adopt her perfect WAG smile and pretend to love every minute of this.

Screw that this year. She and Gavin unbuckled the girls and sent them running up the sidewalk. Just as they reached the front portico, the door swung open. Del’s wife, Nessa, walked out looking stunning, as usual. She wore wide-legged black slacks and a slim camel turtleneck. It was the kind of effortlessly classy outfit that only tall people like her and Liv could actually look stylish in. Nessa gathered the girls against her legs for a quick hug and then looked up with a smile and a wave.

Thea waved and leaned into the back to grab one of the pies. Gavin did the same, and he followed her up the sidewalk. Nessa shooed the girls inside and took the pie from Gavin.

“I’ll help Thea carry stuff. You go out back and stop Del from killing himself.”

“What’s he doing?” Gavin asked.

“That fool bought a turkey fryer.”

“Oh, shit.” Gavin took off at a jog.

Nessa turned back to Thea. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, nodding for Thea to come in. “Del said there was a chance you guys might go to Gavin’s parents’ this year. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Thea didn’t know what to say to that, so she said nothing as she followed Nessa into their massive, gleaming white kitchen. The heavenly aroma of the turkey in the oven mixed with the scent of spiced cider in a slow cooker. Sage and garlic from the stuffing made her mouth pool with spit. It smelled just like Gran Gran’s house used to. Those three Thanksgivings when she and Liv had lived there were the best of her life.

The girls ran through on their way to the stairs, chasing after Del and Nessa’s daughter, Jo-Jo. “She’s been bouncing off the walls, waiting for you guys to get here,” Nessa laughed, lifting the pie high in the air