feel both Tory and her cousin tensing along with her. Henrik was one of theirs now, and her family stuck together.
“Oh, crap,” Kathy exclaimed, eyes widening. “Please don’t take that the wrong way.” She glanced at the other women, sheepish expressions creeping over their faces. “Really. It’s a nice surprise. He’s usually so...stoic?”
“Absent?” another supplied.
“You’re a nice surprise too,” the one in front added, smile warm. “And just ignore us. We’re honestly happy Roller found someone good.” She extended her hand to introduce herself, which was immediately followed by the others chiming in, names and connections flying past Jacqui’s frozen mind. It was overwhelming, and after the short derogatory exchange about Henrik, she wasn’t sure she wanted to remember them.
Someone good. The statement looped through her mind as the game continued. Was she really someone good? And what did it mean? Did that imply that the rest of his girlfriends had been bad? And why? Who set the criteria for good and bad?
Ugh. Her brain was starting to hurt. The slow-building throb behind her eye gave her an excuse to escape inside for some pain meds. She paused at the table on the front porch to check the status of the commercial pots of coffee and hot cocoa her mom had borrowed from church.
The scent of home-cooked food hit her immediately when she stepped inside, followed by the familiar voices of her mother and aunts. She inhaled, relaxing into the release. This was better, even if it was slightly more dangerous. No matter how hard she’d tried to hold Henrik at bay, he’d managed to wind his way into her life and now her family. He’d won her heart and was actively doing the same with everyone in her life, no question there.
Her chest ached with the longing that’d grown even bigger. If only she was able to give her love freely. If only she could take what he offered without regrets or fear. If only...
No! She blocked the spiraling thoughts with a forceful jerk of her coat. A portable coat rack had been placed in the entrance, which was already half full of winter gear. She hung her coat in the closet and left her boots there too. The sense of belonging sneaked in to pluck at her doubts again.
She managed to slip past her family and into Henrik’s room on the hunt for something for her headache. The sight of her stuff tucked in a corner on the counter in the master bath was another little dig at how she’d settled into his life. It’d gone both ways. More than she wanted to admit.
And what if her test on Tuesday came back positive? What if she was faced with yet another round of chemo and radiation and...
“Hey, Mom,” she called when she entered the crowded kitchen, two pain pills down and yet to take effect. She glanced at the line of crockpots, casserole dishes and bowls overflowing with food. It was a normal occurrence for family gatherings and more than enough to feed everyone. “This looks and smells great.”
“There’s more on the bar downstairs,” her mom said, lifting the lid on the pot of soup simmering on the stove. “Did you check on the coffee and cocoa when you came in?”
“Yes. They’re both fine.”
“I’ll go check,” one of her aunts said, ignoring Jacqui’s answer. There obviously wasn’t enough for the nine women to do. Not until the game was done anyway. Then they’d all be in their glory serving and ensuring everyone was fed. It was the way their family worked, and Jacqui let the slight pass with a smile.
“Be careful if you go downstairs,” another aunt cautioned. “There’s gear everywhere.”
“I lit some candles to counter the smell,” still another jumped in, the cascade of random comments coming in rapid succession.
“I doubt it’ll make a difference.”
“Is the fridge stocked down there?”
“Yes. And the cooler.” This comment held surprise. “He really thought of everything.”
“He probably would’ve forgotten something if we hadn’t been here.”
“And he wanted to waste his money on fancy caterers.” Indignation filled that comment.
“Well, the dishes are nice.”
Oh, there was another plus for Henrik. Jacqui silently cheered as her aunts’ conversation flew past her, the overlapping dialog a comforting second language for her.
“And who’s going to be stuck washing all that nice stuff?”
“The rental company takes it all away and cleans it.” The knowing smirk of superior knowledge from this aunt had Jacqui swallowing a laugh.
“So, Jacqui.” Oh, shit. All eyes swung to her, predatory joy gleaming