Page 103 of The Singles Club

“By the way, Brock and his wife are coming to dinner.” Gwen cut into a lime and squeezed a wedge into a glass before pouring in the soda. “I told them they could only come if they brought my grandbaby boy along.”

“Grandbaby?” I asked. “Brock is your brother?”

“Unofficially, and I’m the unofficial uncle, while my parents have been adopted as Pop and Nana.”

Gwen handed Justin a club soda with a lime. “Why don’t you give Vivian a tour of the house and let her settle in before they get here.”

As we walked back into the living room, I pointed out the decorations. “I see your mom is ready for Halloween.”

“Pfft. That’s nothing. Wait until October hits. This yard will look like a haunted house.” He chuckled. “While people are out shopping on Black Friday, my parents are decorating for a winter wonderland.”

I tugged at my necklace, realizing I would be in Paris for the holidays.

“Do you come home every Thanksgiving and Christmas?”

“Are you kidding, my mom would have my head if I—” He paused, looking down at me. “Would you be able to fly home for the holidays?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, if we’re still doing this, we’ll figure something out… even if we have to create our own holiday.” He stole a quick kiss before we headed up the stairs with our bags.

He stopped in front of a door and opened it. “This is the guest room and where you’ll be staying. The bathroom is the next door on your left.”

“What about your room?”

He winced, scratching the back of his head. “You don’t need to see that.”

I laughed. “Oh, now you definitely have to show me.”

He groaned and took my hand, leading me to a room across the hall. We walked in, and it was like going back in time. Classic movie posters covered three of his walls, but the fourth was dedicated to all things Harry Potter. Wands, scarfs from every house, and a jar of Bertie Botts Beans. He even had a replica of the Sorting Hat sitting on a stack of hardcover copies of every book in the series.

“I’d say it’s safe to assume you were a Harry Potter nerd.”

“Big-time. I blame my father. He read me the first book when I was a kid, and the rest is history.”

“I can’t imagine you brought many girls to your room,” I teased.

He ran his fingers over one of the scarves. “I had a girlfriend in high school. She was an even bigger fan than I was.” There was a distance in his voice. Almost wistful. He tucked his hands in his pockets and smiled over at me. “I’ll let you unpack. Do you want me to wait or meet me downstairs?”

“I can meet you.”

Justin left without a kiss, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether that girl was more to him than just a high school girlfriend. Probably his first love. He would be the type to get sentimental over that. He was a Jimmy Stewart after all.

22

Cat out of the Bag

Vivian

The house livened up the moment Brock and his wife, Carmen, walked through the door. They didn’t even ring the doorbell but announced their arrival with a call from the foyer. Gwen ran from the kitchen and hugged both as if they were family and went straight for the baby. She took him out of the car seat. “How’s my big boy?” She kissed his head and gently swayed him in her arms like she was born to do it.

It wasn’t long before Justin and his dad were crowding around the baby too, making funny faces and baby talk. I couldn’t help but giggle. Something about seeing grown men act like that over a little person was adorable.

Carmen set down her diaper bag and smiled over at me. “You must be Vivian.”

“And you’re Carmen. Nice to meet you.”

“You’re meeting me on barely four hours of sleep after that little monster had a crying fit in the middle of the night.” She rubbed at her temple. “What I wouldn’t give for a full eight hours of sleep again.”