Page 17

Xander

“ H ey, Hotshot. Are you ready?” Rain calls from the lobby downstairs. I grab my phone and car keys, then rush out of my room.

“Hey,” I say, reaching the stairs and kissing her sweetly.

“Ready to meet my family?” she asks as we head toward the parking lot.

“Sure. Can’t wait,” I say, genuinely excited. I’ve already met Ruin and Granny. How bad can everyone else be?

“Fair warning, my brothers can be…” She pauses, searching for the right word. “Intense.”

“Wait,” I say, stopping her before she reaches Minx. “I can drive.” I motion to my SUV.

She smiles, shaking her head. “Ah, you want to show off.”

I shrug. “So what?”

She chuckles. “This is going to be good.”

I catch up, open the door for her.

I steal a quick kiss as she settles in. “I’m not afraid of your brothers. If they want to dance, I can dance.”

“Oh yes, the competitive side of the professional athlete is ready to play,” she teases.

I wink and hurry around to the driver’s side. She queues up “Cherry Pie” and declares it our song. We belt it out, windows down, music blasting. I make a mental note: this needs to be my walkout song for home games.

Her family’s house is straight out of a postcard—the typical white siding with black-trimmed windows, wraparound porch bursting with flower pots. Rocking chairs and a swing complete the picture. I can already imagine the orchard view at sunset.

Rain opens the door, and laughter spills into the foyer.

“Everyone, I’m home,” she shouts .

There’s a beat of silence, then voices return louder than before.

“Oh, hello there, handsome,” Granny says, appearing first.

“Hi, Granny.” I smile and lean down for a hug.

She hugs me tightly, then whispers, “I see you brought her to me.” I remember what she told me at the diner—that I was going to meet the love of my life.

“Yup. I did.”

She pats my forearm and winks. “Good boy.”

A woman who looks to be in her fifties, with auburn hair and kind eyes, hugs Rain.

“Hey, dear. So glad you’re here.”

“Mama,” Rain says, pulling back. “You knew I was coming.”

Her mom raises an eyebrow.

“Relax, Mama. Xander’s a nice guy,” Rain adds quickly, stepping to my side as I slide my arm around her waist.

“Before everyone starts making things weird,” she announces, “let’s get this over with. This is Xander. He came to Azalea Creek for therapy at Serene Lookout, and I invited him over today.”

Four pairs of eyes land on me. Granny and her mom grin. The two tall men behind them, one I recognize, watch me with guarded curiosity.

“Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. I’m Xander González.” I take Rain’s mom’s hand and kiss the back of it .

“Oh my, what a gentleman. Welcome, Xander. I’m Josephine, but please call me Joss.”

I nod and turn to shake hands with one of the brothers.

“Hey, man. I’m Miles,” he says, then smirks. “Are you her date?”

“Yes,” I say at the exact moment Rain blurts, “No.”

I look back at her, confused.

Miles chuckles. “This is going to be good.”

“Well—I mean, yes.” Rain sighs. “We’re spending time together.”

She bites her lip, her eyes bright with mischief.

“Exactly, we’re getting to know each other. We’re dating,” I clarify, kissing the top of her head.

Someone clears their throat. Everyone seems satisfied, except River, who still looks like he’s chewing glass.

“I believe I owe you an apology,” he says, stepping forward. “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you the other night. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

We shake hands. His grip is firm but not threatening.

“No apology needed. You were only looking after your sister. I respect that.”

Joss looks confused, but Rain gives a subtle shake of her head before her mom can speak. Joss presses her lips together and mimes zipping them.

“Hello!” Ruin sing-songs, entering with a baby in her arms. Chaos resumes .

Rain hurries over, kisses her sister’s cheek, then scoops the baby into her arms.

“Oh, my baby. This is Sage, the most beautiful girl in all Azalea Creek.”

“Hi, Sage. So good to meet you,” I say, smiling as she beams up at me.

“Oh look—she smiled at Xander,” Rain gushes.

Joss swoops in and takes Sage away with mock authority.

“Mama, I was getting my baby fix,” Rain pouts.

“I’m sorry, dear, but I’m the grandma. I’ve got VIP privileges,” Joss says, nuzzling the baby.

“You see them every day. Not fair,” Rain protests.

“You could see them daily too, if you wanted to,” her mom tosses over her shoulder.

Rain huffs, and Joss disappears into the living room with Granny in tow.

Ruin walks over to me. “Hi, Xander. Good to see you here. I take it, you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

She nods, then gestures to a tall blond guy approaching with another baby.

“This is my husband, Gio.”

“Xander González. Nice to meet you.”

“Gio Bianchi. Welcome to the MacAllister shenanigans,” he says with a grin.

Ruin swats his arm playfully.

“Am I lying?” he asks .

Ruin chuckles. “No, you’re not.” She jerks her chin toward the door. “Come on, let’s go grab the stuff from the car.”

Rain takes the baby and blows raspberries on his cheek.

“And this handsome boy is Indigo, my nephew,” she says.

“Hi, bro. Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking his tiny hand.

He frowns.

“Too early to call you bro? Got it. Hi, Indigo.”

Rain giggles as he smiles. “There it is—that’s the smile Auntie likes. You’re good with him,” she says. “Do you want kids?”

I smile. “I do. You?”

“Yup.”

“Good to know.”

We head inside together, and I steal one more look at her cradling Indigo. An image flashes in my mind. Rain holding our baby. My heart skips.

Yeah, I want everything with this girl.

Even though the sun is starting to set, it’s still warm. A gentle breeze stirs the trees, and the garden, bursting with color and texture, looks like a living painting. Chris Stapleton plays from a speaker, his gravelly voice mingling with birdsong.

I tilt my head to the sky, offering a silent thank-you to the universe for leading me to this town. I’m grateful for this place, for Rain, and for the kind-hearted family that’s welcomed me into its fold.

“Xander,” Miles calls from the porch, motioning for me to join him. I jog up the steps, and he nods toward a pile of folding tables and chairs. “I need to haul these to the patio. I figured you’d want to impress my sister.”

I chuckle. “Happy to help.” I grab a table and start walking.

He follows behind with a few chairs. “Have you gotten many injuries during your career?”

I glance over. Small talk? Or an interrogation?

“Not really,” I reply. “Besides a sprained ankle and a couple of broken fingers, this is the most severe injury I’ve had to date.”

He nods and grabs a few more chairs. I match him, carrying four without breaking stride.

Then he drops it: “So, this thing with Rain… Is it a fling? Or just someone to pass time with in Small Town, USA?”

There it is.

He’s baiting me, testing my reaction. And if he weren’t Rain’s brother, I might give him something to chew on. But I’ve got nothing to prove, except to her.

“Not that it’s your business,” I say, meeting his eyes, “but I like your sister. A lot.” I pause, letting my words sink in. “Like we said earlier, we’re getting to know each other. And I hope that keeps going. I’m too old to play games.”

Miles doesn’t flinch, but the tension in his shoulders eases. He claps a hand on my back and heads for another stack of chairs.

By the time he returns, I’ve already set everything up.

“Good job, Xander. Thanks,” he says, tossing tablecloths over the tables. “I’m usually chill. But Rain’s my sister, and the last thing I’m going to allow is some rich hockey player messing with her.”

He raises a brow, waiting for a response.

I nod, sliding my hands into my pockets. “I get it. But next time you call Rain a fling or a way to pass the time, I’ll have to shoot a puck your way.”

Miles cackles, loud and genuine. Everyone turns to look at us.

“That was good, Xander,” he says, still grinning. “You seem like a nice guy. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

He heads to a cooler, grabs a beer, and points it in my direction. I shake my head.

“Hey, Gio. Catch,” he shouts.

Gio, still adjusting the canopy over the playpen, catches the can one-handed without missing a beat.

Before opening it, he glances over at Ruin.

She turns instantly, like she felt his gaze.

He raises an eyebrow. She smiles and sets aside the flower crown she’s been working on, then walks over to him.

“Yes, Blue. Of course you can drink,” she says, teasing him as she kisses his cheek. I’ll drive us home.”

He steals another kiss before she returns to the table, where Rain now wears the finished flower crown. I wonder if there’s meaning behind it.

When Rain turns to me, it’s like the world stops.

Her hair tumbles in soft waves, catching the sunlight as it dances with the wind. The flower crown, threaded with white, pink, red, and yellow blooms, makes her freckles glow and her eyes shine.

Her smile is everything.

“How do I look?” she asks.

“Stunning,” I breathe.

She tilts her head. “Are you okay?”

“I’m excellent. It’s a beautiful evening, and the prettiest girl in the garden is with me.”

She rolls her eyes but smiles anyway, handing me a cold water and grabbing a beer for herself.

“Do you all wear flower crowns for St. John’s?” I ask.

“It’s more for the beginning of summer, but yes. It’s a family tradition,” she explains, and an image forms in my head. A tiny red-haired baby with big brown eyes wearing a flower crown.

Rain and I will make the most beautiful kids on Earth.

“Everyone, come help bring the food to the big table,” Granny calls from the kitchen.

Everyone springs into action. River is first to the porch, followed by Miles, Gio, Ruin, and Rain .

I frown. Do we need this many hands to bring stuff out? How much food can there possibly be?

When I enter the kitchen, I realize Rain wasn’t kidding about the feast. Every surface is covered—meats, chicken, potatoes, corn, mac and cheese, corn bread, three kinds of salads, and fruit and dessert trays, including our pies.

By the time it’s my turn, most of it’s already outside. Granny hands me plates and silverware, hooks her arm through mine, and we carry everything out together.

“Everyone, let’s fill our plates so we can give thanks,” she calls.

Rain pulls me to stand by her. I kiss her cheek, and her lashes flutter. It’s nice to see I have the same effect on her that she has on me.

We sit with Gio and Ruin while the rest of the family gathers at the next table. The babies babble happily nearby.

Granny stands. “Today we celebrate St. John’s Day and the beginning of the summer—a time to let go of darkness and welcome the light. Tonight, as we eat this amazing meal prepared by the blessed hands in this family, we give thanks for everything we have and everything that we will receive.”

A brief silence follows. Then Joss says, “Okay, everybody. Dig in.”

The noise of silverware clinking with the porcelain plates and the hum of conversations are the perfect soundtrack as we eat .

“How did you end up here in the mountains?” I ask Gio, who’s sitting across from me.

He smirks at Ruin. “I came here to attend Wolff University in Raleigh for my Ph.D.—that was always my dream. I wanted to come to school in the US and, hopefully, become a researcher or professor. I wasn’t clear on my path at the time.

Then one day, while working as a teaching assistant in a lab, I met the most gorgeous redhead I’ve seen in my life, and right then I knew I had to date her. ”

Ruin turns beet red as Gio kisses her temple.

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe that the hottest teacher on campus had a thing for me, but he did.”

Gio chokes on his beer. Ruin pats his back, laughing.

“Sadly, I was involved in a car accident while Gio was in Chile visiting his family. When I woke up, I’d lost four years of memories.

” She pauses to sip her water. Gio rubs the back of her neck gently.

“Luckily, this man never gave up on us. He moved to Azalea Creek and had dinner at the diner every single night for a month. Then he asked me out and…”

She shrugs, smiling.

“Everything turned out the way it was supposed to,” I add, and they both nod.

“Have you ever felt a love like that before?” Rain asks.

There’s something in her tone—curiosity, maybe a hint of jealousy.

“Yeah,” I say quietly. “I used to be engaged.”