NATALIE

Squeezing my thigh from the driver’s seat, Max teases, “I think your mom likes me.”

Under my breath I laugh, “You wish.”

“Your dad was eyeing me like, stay away from my wife, you sexy young hunk!”

“Please! He was eyeing you to see if you deserve me!” Looking out the window as we turn right onto a lovely residential street in Buckhead, I smile, “We’re so lucky to have snow this Christmas.”

Massaging my leg he agrees, “It’s just enough to add a little romance to Atlanta, but I’ll take it. Probably will be melted by tomorrow.”

“Mmm,” I hum, tracing his knuckles and giving his fingers a squeeze. “They liked you, though. Not that I’m surprised.”

“Wait, are you complimenting me?” His mouth makes a big ‘O’ like something from a comic book. “Hey, these houses we’re passing now, those belong to my cousins. That’s Emma’s, Ethan’s—they’re Eric’s brother and sister. The only siblings who all got the same initial for their names, like my dad and his brothers did. Nobody carried on that tradition besides Uncle Jake. And that right there is Hannah’s place, Gabriel’s older sister.”

“Beautiful homes. And that’s nice that they live next to each other.”

Max jogs his thumb back. “That biggest one I pointed out?”

“Long driveway? Yeah.”

“That one belongs to Ethan. He patented a software invention that made him a billionaire by twenty-five. The guy’s a computer genius.”

“What does Emma do?”

“Real Estate. That’s how she met her husband, also rich. But she wasn’t wealthy before she met him. Same with Ethan and Eric, neither of them started out with money. They earned what they have.”

“That really means something to you.”

“Mmhmm, it means a lot to me. I think it builds character. And there’s something about the sense of achievement when you achieve a goal. We’re here.”

Turning I see for the first time a beautiful home where Max’s dad and his brothers grew up. There’s a deep lawn covered with snow sparkling in the sunlight like someone scattered diamonds over it. Cars are stacked up the drive, and the street is full as well. We have to pass Nancy and Michael Cocker’s home to find a space. Since we spent the morning at my parent’s house with my brother, his wife and children, we’re probably the last to arrive.

Max jumps out, his coat unzipped over a forest green sweater and charcoal grey slacks. He opens my door and I set flat, knee-high boots on the ground and smooth my forest green dress over them, lifting my coat to put it on. “Will you help me with this?”

“You have to ask?” he teases, pulling it over my arms and kissing me as he buttons me up. “Now you’ll have to unbutton these in about two minutes.”

I pretend to strangle him, but then slip my arms around his neck. “I’m a little nervous so be kind.”

“Natalie,” he murmurs against my lips. “I’ve got your back. Would you do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Find out who my sister is dating.” I laugh and he raises his eyebrows to add, “If his name is Brad, you let me know, okay?

“We’ll see.”

He takes my hand and leads me up the driveway. “We’ll see? No no no, you have to be my eyes and ears.”

“We’ll see,” I smirk.

The door opens and Caden walks out, wearing a hideous Christmas sweater. “You like this?”

Max makes a face, “NO!”

Caden’s warm brown eyes crinkle. “Well, Grams loved it. I don’t wear these things for you. Hey Natalie.”

“Merry Christmas, Caden.”

Max asks, “How is she?

“Still kicking! She’s brought a red and green cushion with her this time.”

“Adorable.”

We walk into the living room where there’s an enormous Christmas tree glinting with strings of multi-colored lights and silver tassels. Six stockings hang over the fireplace with names embroidered in them. The stockings are weathered, the white now yellow, and you can tell they’d been filled to the brim many, many times.

“How sweet is this! Is this the order they were born in?”

Max nods, “Oldest to youngest.”

Jaxson.

Jerald.

Justin.

Jason.

Jake.

Jeremy.

“Who’s Jerald? I don’t think you mentioned him.”

Caden smirks, “That’s Uncle Jett. He changed his name to something that fits him. Because Jerald sure doesn’t.”

Max laces our fingers together. “Jett was named after his grandfather. But don’t dare call him Jerald, he hates it. Come on, I want you to meet everyone. You already know this jerk.”

“And she’s better for it, aren’t you, Natalie?” Caden grins.

Around the corner come two girls—a pretty redhead with a naughty glimmer in green eyes and a sweet-faced blonde with brown eyes and skin that glows. On their heels, like he’s got all the time in the world to get anywhere, is a handsome light-haired ginger with a smirk like Max’s.

The redhead smiles, “Is this your girlfriend? She’s so sexy! I’m Lexi!”

The blonde introduces herself, “I’m Samantha! So great to finally meet you.”

Hunter smirks from me to his older brother. “Lexi’s right. She’s hot, Max. Now I know why you stalked her.”

I laugh as Max punches Hunter’s chest. “What if I hadn’t told her about that?”

He shrugs, “Then I’d have removed the last of your secrets. You’re welcome!”

Lexi’s eyes glitter as she asks, “Have you met our mom yet?”

“Not yet, no.”

“MOM!” She looks behind her and shouts it again, “MOM!!!” while I meet Max’s amused eyes.

He cocks an eyebrow. “I told you. Never a dull moment.”

“What’d you say about me, Max?” Samantha pries, looking hopeful.

“That I never have to worry about you because you’re an angel.”

She frowns, not happy about it. “I just might surprise you some day.”

“Please don’t.”

Around the corner a short, older woman with curly red hair and a little extra around the hips appears with Jason following her. “What are you screaming about, Lexi?” Brown eyes light up at the sight of me and Max. “Oh, you’re here! You must be Natalie!” Hurrying over with arms wide, she says, “I’m Sarah, Max’s Mom.” Stepping back she checks us out. “Aren’t you cute with your matching green!”

“That was on purpose,” Max offers, to her surprise. “I’ve never brought a girlfriend home so I wanted to be as sappy as humanly possible.”

“I was against it. Until he brought this dress back to his loft. Kinda fell in love with it.”

Jason Cocker gives me a hug, “Merry Christmas, Natalie.”

Filled with gratitude I whisper, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Cocker.”

“Well, come on!” Sarah waves us out of the living room. “The party’s always outside!”

Lexi and Samantha start asking me a ton of questions as the group of us walks by a staircase filled with framed family photographs of Jason and his brothers when they were growing up, and I see a sepia-toned picture of a man in uniform with a lovely woman beaming at him. “Who was that in the old photo, Max? With the man in uniform.”

We’ve just passed where he could see so he bends back and says, “Oh, that’s Grams and her husband Jerald. They married after he came back from World War II. She was only seventeen.”

Caden informs me, “That’s the Grams I wore this for. She’s over a hundred. Modern medicine, what it can do.”

Sarah glances back to tell me, “Did you know Caden is going to be a doctor? The first one in the family!”

Caden puffs his chest. “I’m pretty important around here.”

Max mutters, “When are you going to stop flirting with my girlfriend?”

“Never?”

We enter a cozy, spacious kitchen, not modern or cold in the slightest. Even with pots on the stove and evidence of party preparations, it’s tidy. I get the feeling these events are a well-oiled machine. Even as we head to the backyard people are carrying things, saying hi to Max, promising they’ll meet me right after they take this or that to the tables waiting outside.