With the hustle and bustle of Christmas creeping up on us, there was hardly any time to think. Each day, there was something going on. Between shopping, decorating, and baking, we’d kept overly busy for a time that should have been carved out for relaxing. I was okay with that since I wasn’t one to sit idle for too long.

Being around eleven other people for a long stretch of time wore me out, though. Which was why I’d made my escape and found a little solitude sitting at the end of the dock with my legs hanging over the edge. It was cold, but I didn’t mind. I’d let the frigid air and the sound of nature recharge me.

I’d have been all right if not for the long day of shopping. It had been fun, for the most part, but I wasn’t one to wander the stores without purpose just for the sake of looking at things. I wanted to get what I was going for and then move on to the next thing. But not the others. No, they had to oooh and ahhh over ornaments and doodads. They had to hold things up and ponder over colors and patterns.

It took forever, but finally we made it to the men’s department where I grabbed a couple of screen-print T-shirts for Josh. Superhero shirts and first-edition comic books… Josh would have a Christmas to remember.

I would have patted myself on the back had Airen not spoken to me and scared me spitless.

“Sorry, I though ye heard me coming,” she said, moving to sit beside me. “Do ye mind if I soak up some of the silence with ye?”

I shook my head. “I thought I was the only one who hit a point of people overload.”

“Och, I escape myself to have a bit o’ peace. I love them. Dearly. But sometimes…” She sighed, clasped her hands together, and left the rest of it unsaid.

“Yeah, sometimes…” I whispered, pulling my knees up and resting my chin on them as I wrapped my arms around my legs.

Sometimes, people just needed a break. And that was okay.

After a while, Airen broke the silence. “If I close my eyes and breathe deep enough, this could be home.”

“Is it hard for you being so far away from Scotland?” I watched her face twist a bit before she answered.

“Aye, some days. But then there’s weeks, or even months, I dinna even think about it. How is it for you then?” she asked.

“Me? I guess I can’t really say I’ve ever missed a place before. Then again, I never really had something that was my own. The closest thing I had for stability was living under the roof of a multimillionaire and having my own bedroom because my parents both worked on the estate. Then I joined the military and was picked for this.” It hadn’t been a bad life, but it had set me up to not have a connection to a place that would make me go through bouts of homesickness.

“So ye lived in a mansion then? I’m a bit envious,” Airen said, smirking.

“Yeah, but it’s nothing compared to walking down the street and passing a real castle.”

She nodded. “A bit drafty, those. But I ken what ye mean. I wonder what it would have been like living in such a place in those days.”

“Cold, I imagine. And you’d have to wear a dress all the time. You wouldn’t be able to speak up or have a say. You’d, for the most part, be property to whomever you were married off to…”

“Ye’ve thought about it a bit, aye?” she asked, grinning. “Ye could have been Lady Isabella. That’s grand, no?”

“If you say so. Although, just between us, the title is pretty epic,” I said, envisioning a sprawling estate I could look down upon.

“Ye’d be the lady of the hunt, with weapons and carcasses about. No one would dare try to take siege for fear of being caught in yer crosshairs,” she said, following it up with clipped laugh.

“Says the girl with just as much accuracy as me,” I added, giving her a knowing look.

“Oh, aye, I’ll be just down the way, covering yer flank. We’ll be so fierce they’ll write songs about us.”

Both of us couldn’t help but laugh about that.

“They’ll be about ready to decorate the tree by now, I think,” Airen said.

“I’ll be inside in a few,” I said when she stood.

Just as quietly as she came, she was gone, leaving me to my solitude once more.

I breathed deep and let it out slowly, feeling a smile curve my lips. I was happy. Genuinely happy for the first time in my life, and it was all because of an overly large group of people who were more than likely bickering over how to decorate the Christmas tree. With any luck, Riley had the wooden spoon at the ready to keep them in line.

I’d no sooner pushed up from the deck and turned to make my way toward the house when everyone came boiling out.

Jared broke through the pack and ran for the closest vehicle, giving me a glimpse of Ace, who held Riley in his arms. I was running before my brain told my feet to move.

“What happened?” I asked, skidding to a stop beside Aiden.

He looked pale. They all did.

“She fell down the stairs,” Eli answered as we watched the SUV slow to turn onto the main road.

“One second, she was standing at the top, giving Jared hell and then…” Aiden seemed at a loss for words.

“And then she was tumbling down the stairs. She landed at the bottom. When she didn’t move, everyone freaked,” Josh finished.

“Ace will call when they know what’s going on,” Eli said, ushering everyone back in the house.

Murphy hung back, staring at the empty yard.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” I said, moving closer to her and putting my hand on her crossed arms.

She shook her head. “If anything happens to her, Jared will never forgive himself.”

“It’s not Jared’s fault she fell down the stairs,” I said, hoping it didn’t come across sounding harsh. I had a bad habit of saying things that didn’t come out quite right.

She shook her head. “He was being his typical self, deviling her just to see her get fired up, and that’s when it happened. They’re… I don’t know how to explain it except to say that they have this… bond. Like siblings, only more. So much more. And if he thinks it’s his fault, deliberately or not, it will crush something in him that I’m afraid none of us could repair.”

“Murphy, do you think he loves her like he loves you?” I asked, watching the truth cross her eyes before she could hide it.

“Honestly? Sometimes I think that, but that’s just petty jealousy. I mean, they all loved her at one point, or so Jared told me. Kinda hard to put that aside sometimes, but then when I see how they all interact with her, and then see the way she looks at Ace… Well, he’s the only one for her and always has been.”

What she said shocked me a little, but it wasn’t earth shattering. So what if Josh had once been in love with her? He’d also probably been in love with Wonder Woman at one point, too. Each person was allowed their own past. It didn’t make them different when we found out the truth, or what once was, but was no longer.

I took my hand from her arm. Stuffing it in my pocket, I turned to stand beside her. “They might have a bond, but I’ve never seen him look at her the way he looks at you. You’re it for him, Murphy. And I think he’s it for you, too. Even if he drives you crazy most days. Can you imagine your life without him?”

She huffed and then swiped at her eyes. “No. I’d be completely lost without him, but don’t tell him that. His ego doesn’t need any more inflating.”

“Can I offer you some advice?” I asked, continuing without waiting for her answer. “Give yourself a chance to accept everything he wants to give you. I spent a long time loving the wrong man, and I almost gave up the right one. Take your happiness where you can and live, Murphy.”

“How did you know it was right?” she asked.

“I spent days thinking about that same question. And couldn’t come up with my own answer. It wasn’t until Josh put the divorce papers in my lap. Papers he signed because he knew that’s what I wanted. Then he wished me well and walked away. I just sat there and stared at his signature. It was then I realized I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life. He loved me. He loved me enough to let me go.”

I’d almost lost him. What would have become of me if I let him walk away? If I would have signed the papers and moved on with my life? I’d never know that, and I was glad for it.

“Marriage is a huge commitment. What if we can’t make it work?” she asked, turning just enough to look at me.

“It starts with trust. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have anything. Do you trust him?” I asked.

“With my life,” she answered.

I shook my head. “No. I mean, do you trust him with your heart?”

“I do,” she whispered.

“Then the rest will work itself out. Believe it or not, being married to him won’t change the way it is between you now. And you’ve been with him long enough to know whether you can live with him, quirks and all.”

She gave a breathy kind of laugh and said, “Quirks. Well, that’s one way of putting it.”

“We should get inside,” I said, nudging her shoulder with my own.

“She’s fine. Bumps and bruises,” Murphy said as she hung up the phone with Jared. “They’ll be here in a little bit. And Riley said the lights better be on the tree because we’ve had more than enough time to do that while we waited for her klutzy self to get released from the emergency room. Her words, not mine.”

A collective sigh, and then a chuckle went around the room. The next thing I knew, lights were being wrapped around the tree. Riley had wanted white lights, while Jared wanted colorful ones, so both were put on the tree.

“Where are the ornaments? We should get them set out so they’re ready,” Paige said.

“In here, I think,” Mark said as he opened the downstairs closet.

“Holy cow. Look at all those bags! If that’s all ornaments, I don’t think the tree is big enough,” Aiden said, eyes goggling at the mound of bags Riley had tucked away.

Mark pulled them, peering inside each one as he handed them to Aiden, who handed them to Paige like a brigade of bags.

“This one is decorations,” Mark announced, handing it off before grabbing the next one and saying, “This one, too.”

When all the bags were hauled out, we each took one and wove our way around one another as we found homes for all the decorations. We’d just finished cleaning up the living room when Jared, Ace, and Riley walked through the door.

“Oh, wow! It looks amazing in here,” Riley said, tearing up. “And the lights are on the tree! Look, Jared, they compromised for us!”

“It was Murphy’s idea,” Paige said. “You still look a little wobbly. Maybe you should sit down.”

Riley rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. A few bruises. I’ll be stiff for a couple of days, but nothing to worry about.”

Ace sighed. “Yeah, well, you took about ten years off everyone’s life, so just take it easy for right now. Please.”

“I’ll take it easy once the Christmas tree is decorated,” she answered, limping over to where all the ornaments had been stacked on the coffee table.

“Grab a box, and leave no tree limb naked,” Riley said, putting everyone in motion.

“There’s something to say about having so many hands at the ready. It makes everything seem to go a whole lot faster,” Nova said, nodding at the tree with approval. “All that’s left is the angel.”

“What are you doing?” Murphy screeched when Jared picked her up.

“Putting the angel on the tree,” he answered.

Instead of Murphy huffing and demanding to be put down, she looped her arms around his neck. “I’m flattered and all, but I think I’ll stay right here instead.”

Jared backed up, moving to the couch. He sat, holding Murphy on his lap. “Sorry, guys, you’ll have to get another angel. This one’s mine.”

“Awww,” Paige said, smacking Mark on the arm. “Why don’t you say sweet things like that?”

Mark scowled at Jared. “Way to go, man. Thanks for making the rest of us feel like chumps.”

“I don’t feel like a chump,” Aiden said, winking at Airen. “Not everyone has to make a grand show of things.”

“Amen,” I said, hitting the light switch. The room glowed. In the quiet of the twinkling lights, Jared sang.

I’d never really heard him sing before then. Never had much of a chance to.

“…fall on your knees. Oh, hear the angel voices. Oh, night divine…”

Tears made my vision waver. The spirit of Christmas was there in that moment like a tangible thing I could reach out and touch. I’d never felt that before. Never. I leaned into Josh’s chest, his arms pulling me close. I let it in and allowed myself to feel. To feel all of it. There was no need to move on to the next thing. No feeling of having to twitch or wiggle. It was peaceful and comforting. It was home for the first time because of the people surrounding me, and their love for one another.

Ace moved to the tree, placing the angel on top as Jared finished the song.

Jared reached up and wiped the tears from Murphy’s cheeks. He gave her a soft smile. “Didn’t mean to make you cry,” he said.

“That was beautiful, Jared. It’s one of my favorite Christmas songs. How’d you know?” she asked.

He gave a half shrug. “I pay attention.”

“Can we get a cheerful one now?” Riley asked, blowing her nose.

“I suppose I can manage that. Gotta get Stella, though,” he said.

“Who is Stella?” I asked.

Nova huffed. “I asked the same thing, but no one answered me. Guess we’ll both find out directly.”

Murphy moved from Jared’s lap and put her hand out to him. He let her help him up, dropping a kiss on her lips before taking the stairs two at a time.

He was gone briefly, returning with a guitar in hand. He held it up and looked between Nova and me. “Stella.”

“Your guitar has a name?” I asked.

“Doesn’t everyone’s?” he countered, giving me a cheeky grin.

“No idea. I’ve never known anyone who could play,” I answered, shrugging.

“It’s a good thing you do now. How have you survived this long without old-fashioned, unplugged music?” he asked, moving to sit beside Murphy, who’d curled up in the corner of the couch.

“The world may never know,” I answered.

“Josh, didn’t I teach you anything?” Jared joked.

I looked to Josh, wondering what he meant by that.

“Like I’ve had the chance to play,” he said, rolling his eyes.

Jared plucked at his strings. “Got one now, don’t ya?”

“If you mean a guitar, no, I don’t have one,” Josh answered. “Besides, I’m not the rock god here. You are.”

Jared made a rude noise, but kept plucking away.

Riley beckoned Ace to her. When he bent down, she whispered something in his ear. He nodded and moved away, set on some sort of errand.

I turned to Josh. “You play?”

He flushed. “I used to. Haven’t done it in a while, so I’m more than a little rusty.”

“Like riding a bike,” Ace said, handing over a guitar case to Josh.

“You’re gonna let me play yours?” Josh asked.

“He plays, too?” Talk about learning something new about people all in one shot. “Who else plays?”

“We all did, at one point. Jared insisted we learn so he had people to play with,” Eli answered. “It wasn’t for all of us, though. Josh was pretty good. I’m surprised he didn’t keep up with it.”

Josh shrugged when I looked at him. “After the neck snapped on my guitar, I didn’t have the money to replace it, and, well, I just kind of let it go.”

Josh set the case down flat and popped the latches. “Dang, Ace. That’s one hell of an upgrade from what you used to have.”

“Merry early Christmas, Josh,” Riley said, wincing as she shifted in her seat.

“What?” Josh asked, looking shocked as he lifted the guitar from the plush-lined case.

“Play me a song,” she said.

“Riley, this is too much,” Josh said, shaking his head.

“I’m thinking you should play the hippopotamus song,” she said, ignoring his attempt to give the gift back.

“What is the hippopotamus song?” Nova asked.

“Oh, you’re in for a treat. Josh, tune that bad boy so we can play it for Nova. You heard it?” Jared asked, turning his attention to me.

“Nope. Can’t say that I have,” I answered, still a bit stunned as I watched Josh practically drool over the guitar in his hands.

He moved to an open seat on the couch, and then beckoned me with a tip of his head. Once I sat down, he settled the guitar on his leg. “An internal tuner and everything. Thank you, Riley. Truly.”

She blew him a kiss. “That’s her name. Truly.”

He chuckled. “Truly it is.”

And then he played the opening to a quirky song. By the second chorus, he had us all singing along and giggling.

I hadn’t had that much fun in a long time. In fact, I hadn’t allowed myself to have that much fun… ever.

Josh was flushed with happiness. He played until he couldn’t anymore because his fingertips hurt so bad he couldn’t push on the strings.

“See, just like I said. Like riding a bike,” Ace said, handing us both a glass of homemade eggnog.

I took a sip and felt the bottom fall out of my stomach. “Whoa… that’ll put hair on your chest.”

“Can’t be that bad. Can it?” Josh asked, but then he spluttered after his first sip.

“Did someone let Jared into the alcohol? Dang,” Aiden said, taking a sniff of his before committing to drink it.

“You know I don’t even like that stuff,” Jared answered, making his way into the kitchen and then coming out with his own drink. Ice clinked in the glass as he held it up.

“A toast!”

“Oh, boy, here it comes,” Paige murmured.

“What? I make good toasts.” Jared stuck his tongue out.

“What sort of drink is that? It looks good,” Airen said.

“Cider,” he answered. “Take a sip. If you like it, I’ll make you one.”

She took a drink, and I watched her eyes water as she gasped.

“That’s not just cider,” she said, wheezing.

Jared took the glass from her with a smirk. “Now that I think about it, it’s more like grog. The rum’s silent, ya?”

“Ye have a shite accent, aye? I’ll take one,” Airen said, pointing her finger at his cup.

“Fine. And then can I make my toast?” he asked.

“Oh, aye, te be sure,” she said, nodding. “Although, I’m pretty sure just one of those each, and we’ll all be good and toasted.”

Jared busted out laughing.

Aiden grumbled under his breath, and Airen turned to him. “Yer only drunk when ye canna stand.”

“You’re sitting. In case you hadn’t noticed,” Aiden remarked.

She waved him off. “I’ll only have the one.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he said when Jared returned with her drink.

“Put your glasses in the air. Riley… your cocoa,” Jared said, holding up his own.

“To our first Christmas together. May there be many more. Cheers.”

“That was a quick toast,” Mark said after taking a sip of his drink.

“Ya, I figured you’d carry on for at least a few minutes,” Aiden added.

“I have one for ye,” Airen said, moving to stand.

“Oooh, a toast-off,” Paige said. “Let’s hear it, Airen.”

Airen looked around the room, and then cleared her throat. “There are good ships, and there are wood ships, the ships that sail the sea. But the best ships are friendships, and may they always be.”

“Isn’t that an—”

“Irish proverb? Aye, don’t tell my auntie,” Airen said, interrupting Mark.

He laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“And on that note, I’m going to bed,” Paige said, putting her hand out for Mark’s empty glass.

“Me too,” Josh said, holding his hand out to me. “Mrs. Howard”

I nodded.

“Here, don’t forget this,” Ace said, handing Josh his guitar.

When we made it to our room, I took the case from Josh and laid it on the bed.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I took the guitar out carefully and handed it to him. “Think you have it in you for one more song?”

He wiggled his fingers. “I think I can manage. What do you want me to play?”

I lifted one shoulder slightly. “Something that has meaning to you.”

He pursed his lips and squinted as if searching for the right song. “When I was younger, my parents used to have a record player in the living room. I’d woken up late one night and made my way to the kitchen. I heard the scratch and hiss of the record player. A song came on. Instead of barging in on my parents dancing, I went to the bathroom and drank from the sink. I’d forgotten about it until just now,” he said, fingers moving over the strings.

When he was done playing, I leaned over and kissed him. “That was beautiful. I can see why they danced to it.”

“I always thought it was a pretty song, so it was one of the first ones I learned how to play. Now I understand why I wanted to learn it so bad,” he said, putting the guitar in its case.

“Why was that?” I asked, grabbing one of his T-shirts to change into for bed.

He plucked the shirt from my hand and tossed it behind him. “So I could play it for you.”