Tessie blushes and shakes his mother’s hand. “Hi, I’m Tessie. It’s so nice to meet you.” She smiles at his sisters. “All of you.”
“Stop standing around.” His mother lifts her hands and makes a shooing motion. “We have drinks and appetizers on the porch.”
In a loud chorus of voices, they follow his mother. But halfway down the hall, Solomon notices Tessie’s no longer beside him.
He turns around.
Fuck.
She’s taking in the gallery wall on the long hallway corridor. Photos of Solomon’s family. Photos of him and Serena.
“Is that her?” she asks, pointing at one gold frame. “Serena?”
His mother’s worried gaze moves to Solomon, then lands on Tessie. “It is,” she says.
“Crater Lake,” he says quietly, closing the gap between them to draw Tessie into his arms. “It was our honeymoon.”
“She’s beautiful.” Twining her fingers with his, Tessie smiles. No trace of nerves on her face. “Should we go eat?”
Solomon lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Relief fills him. Tessie’s taking it all in stride. Understanding his past and never asking him to choose.
Out on the porch, his dad, seeing Tessie, sets the tray of premade burger patties down and hustles over.
“Hi, Tess, I’m Jack. Nice to meet you.” He kisses her cheek, then lifts his bushy gray brows at Solomon. “About time, son.”
He rolls his eyes at his father’s remark. But he likes it. He likes being back with his family, trading bullshit banter, being a part of the Wilder clan again. He didn’t realize how much he missed this.
“You made a feast,” he comments. Large trays of food are set up on the table. Fresh veggies and dip. Muffins. Fruit cut into star shapes.
“It’s an occasion,” Jo says, taking a swig from the bottle of champagne.
“A celebration,” Melody chimes in.
Once they settle in, get small talk out of the way, the conversation turns to the obvious.
Babies.
“So. . .” Jo rubs her hands together eagerly. “Solomon’s been holding out on us. We want to hear everything about this baby and your plans.”
Solomon shoots his sister a hard look to go easy on Tessie. Sure, his family’s excited, but that doesn’t mean they have the right to ambush her with questions. Besides, she doesn’t need to be worried. He’s got her. Even if she doesn’t yet know it.
Tessie smiles his way as he gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Well, it’s a boy. We still haven’t decided on a name, and he’s due December twenty-third.”
“When the baby’s born,” his mother begins, “what then? How long are you in Chinook, Tessie?”
“Oh, I. . .” Her hesitant eyes flick to Solomon and then back to his mother. “I’m not sure. We haven’t planned that far ahead yet.”
His heart dips at her answer. He needs to tell her. That he loves her. That her leaving will absolutely destroy him.
His mother leans forward and smiles. “I only ask because we’d love to give you a baby shower while you’re here.”
Tessie’s face lights up. “Really?”
“Of course.”
Almost shyly, she nods. “That’d be wonderful.”
Jo kicks back in her chair, her blue-eyed gaze moving to Solomon. “No boys allowed.”
Melody bats her lashes. “But you may come and help us set up.”
Solomon cracks a laugh. “Ruthlessly used.”
“Thought we’d ask Evelyn to come,” his father adds.
At the mention of his oldest sister, he bristles. The last conversation he had with her was in Mexico. Her unwarranted admonition about Tessie leaves a bad taste in his mouth. “If she behaves,” he says.
Tessie’s lips quirk in a question. “Behaves?”
Jo tips back in her chair, gnawing on a baby carrot like it’s a cigar. “The trick with Evelyn is to not make eye contact unless you want your pupils ripped out.”
“Girls,” their mother groans, laughing into her hand.
Tessie arches a wry brow. “Isn’t she your sister?”
Melody shrugs, apologetic. “She’s a little self-righteous.”
Solomon chokes on a laugh while their father sticks his fingers in his ears. “I am not hearing this,” he says.
Tessie stands from her chair, moving for the veggies and dip, waving him off when he rises to get it for her. “Tell me about Solomon when he was a little boy,” she says, looking between Jack and Grace. “I want to hear everything about him.”
A round of cackles erupts, and Solomon groans. This is just what he needs. His family dishing the dirt.
“Solomon was the wildest little boy,” his mother starts.
Tessie listens, her attention rapt, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief.
“He was always into tools,” his father adds. “Would sleep with them at night. Couldn’t drag them away from him.”
By now, everyone, minus Tessie, has had a few beers, and conversation is flowing. The sun is high in the sky, warming the chilly afternoon air.
“Laugh it up,” Solomon says to Jo as he snags Tessie’s wrist. “I’m the oldest. I’ve been digging up dirt on you since you were born.” Slowly, he pulls Tessie toward him, settling her on his lap.
Instantly, the table falls silent. Jo coughs into her hand. Melody turns away from them, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. The corner of his dad’s mustached mouth twitches.
“Jesus,” he mutters, cradling Tessie tighter in his arms. “You guys gotta knock it off.”
Tessie, a red flush coating her cheeks, dips her mouth to his ear. “Solomon, they’re staring.”
“Let ’em,” he grunts, and he kisses her in front of everyone.
Tessie laughs, burying her face in his chest as a round of chuckles fills the air.
“Oh!” Jo pipes up. “What about eighth grade?”
“Do not with the eighth grade.” Solomon shoots her a glare. “Mom doesn’t even know about that.”
Jo laughs.
His mother arches a brow. “Know about what, Solomon Jack?”
“Yes,” Tessie says, smirking. “I’d love to know.”
Ping.
Tessie perks up. “Finally! I haven’t had a single bar since I got here,” she says, reaching for her bag as Melody passes it around the table.
Her sharp intake of breath has Solomon’s attention dropping to her belly. “Everything okay?”
Tessie stares at her phone, a consternated expression on her face. “Fine. It’s just my app.” Her smile is thin as she looks around the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom.”
“Third door on your left.” He gives Tessie a boost off his lap and watches as she disappears inside.
Seconds pass, and then his family turns to him.
“Oh, we love her,” Melody says, a siren of a squeal emitting from her. “She’s so. . .”
“Her resting bitch face is—” Jo raises a hand and smacks her lips. “Mwah, chef’s kiss.”
“Dishes,” his mother says, pointing at Jo. Then she turns her watery gaze to Solomon. “You have to keep her, Sol.”
He swallows the lump in his throat. “I intend to.”
A dagger twists his heart. He’s so goddamn grateful he’s got the most supportive family in the world. Already, they love Tessie. His son. They should be angry at him for putting them through hell, for making them worry. Instead, they’re happy for him.
His two worlds meeting—his hometown and his forever.
His father chuckles. “Have to admit, son. A baby. A new girl. It’s a hell of a way to come back to Chinook.”
Solomon nods and grins. He gets it. Because he feels back. And not just that. He feels found.
“There’s something else you should know,” Solomon says, grinning wider. “I’m going back to work at the bar.”
Jo tosses up her hands. “Praise the Lord.”
Voice cracking, his father clears his throat and adjusts his wire-rimmed glasses. “That’s the best damn news in a long time.”
His mother stands, walks around the table to kiss his cheek. “I’m so happy for you.”
He takes her hands in his and swallows hard. Needing to get this out. “Listen, Ma. I know I wasn’t there—”
“Hush,” she says, squeezing his fingers. “There’s no need for that. You’re here now. For that baby and that girl.”
“I am,” he responds, no doubt. Never.
“That’s all that matters, Sol.” Grace smiles, pride and relief shining in her eyes. “You have a second chance with a wonderful woman. A family.”