Jace opens the door even further. "Come in, come in. Join the chaos that is CFD on Christmas morning." Then he extends his hand. "Jace Warner."
"Uh, yeah, I know who you are." I'm freaking star-struck. My mouth is hanging open and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.
Linc nudges me again and Jace smirks. Linc holds out his hand.
"Linc Ramirez."
Jace's eyes widen. "No shit? Dude, welcome home."
"I take it the guys talk about us?" Linc probes.
"Oh yeah. For sure. And you are?" he asks me.
"Oh. Duh. I'm Tera Mackenzie."
"Happy to meet you—wait. Wait, wait, wait." He holds up his hands and cocks his head to the side, eyes wide. "Did you just sayMackenzie?!"
I huff. "I'm guessing he didn't tell you that part, huh?"
Jace scratches the back of his head again. "No, can't say he has."
"Isn't that just like a man," I bite out, stepping into the house.
"So… you're Xander'swife?" Jace asks.
When I answer with a simple, "Yes," the entire household goes quiet.
"Tera?!" I hear someone yell. "Where is that girl?" Jesse.
He comes striding out of a room with Christmas bows stuck all over his head and… a bathrobe? He is totally domesticated. Whoa.
"There she is," he shouts. When he spots Linc, his grin gets even wider, those dimples winking. Oh, Jesse Kingston is still as pretty as ever.
He lifts me up and twirls me in a hug. "It's damn good to see you."
"You, too," I tell him, tears filling my eyes. "I've missed you," I whisper.
"I've missed you, too, little one. I'm so glad you're here. He is going to go nuts," Jesse informs me as he sets me down.
"Yeah?" I ask, hopeful.
Jesse nods. "He's been waiting."
I nod. "I had things to work out first."
"You don’t ever have to explain yourself to me. And you, you son of a bitch," he says to Linc, grabbing him into one of those man hugs where they slap each other's backs.
"Jesse. You fucker," Linc replies.
"Ah, I feel the love," Kennedy says as he walks up and hugs me tight, so tight. I hug him just as close. I breathe him in.
"You still smell like home, Kennedy," I tell him.
"Iamyour home. Never forget it. Xan is gonna lose his shit," Kennedy tells me with one of his rare huge smiles.
"Fucker," Linc greets Kennedy.
Ethan walks up and doesn't say a word. He just wraps his arms around me, burying his face into my neck. I rest my cheek on his head.
