The two of them had always had different work ethics—especially after Aunt Melissa died. Meredith was an obsessed workaholic, and Jonah was always more laidback. But now, he seemed to do a great job of balancing his culinary school schedule and being a single dad.
“So,” Meredith said, tilting her head. “Speaking of Roman—why isn’t he here with us tonight?”
Because she purposely hadn’t asked him. “This is cousin time,” she said, picking up her cocktail. “No outsiders allowed, remember? Club rules.”
Meredith snorted. “I forgot about the Cousin Club and that treehouse my dad built.”
They sank into the old memory for a moment, sharing a few blasts from the past—like the time Jonah decided to build a swing and the only thing that swung was the treehouse’s roof.
“Clearly, we knew then which of us would be an architect,” Meredith joked.
“Back to Roman,” Jonah said after a few more Cousin Club memories. “I feel like he’s not here for a reason.”
“Stop being so perceptive,” Lacey teased.
Meredith lifted a brow and eyed the appetizer platters. “Oh? Is everything okay with him?”
Lacey laughed nervously. “Wonderful. Exciting. Terrifying.”
“Ahh.” Jonah grinned. “The romance trifecta.”
“He leaves in about two weeks for training camp in Jacksonville,” she added.
“You knew that was coming, right?” Meredith asked, plucking a hush puppy.
“Yes, but I didn’t know he’d want me to join him. To move to Jacksonville and…live together.”
Meredith coughed on the first bite, then covered by waving her hand. “That’s hot,” she said, even though Lacey suspected the heat wasn’t why she’d nearly choked.
“Are you going to?” Jonah asked.
Lacey sighed. “Maybe. Yes. I don’t know.” She laughed with them at the vague reply. “Well, I told him I would, but then Tessa announced she needed to pull back from work for personal reasons, offered me a raise, and gave me more responsibility. In fact, she is basically handing me a direct path to a fantastic career as an event planner. Here. In Destin.”
Jonah and Meredith stared at her, processing her dilemma.
“I can’t say yes to both,” Lacey finally said. “Even though, in a way, I already have. And I haven’t told my mom yet. I don’t know what to choose or do or think or what.”
The table went quiet.
Lacey smiled. “And that, dear cousins, is why you are here tonight. Advice and counsel, humor and hope, and very clear direction are all welcome. Hit me.”
Meredith cleared her throat and spoke first, hush puppies abandoned. “You’ve built something real with Tessa, Lace. You have momentum and stability, and a future no matter what happens to you.”
Lacey nodded, not at all surprised her career-focused cousin went this way.
“Roman’s world is…unpredictable,” she continued. “He could get traded to…wherever they have football teams. Far. He could get injured. Anything can happen.”
“Anything can happen inanyrelationship,” Jonah countered. “If this little guy”—he rubbed Atlas’s back—“and what happened to his mother isn’t proof of that, I don’t know what is.”
Lacey turned to him, curious about where he was going.
“I mean, you can’t plan a relationship over whatmighthappen.” He punctuated that by sliding a peeled shrimp into cocktail sauce and popping it into his mouth, followed by a cringe. “Oof. Thereissuch a thing as too much Worcestershire, you know? Chef B would say, ‘Edit, please, edit.’”
Meredith waved a hand as if she didn’t want the conversation derailed. “I’m not saying you can’t take a risk on love, Lace. I’m just saying, you are what? You had a birthday, so twenty-five? You need a foundation, not a live-in boyfriend.”
Jonah shook his head, hard and fast. “You’re saying she should choose safety and security over possibility and passion. I firmly disagree, Mer.”
Meredith turned to Lacey to make her point. “The fact is you two haven’t been together that long. You don’t even know him, not completely. What if he surprises you and turns out to be…” She caught herself and took a breath. “Not who you think he is,” she finished.
