“It’s not even nine a.m., Dad,” I scold, but he waves away my concern.
“It’s the virgin nog right now. We’re just doing a test run for later.”
My brothers start to chant Alex’s name and he winks at me. I laugh and close the door, heading back to finish helping my mom with the potatoes. We chat for the next hour, talking about my job and her recent promotion at the hospital where she’s been a nurse for almost twenty years. She fills me in on my dad’s health, telling me he had a fall a while back, which was a minor scare, but he’s back at work now.
“How’s Skyler doing at college? I try to keep in touch with him but he’s always so busy.”
“Busy with girls.” Mom shakes her head, laughing. “He’s loving it, though. Jason is going to visit him next semester, I’m sure he’ll end up there with him next fall.” It’s hard to believe my parents will officially be empty nesters in less than a year.
Grace tells us how she and Troy booked their venue and can’t wait to get married so they can start a family right away. A flash of envy runs through me. Not because I don’t want that for her and my brother, but because I thought I’d have a family of my own by now.
We spend the afternoon as a family, talking, snacking, and playing games. Alex joins the conversations and jokes, the competition, and even the charades, which he knocks out of the park.
Dinner is delicious, the wine is tasty, and I’m pleasantly surprised at how easily Alex blends in with my family. My brothers make sure to take every opportunity to crack a joke about ourfriendship,but Alex rolls with the punches and I just roll my eyes.
“Alex, we have an Emmert family tradition here. I don’t know if you noticed the pond in the backyard.”
“Dad, no!” I shout. Alex gives me a confused look.
“It’s our version of the polar plunge. You wear a Santa hat, a Santa Speedo, and nothing else.” Alex laughs. “The rules say you have to spend five seconds in the water. I think I have an extra Speedo or two.”
“You don’t have to do this,” I tell Alex, shaking my head.
He ignores me, clapping his hands and rubbing them together in excitement. “Let’s do it!” he says, getting up and following my dad down the hallway.
A few minutes later, Grace, Mom, and I are roaring with laughter as the men parade in front of us, wearing their tiny Speedos.
My eyes almost bug out of my head when I see the massive bulge in Alex’s Speedo. He catches me looking and gives me a cocky wink that makes me blush.
“Let’s go!” Dad yells, marching the guys out the back door as we follow behind them. “Okay boys, on the count of three, okay?”
Mom flicks on the porch light, illuminating the backyard and the pond. My dad counts down, and all five men run through the snow as fast as they can and dive into the water. Their yelps and screams echo through the night.
I squeal when Alex emerges from the water and stalks toward me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Don’t do it!” I scream, trying to run away. He catches me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me down into the snow with him.
I can’t stop laughing. I’m lost in the moment, not even noticing the cold snow or the fact that my family is witnessing such an intimate moment. He stops tickling me and hovers over me. For a second, I think he’s going to kiss me. I want him to kiss me. But he doesn’t. He climbs to his feet, holding out his hand to help me up.
We head back inside where my mom tosses my now damp clothes in the dryer. Alex goes to take a shower in my old bathroom, and when he emerges, he’s dressed in the clothes he was wearing earlier and I’m waiting for him in my bedroom.
“So this is your old room?” he asks, looking around at the room my parents recently started redecorating.
“Yeah, my parents kept my old posters on my door, but they’re redoing it so they have a nursery when Grace and Troy have a baby.”
He slides down to the floor where I’m sitting with my back against the bed, and I hand him a cup of hot cocoa.
“Thanks again for bringing me today. I really had a blast.” He chuckles as he brings the cup to his lips and takes a sip.
“Really? I was nervous they might be a bit…too much?”
“Not at all.” His brows knit together. “Why are you so concerned about that? I promise I can say no if I don’t want to do something.”
“I know. It’s just that…” I hesitate, not wanting to mention Tim, but there’s no other way to explain. “Tim seemed annoyed or frustrated by my family half the time. He never indulged in their silly games or the polar plunge. I think he tried the first year. He laughed and cheered them on, and it seemed like he enjoyed himself. Or maybe it was just an act, because after that first year, it was like he thought he was too good for all of it. I have a lot of regret about that actually. How I allowed him to behave that way toward my family.”
I feel tears prick my eyes as I stare down into my mug of hot cocoa.
“Hey,” Alex reaches over and turns my face to look at him. “I’m not Tim, sweetheart, and I never will be. You don’t need to protect me or shield me from anything. I’m a man, and if I have a problem, I’ll never push that onto you or behave in some passive aggressive, immature way. You understand me?”
I look back down and nod.