Page 119 of Never Fall Again

Landry cuddled closer for a few seconds, then stepped back. “Okay. See you in a bit.” She turned to Eliza. “Be good for Cal.”

He scooped Eliza into his arms. “We’re going to find Abby, and then we’re going to hit the ice-cream station, aren’t we?”

Eliza’s laughter seemed to eliminate the rest of Landry’s tension, and she walked into the building ahead of them.

Cal hadn’t been inside since they’d finished a few final touchups five days earlier. Bronwyn had pulled out all the stops for tonight’s event. In a move few in her family agreed with, she’d opted to christen Favors with a by-invitation-only party before opening the store for business.

She’d invited the men and women who’d worked tirelessly to create the space they now wandered through, and she’d encouraged them to bring their families to see what they’d done. Despite the busyness of the season, almost everyone invited was in attendance.

Electricians showed off lighting features to girlfriends and curious teenagers. Construction workers pointed out the vaulted ceilings and intricate moldings to wives and parents.

Tables were laden with hors d’oeuvres, bite-size desserts, and homemade ice cream with a buffet of toppings, and even though almost everyone had a plate, it didn’t look like the crowd had put a dent in the food.

Cal helped Eliza and Abby with their ice-cream sundaes but kept Landry in his sights. Every now and then she’d scan the crowd, and when their eyes met, the smile she gave him sent a shiver down his spine. Every time. He wanted to stand beside her all night, but he made himself mingle as much as he could with his two pint-sized charges.

His parents had come, and both of his brothers and their families were also here. Mo was supposed to put in an appearance, but Cal hadn’t seen him yet.

Gray, in full uniform, was cornered by an octogenarian and her granddaughter. Cal didn’t miss the way Gray’s gaze strayed to Meredith as she floated through the throng like the town princess Gray said she was.

It was the highest concentration of Quinns on Pierce property in years. Maybe ever. And while Bronwyn was the only Pierce who spoke to any of the Quinns, no one had stomped off and everyone was being civil.

It was progress.

The girls finished their ice cream, and Abby tugged on his arm. “Can we go see Nana?”

“Of course. If we can find her.”

“She’s talking to Mommy.” Eliza pointed toward the small crowd around Landry. A crowd made up entirely of Cal’s family.

When they reached them, the girls squirmed their way through the aunts, uncles, and siblings until they reached Cal’s mom, Carol, who was deep in conversation with Landry, Naomi, and Carla.

“Hey, Nana!” Both Eliza and Abby spoke. In unison.

Carol Shaw turned at the greeting, and her eyes welled with tears. “Well, hello there, my precious ones. Are you having fun?”

Landry’s eyes widened, and her gaze landed on Cal.

Before Cal could do more than try to give her a reassuring smile,his dad spoke up, voice full of feigned outrage, hands on his hips. “Whoa. You say hi to Nana and not to me?”

Both girls ran to him. “Hey, Papa!” Then they each grabbed onto his arms. He pretended to try to lift them and made a big deal out of how he couldn’t do it because they were too grown-up. He knelt beside the girls and kept their attention focused on him. Cal knew it was to give the rest of them time to pull themselves together, because everyone who’d seen the interaction was blinking back tears. Naomi was openly crying.

Meredith breezed into their circle and handed out tissues. “Why are we crying? What did I miss?”

“Eliza called them Nana and Papa.” Naomi dabbed her eyes.

Meredith pressed a hand to her heart. “Well, that explains that.” She grinned at Landry. “You do realize you’re never getting out. Our family is like the mountain mafia. There’s no escape.”

Carol pulled Cal down for a quick hug. “You do beautiful work, my sweet boy. And you have excellent taste, as evidenced by your designs and the lovely ladies you’ve brought into our family.”

“Mom.” Cal tried to infuse his voice with caution. He loved Landry and Eliza. He wanted to keep them forever. But he was trying to give Landry time to adjust to the idea of it all. To him. To his crazy family. To the idea of forever. It had all happened so fast, and he didn’t want to scare her off.

“Don’t worry.” His mom patted his arm. “I can bring us back from the brink.” She shifted her focus to his brothers and their wives, while still including Cal and Landry. “Since I have everyone in one spot, I need to warn you that Granny Quinn has once again ignored our suggestion that she not buy Christmas presents for everyone this year.”

Landry leaned against Cal and listened as her new family discussed their plans for Christmas.

“Are they scaring you?” Cal kissed the top of her ear.

“Never.” She pulled Cal back down so she could speak softly. “I don’t know where that came from though. Your mom and dad didn’t seem to mind but...”

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