Page 116 of Verses

“If you’ll have me.”

“Of course. So how do you two know each other?”

“I’m one of the guitarists in her band.”

“Hayley, you didn’t tell me you had a new guitarist.”

Oh…I was pretty sure I had but it probably flew over her head—because, after all, our phone conversations were usually all about her. It was easiest to simply say, “Oh, sorry.”

Until my mother spoke again, I hadn’t realized she was still holding Wolf’s hand. “Well, I have to tell you, Wolf. It’sWolf, isn’t it? Like the wild animal?” Wolf barely nodded before she continued. “I have to tell you if my heart wasn’t already taken, I’d have to give you a whirl.”

“Mom!”

“You know I’m just kidding.” Finally, she let go of Wolf’s hand—but I couldn’t read his face. Mom headed over to the stove to check on various pots. “Your dad is in the backyard. He’s cooking one of those deep-fried turkeys back there, so we’re gonna have two turkeys this year, mine and his, and we’ll decide which one we like the most. Then next year we’ll have the favorite, so your vote is important.”

“Do you need some help?”

“If you want to. Ashley and Luca were in here a minute ago.” As if on cue, they entered from the backyard, Ashley laughing up a storm, her fiancé right behind her.

“Hayley!” she squealed when she saw me and ran the couple of steps to hug me. Aw. I’d missed this girl—not such a girl anymore. Although she didn’t tower over me like Derek, she was taller, but she was also more voluptuous and absolutely gorgeous. Her blonde hair was streaked with red and brown strands and her green eyes glowed like gems in her smiling face. “I’m so glad you made it.”

“Me, too.”

“I don’t think you’ve met Luca.” No, but I’d heard about him and seen pictures of him on Facebook—the young man was also tall but quite skinny with dark brown hair and matching eyes. He also looked to be smitten with my sister.

Luca stuck out his hand to shake mine. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Oh, God. I didn’t even want to ask. “Nice to meet you. Guys, this is my good friend Wolf.” After he shook both their hands, he stepped back, as patient as ever, and I repeated the same line I’d said earlier. “He’s in my band.”

Luca said, “Band?”

“Intent to Murder.”

“Sick!”

Ashley said, “I told you about that. They’re a metal band. They’re not famous or anything but I can show you a video on YouTube later.”

I said, “We don’t have any new videos, though—nothing with Wolf.”

“I’d still love to see it.” Luca moved to a spot at the kitchen counter where I suspected he’d been “stationed” earlier, and he started slicing cucumbers. When Ashley and I stopped hugging, she stood next to him and uncovered a tray of celery. The stalks were already cut into lengths of three to four inches. After picking up a can of Easy Cheese, she began squirting a wavy orange line inside each celery stalk.

One of my mom’s favorite holiday snacks.

At the island, Wolf and I started unpacking the bags we brought. When he pulled a bowl out of his large bag, I took a peek at it. “What is that?”

“It’s a Thanksgiving slaw my aunt used to make—but it seemed appropriate for Christmas too.”

“It looks good.” And, once again, I was impressed. But I could save the gushing till later. Instead, I said to my sister and her boyfriend, “How’d you guys meet?”

Luca seemed happy to take his mind off the cucumbers. “At college.”

Ashley joined in. “You’d think we would have met at the high school.”

“Well, it’s not like I didn’t know you—we just hadn’t met officially.”

“We’re both going into medicine.”

“I’m planning to be a doctor—but I’ll let Ash speak for herself.”

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