Page 42 of Homecoming

Okay, that wasn’t foreboding or anything.

Grace looked around curiously as they walked into what was obviously a huge mudroom. There were walls of coats and outer gear, as well as a cleanup wall with a huge kitchen sink and cupboards. She thought there might have even been a bathroom behind one door. There was also a double set of stacked washers and dryers. Boots lined the floor in all sizes, and she wonderedhow they kept track of them. Oh, wait, each guy had a section, it looked like.

“You can take your coat off there, and I guessed at your size.”

Owen handed her a brand new pair of fleece-lined slipper shoes.

“Oh, thank you!”

He crossed to a section and toed off his boots, slipping on a much bigger, well-worn pair of slippers.

“This is like going to a Japanese home,” she said, smiling.

Owen’s mouth kicked up on one side. “Well, we don’t have cleaners, per se. We’re all responsible for our own mess, and we decided a long time ago that it was better to take our boots off out here than try to clean the whole Den.”

“I get that. As soon as I walk in the door, I kick off my shoes.”

Grace hung her coat on a free wooden peg, but kept her sweater on. She wasn’t sure what exactly to wear tonight, so she’d gone kind of casual. Jeans and boots, and a nice, festive red shirt that sparkled, with her favorite black sweater.

Angela met her at the doorway into the lodge, baby Fallon on her hip. As soon as Fallon saw her, she reached for Grace. Grace quickly took the baby, laughing. The little girl was grinning, and she was so stinking cute. “What are you doing, little miss?”

Fallon patted her on the cheeks and wiggled, obviously wanting her to move. Grace laughed and moved into the lodge, looking around curiously.

The inside was much as you’d expect a huge log lodge to be, but it was very much lived in. Through the mudroom door was a massive living room with a huge central river rock fireplace. The fire was blazing and radiating heat. Grace had a feeling she could walk inside that fireplace, it was so big. Giant couches and chairs lined the room, and there was a pool table at the far end, near towering windows. There was also a long bar with a professional-looking coffee maker on one end, and what lookedlike every kind of liquor available. Giant rugs lined the hardwood floors, and there was a towering, live evergreen in the far corner decorated for Christmas. The base was stuck in a five-gallon bucket, presumably full of water to keep the tree from drying out. And some of the decorations looked to be handmade. It was strangely, masculine-ly beautiful. There were stacks of oddly wrapped presents under the tree.

“We can show you around later. Grunt sent us out to retrieve you,” Angela said, her eyes widening theatrically.

“Grunt is our chef,” Owen told her. “He likes punctuality.”

He held his free hand out to the side, directing her. Grace walked down a hallway and into a massive dining room. It reminded her of beer halls in Germany, with two long plank tables and matching benches filled with men of all shapes and sizes. There was a drone of conversation that faded to silence as they walked in. All eyes turned to her, and she forced a grin. “Hello, gentlemen. Sorry we’re late.”

She followed Owen as he led her toward the left-hand table. There was a baby chair at one end for Fallon, and Aiden sat on the bench beside it. He stood and took Fallon from her, settling her into the high chair. The baby fussed a little, but seemed okay when Owen motioned for Grace to take the opposite bench from Aiden and Angela, then he settled beside her.

Angela was sitting next to a pretty, dark-haired woman with laughing eyes. She held her hand out to Grace. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Jordyn. I’m married to this big lug, Drake Fontana.”

She bumped her shoulder into a handsome blond sitting next to her.

The man smiled at her and tipped his head.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Grace said, smiling. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Jordyn rolled her eyes. “I’m sure. Angela likes to talk.”

“Oh, please,” Angela said, laughing. “You kept me up past midnight when we first got here, catching up on gossip.”

Jordyn shrugged lightly, grinning, and took a drink of water. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

A looming presence caught Grace’s attention. She looked up at a grizzled, but not very old face. He had messy dark curls and dark eyes, a wild beard, and a gentle smile. An aluminum cane hung from one hand. “Welcome to the Foxhole, Grace. I’m Grunt. Thank you for bringing the bread pudding. You didn’t have to do that.”

Grace grinned. “I had to bring something! I hear good things about your food, Grunt, so I’m excited to be here.”

He tipped his head to the table and disappeared through a doorway. Within just a few seconds, several men started carrying platters of food out and setting it on long tables set against the wall. Grace couldn’t believe the amount of food coming out. Grunt carried out a huge roaster pan and started slicing pieces of prime rib at a corner table. Someone turned on a radio to festive holiday music. A brown dog, some kind of pit mix, wandered in, looking for treats on the floor and wagging her butt as she wandered from person to person.

“Oh, my gosh,” Grace said, laughing. “It seems like I’ve been eating all day, but the smell of this food is making me hungry.”

“You won’t want to leave,” Jordyn warned her.

Owen leaned into her a little. “What would you like to drink?”

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