Page 30 of Family Bonds- Garrett & Justine

“Thank you for that,” she said. “I’m good with names.”

“You know Hudson’s wife is Delaney. His twins are Alec and Allison.”

“Got it,” she said, repeating them. It helped her remember. “Don’t tell me about Carson’s twin’s names if they aren’t there. You can let me know later.”

He nodded his head as he drove. “Ava is married to Seth. They’ve got a daughter, Adele, who is older. I don’t remember her age. Maybe close to nine. It’s actually Ava’s stepdaughter, but Adele’s mother passed away years ago, so Ava really is her mother now. They’ve got a son, Brayden, who I think is three and then Kendall was born in early March.”

“Oh,” she said. “A newborn.”

“Yes,” he said. “And my mother is going to get her hands on as many of the babies as she can. I hear it all the time, that she is waiting for grandkids.”

“My father used to say that,” she said quietly.

Now he’d never see a grandchild.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m glad you’re not alone but feel bad if it’s bringing up memories too.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “Like you said, the first year is the hardest. Is that all that is there then? Other than your parents and aunt and uncle?”

It was still a lot and more than she’d been around for a holiday meal, but she knew it could have been worse.

“That’s it,” he said. “And you didn’t need to bring anything, but my aunt and mother will love it.”

She wasn’t much of a baker, but she was off on Friday and took the ferry to Boston, bought a couple boxes of gourmet chocolates, and decided that would be enough to call it a day.

Garrett had told her no one had any food allergies, but she didn’t tell him why she was asking.

It had helped that Hudson had come down on Saturday to say hi. He said nothing about her going to his parents’ house on Sunday and she wouldn’t have wanted that mentioned where others could hear.

The last thing she needed in her life was anyone she worked with to think this was anything more than a friendly meal so that she wasn’t alone.

That was what she was going to keep telling herself today.

“It’s just good manners to bring something to someone’s house when you’re invited,” she said.

He turned down a street and then she realized they were close to the water.

The house wasn’t as big as she thought it might be, but then she knew there weren’t a ton of what would be considered mansions on the island.

But the closer they got, she did see the house was good sized.

“Did your cousins grow up on the island in this house?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “This was their weekend home too. My parents have one not that far away. My Aunt Lacy and Uncle Michael split their time here. My aunt is here more with all the kids.”

“I’m sure,” she said, getting out and lifting the two boxes of chocolates.

Her nerves were pushing through her skin and threatening to expose her as a fraud who was confident in her decision. She was second-guessing her choice to do this now.

Garrett ran his hand down her arm. “I can bring you back home if you want. It’s fine.”

That he understood that was enough for her to move forward. Or maybe it was those nerves that were standing out for him to see.

“No,” she said. “Coming out of that comfort zone. You know, you dared me. I can’t have you winning.”

He laughed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I needed to hear it,” she said. “I really did. I can’t live in a bubble.”

---