November 26, 1997

“Hey, Jen? Can I help with the pumpkin roll this year?” Heather glanced up from where she was breaking a large bowl of fresh green beans. “You promised to teach me how to make one.”

“Sure. Once I say hi to your brother, I’m heading home to start on our part of the meal. I was gonna fix two rolls tonight, so just run on over after you’ve had dinner and we’ll do it.” Jen sent her a smile. “Why don’t you stay the night? I’ll pop some popcorn, throw together some of my hot cider and we’ll put in a chick flick for a little girl time.”

“Cider? Really?” The younger girl’s eyes lit up. “Apple cinnamon?”

“Of course.” A playful huff lifted her shoulders as she began stirring the corn mixture she was working on. “What other kind is there?”

“Did someone say apple cinnamon cider?” Tyler poked his head in the door. “Am I invited?”

“Nope. Girls only.” Heather giggled, running her bowl under the faucet to rinse the beans. “Sorry, bro.”

“Hey, Ty.” Jen tilted her head, gesturing for him to come to her side and lowering her voice. “Make sure she gets through the woods, and I’ll have a thermos waiting for you.” She bumped his hip with a grin. “I might even have a batch of your favorite cookie bars ready, too. Deal?”

“Awesome! Thanks, Jen.” He bounced on his toes – just like JC did when he was excited – and leaned over to kiss her cheek, his eyes widening at the flash of headlights through the living room window. “They’re pulling into the driveway, H.”

“He’s home!” Cutting off the water, Heather left the beans in the sink and grabbed a dishtowel to dry her hands, flying toward the living room. “Jenny! Josh is home!”

“I heard. Go ahead and see him, I’ll finish up here.” Adding shredded cheese and a bit of salt to her bowl, she mixed it quickly, listening to the kids racing to the garage. Swiping a finger around the rim, she tested the mixture for taste. “Mmm. That’s good.” With a smile, she emptied the bowl into a baking pan, carefully smoothing it out flat, then left it on the counter and moved over to make sure the beans were drained.

Picking up the bowl, she poured out just the right amount of water. Securing the lid in place, she slid the beans into the refrigerator, where they’d stay until they were cooked on the stove the next day. The door closed behind her as she made her way across the room to the oven. She’d just flipped the interior light on to check the pies when she heard light footsteps coming into the kitchen. “Hey, Aunt Karen. I played with your corn casserole recipe just a tad. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind at all.” Arms came around her midsection, squeezing her tightly. “And those pies smell awesome.” Blue eyes lit with his grin when she turned to face him. “Hey, Boof.”

“Josh.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she pressed closer to him, burying her face in his shirt and hugging him around the waist. “Hey.” Taking a deep breath, she looked up with a smile. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks.” He bent, kissing the top of her head. “I could get used to this.”

“What? Finding me in a kitchen?” She laughed, then arched a brow at him. “Always thinking with your stomach, aren’t you?”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” With a mock growl, he wrapped her up in his arms and lifted her against him. “I’m going to like having more hellos than goodbyes.” He smiled when she leaned into his shoulder, hugging his neck tightly. Turning his head, he pressed his lips to her cheek. “H said you were heading home now that I’m here. Really?”

“Yeah, I have to. I came over to help out, so things wouldn’t fall behind here. Mom and Mac went out for dinner and to visit a few old friends, and I promised to get started on our cooking tonight.” Breathing in his cologne, she relaxed in his arms. “That sweet potato casserole isn’t going to bake itself, you know. And Heather’s coming over in a little while to help me with the pumpkin rolls. We’re gonna have a girl’s night.” Kissing his chin, she twisted a bit. “Now put me down, before I change my mind and stick around here where I won’t get anything done.”

“Doesn’t sound all that bad to me.” He set her down, his gaze moving over her face. “It’s so good to see you, Jenny.”

“You, too.” With a smile, she pushed out of his embrace. “It’s just for tonight, I promise. We’ll have all the time in the world once the cooking’s done.”

“Actually …” Leaning down to her, he lowered his voice. “Why don’t I sneak over later?”

“H is staying with me.”

“So what? Camp out in the living room and I’ll just tap on the window. You can come out to meet me.” His features took on a pleading expression. “Please?”

“All right, fine.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Eleven thirty?”

“Probably closer to midnight.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” Going up on her toes, she pulled him down for a lightning fast kiss on his lips. Before he could respond, she moved away from him and grabbed her jacket off one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “Tell your mom that the pies only need about ten more minutes, and the corn casserole is ready to go in. The beans are washed and stored until tomorrow.” Zipping up, she sent him a smile and a wink. “Remind your sister to bring something comfy to wear and tell the family good night for me. See you later.”

“Yep.” Following her to the back door, he watched as she stepped into the cold darkness and skipped off the porch, stopping at the beginning of the trail to turn and wave at him. “Later, Boof.”

*********************

Jen leaned forward, setting her mug on the coffee table as she checked the clock again.

“What time is he coming?” Heather tried to hide her smile, snuggling under the blanket on the other end of the couch. “He’s not late, is he?”

“What?” Brown eyes widened innocently. “Who?”

“Josh.” The younger girl let out a giggle. “You don’t exactly have the best poker face, Jenny.”

“Sorry, H.” She wrinkled her nose with the apology. “It was all his idea, and it’s kind of cold out there. I don’t want him to hang out waiting on me.”

“It’s okay. I totally get it.” Heather propped up higher on her pillow, glancing quickly to the TV, where Sandra Bullock was being introduced as the fiancé of a man in a coma. “Are you guys dating now?”

“I … no. I don’t think so.” Jen bit her lip as she thought it over. “I guess you could say we’re figuring it out.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, we haven’t exactly been in the same neighborhood for the last few years.”

“So what? Chemistry travels over phone lines, too, you know.” A brow was arched in Jen’s direction. “If it works, it works.”

“I don’t think we know if it works yet. We haven’t really had a chance to try to make it work.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Heather’s foot nudged her thigh. “But you seem kind of antsy that he’s coming by tonight. That’s a good thing, right?”

“Maybe it is. I can’t wait to see him.” With a soft laugh, Jen reached under the blanket to tickle the foot pressing against her. “All I know is that I’m really happy when I’m with him. He makes me feel good. And whenever he hugs me, I don’t want him to let me go.”

“Is that it?”

“Not quite.” She cast a sideways glance across the couch. “He’s a better kisser than I expected.”

“I knew it!” With another giggle, Heather sat up on the couch and scooted over to throw her arms around Jen in a tight squeeze. “I knew there was something different about the way he was looking at you.”

“Looking at me?” Jen’s brow furrowed in confusion. “When was he looking at me?”

“He stood in the kitchen doorway watching you for a few minutes before he went in.” A dreamy sigh lifted the teen’s shoulders. “I can’t wait until I meet a guy who looks at me like that.”

“Oh. Really?” Shaking her head, a smile began to play over her lips before she focused on the girl next to her. “Heather, how would you feel if we were together?”

“Are you kidding? Talk about the best thing ever!” Heather bounced in her seat. “You’re already the closest thing I’ve got to a sister. If it was for real … I’d love that!” She sat back with a smile. “Mom and Dad used to talk about the two of you, wondering if Josh would ever man up and go for it. I think they were a little worried when nothing happened after your prom.” Her eyes met Jen’s. “Then you guys wound up in Florida together, and he’d talk more about you than anything else when he called home. Mom was pretty sure something was up.”

“But that was before …” Jen clamped her lips shut, cutting the sentence off.

“Before what?”

“Nothing happened until, like, the day before he went to Sweden.” Thinking back, she had to correct herself. “No, that’s not right. He kissed me in the grocery store the day I heard my first song on the radio. Right before Thanksgiving.”

“He kissed you in a grocery store?”

“Uh huh.” A blush began to form. “I was all excited about One Sweet Day, and he picked me up and spun me around. Next thing I knew, wow.” Clearing her throat, she looked back to Heather. “Why?”

“Josh is all about keeping it private.”

“Well, yeah.”

“No, even when he brought his girlfriends around in middle and high school, he never let us see any of that.” Heather’s smile became a grin. “If your first kiss was in public, with a bunch of people around, then you really got to him, Jenny.”

“I didn’t know about that. I guess I tried to make myself scarce whenever the Chosen One came by. I didn’t want to get in the way and I hated feeling like the third wheel.”

“I kinda figured it was something like that.” A scowl marred the girl’s features. “I always hated it when he was dating somebody, because we didn’t get to see you as much.”

“I’m sorry, H.” Jen reached up to squeeze her shoulder. “You know I really wanted to be there, right? It drove me crazy, knowing I shouldn’t be around when that was where I felt like I belonged.”

“It’s okay.” There was a rapping noise at the window, and her face brightened. “There he is. Don’t keep the guy waiting.”

“You’ll be all right?”

“Heck, yeah. Lucy’s about to meet Jack for the first time.” Reaching for the popcorn bowl, Heather let out a laugh. “Jack might just be the man of my dreams. How cute is he?” She watched as Jen got up from the couch, her fuzzy pajama pants with the cartoon turkeys glowing brightly in the light of the TV as she put on her jacket and slipped on a pair of shoes. “Don’t forget that thermos of cider. You’ll need it.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back.”

“Don’t rush for me.” A wink came Jen’s direction. “It might be cold, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to help you out.”

“Heather. Hush.” With a snorting laugh, Jen picked up the thermos and opened the door, stepping out onto the porch. “Josh?”

“Over here.” There was a flash of something in the direction of the swing in the front yard, and she realized he’d covered the seat with a quilt. She hopped down the steps, moving quickly toward him as he straightened up, another blanket in his arms. “Hey, Boof. Beautiful night, huh?”

“Uh huh.” Shivering against the breeze, she wrapped her hands more tightly around the thermos, hoping a little warmth from the cider would carry through. “Cold, too. But I think we’re both prepared.” With a quiet laugh, she lifted the metal container for him to see. “Hot cider.”

“Apple cinnamon?” He grinned brightly when she nodded. “Nice. Ty wouldn’t share earlier.” Sitting down on the swing, he arranged the second quilt, then laughed as he noticed her attire. “You make those turkeys look good.”

“Yeah, right.” She smiled, twisting the lid of the thermos loose. “Want some?”

“In a second.” Lifting up the quilt, he held it open for her. “Come on in. It’ll be cozy before we know it.”

“Awesome.” Sliding up next to him, she pressed into his side as he made sure the blanket covered her, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer. Removing the lid, she passed the cider to him. “Here. Try some.”

“Wow, that smells good.” He tilted the thermos up, carefully sipping at the hot liquid. “God, I’ve missed this. Your cider is better than anything they had in Sweden.”

“Thanks.” She took a few sips when he handed it back to her. “More?”

“Not just yet.” Taking the container, he made sure it was sealed, then set it on the ground next to the swing. Tightening his arm around her, he tilted his head down until he could kiss her forehead. “This is what I’ve been waiting all day for.”

“Sitting outside at midnight on a swing?” A laugh escaped. “You wait for strange things, Josh.”

“Sitting outside at midnight on a swing with you.” He clarified, his hand coming to her face, brushing his thumb over her jaw. “When I found out you couldn’t stick around earlier, I had this horrible vision of not getting any alone time with you until tomorrow night. Didn’t sit well with me.”

“I guess I’m in more demand than usual, huh?” Looking up at him, she let her gaze move over his features, then stretched up to kiss his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

“I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I got to the house.” His eyes locked on hers, and he came down further. “I’m pretty sure this is the hello I was hoping for.” She was smiling when his lips caught hers, and she responded immediately, one hand reaching up, her fingers sliding into his hair to pull him closer. He tasted of spicy apples and cinnamon, and when he backed off a little, she couldn’t help but follow him for more. His arm squeezed around her and he kissed her deeply one last time before pulling away with a shaky laugh. “Wow. Yeah, that was it.” With a grin, he playfully kissed the tip of her nose. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Shaking her head, she relaxed into him, leaning against his shoulder. “I wasn’t sure, either.” Clearing her throat, she shivered, and he leaned forward to pick up the cider, passing it to her. “Thanks.” Twisting off the lid, she drank enough to warm up, then handed it back to him. “I mean, we aren’t actually dating. We haven’t put names on anything, so I’m not your girlfriend. I really didn’t know what to do, especially with your entire family in the next room. Are we supposed to tell them anything? Or are they just gonna figure it out as we do?” She watched him drink his fill, then return the thermos to the ground. “When it’s just you and me, it’s easier to forget that we’re hanging out in limbo, you know?”

“It’s been a rough time, hasn’t it?” With a sigh, he kissed the top of her head, then shifted until he could pull her onto his lap, wrapping the blanket tightly around them. When he felt her snuggling into his chest, her head cradled against his neck, he smiled and pushed his foot to send them rocking. “I know this has been hard on you, and I’m sorry, Jenny.” Swallowing hard, he let his fingers tangle in her hair. “But we’re gonna have to keep with it for a while longer. Johnny couldn’t give me any definite ideas of what the plan is now that we’re home. The label liked the original album, but they want pretty much everything redone, and they want to throw out some of the old to add some new. We’re going to be all over the place for a while, just getting the product ready. Then comes the promotion and hopefully a tour …”

“It’s okay, Josh.” She pressed her lips to his neck. “If nothing else, I’m patient. Until you tell me I shouldn’t wait anymore, I’ll be there when you’re ready.” Breathing deeply, she felt her eyelids growing heavy. “I promise.”

“I wish it could be different.” He bit his lip, pushing against the ground again to give them more swing. “I’d love nothing more than to throw labels all over this thing, lock you in for the long haul and call it done.” A cough shook his chest, the crisp night air burning his lungs, and one of her arms wrapped around his shoulders, hugging him. “But even with us being on the same continent, it doesn’t look like I can be there for you. And that’s what I want. I want to be able to stand by you for anything, help you through everything. If we’re gonna be together, then I want to actually be with you. There’s a lot of travel in my life, and I want you to have the freedom to decide when you want to come with me. It may never turn out perfectly, but right now, you’ll be finishing school while I’m floating all over.” He tightened his arms around her, turning his face into her hair and breathing in the scent of cinnamon and baked pumpkin. “One day, things will be more flexible. Our lives will mesh easier. Just stick with me, Boof. I promise we’ll get there.”

“Mmhmm.” Her hum was muffled against him, and he smiled when he realized she was asleep.

For a little while longer, he kept her with him, swinging in the cold night. When he felt her shiver, he knew it was time to turn in. Carefully, he held her as he stood, wrapping the quilt more tightly around her before moving to the front porch. Glancing at the windows, he saw that the lights were still on, and knocked softly on the door.

After a moment, Heather pulled it open, a grin brightening her face as she held it for him. “She didn’t last very long, did she?”

“Not as long as I was hoping for.” He laughed quietly and carried Jen into the living room. “Which end was she on?”

“By the phone.” His sister walked to the couch, sliding back under the blanket as she watched JC lean down to lay her on the cushions. As always, Jen’s brow furrowed when he ducked out from underneath her arm, and he reached for a pillow, letting her hug it instead. “You’ve got this down to a science, don’t you?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Glancing up with a grin, he adjusted the quilt so Jen would be more comfortable, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Jenny.” Straightening up, he moved to the other end of the couch, leaning down to give Heather a tight hug. “You too, kiddo. I’ll see you in the morning. It’s gonna be a madhouse for dinner tomorrow, so let Jen know that I’ll run over to help carry if they’d rather not drive.”

“I will.” She arched a brow at him. “Rumor has it she’s planning on her special pumpkin spice pancakes for breakfast. She probably wouldn’t mind at all if there was an extra at the table. Or if you stayed to keep her company in the kitchen. Just saying.”

“We’ll see.” Checking his watch, he let out a sigh. “It’s getting late. I’d better get back.”

“All right.” Heather’s eyes widened when she saw that the movie was in its final scenes. “Oh, wait! You can’t miss the end of this.”

“Okay.” Turning to face the TV, he tilted his head and watched the token happy ending. “That was … predictable.”

“Seriously? 'I love you back'?” Shaking her head, she laughed quietly. “You miss the point, but you’re a guy, so I don’t guess I can hold it against you.”

“Right.” His brow furrowed. “What am I missing, exactly?”

“Anybody can say 'I love you, too'. It’s almost an automatic response, with no thought required.” Heather leaned back on the couch, pulling the blanket higher. “It’s like saying 'I love you, also' or 'I love you as well'. You should just add a shrug when you say it. But 'I love you back' … that means more. It means you understand exactly what a person feels for you, and you return that emotion equally. There’s no question about how to take it, no room for confusion.” With a smile, she looked up at him. “One of these days, I want to find my Jack, and I want him to love me back.”

“You’ll find him. And he won’t have a choice.” JC leaned down with a chuckle, kissing the top of her head. “But as big brother, I reserve beat down rights. Understood?”

“Yep.” Reaching for the remote, she clicked off the TV and snuggled down into her pillows. “Be careful going back.”

“Yeah. Lock up behind me, okay?” He waited until she was up, following him to the door. “Sleep well, H.”

“I will.” She winked at him as he walked out into the night. “Probably not as well as Jenny, though.”

“Oh, shut up.” Rolling his eyes, he blushed slightly and jogged down the stairs, grabbing up the quilt and thermos before heading for home.

----------------------------------------

December 23, 1997

“Hi, Aunt Karen!” Jen pushed through the back door carefully, balancing two covered baking dishes and a stack of large plastic containers. “How’s it going?”

“Hi, honey. It’s going all right.” Leaving the stove, Karen came over to relieve Jen of a few bowls. “Now that all the men are out of my hair, I can breathe. I love it when some of the cousins show up early, but I swear, if one of those boys tried to steal one more cookie, I was going to kill them all. Christmas in prison, 1997.”

“It wouldn’t have stood up in court. Thievery of Christmas cookies should be punishable by death.” They both laughed as Jen set her dishes on the table. “I have a few more things back at the house.”

“Jenny, you didn’t have to do so much.”

“Well, we knew it was the first time you’d had a full house on the night of the Holiday House, so Mom and I thought we could combine houses. We’re going to leave the house decorations lit, but there’s a friendly note on the door directing any visitors here. Mac offered to carry over another table if we need more room for the food.”

“That’s probably a good idea. Between the two of us, I think we’ll need it.” Karen took a deep breath. “The boys can take the dining room chairs to one of the bedrooms when they get back, and we’ll push the table against the wall. One table for the regular appetizers, one table for the desserts.”

“Okay. I’ll let him know when I go back.”

“Speaking of, how are the newlyweds doing?”

“Fantastic. It was a good idea for them to just go before a Justice of the Peace to have it done. Neither of them really wanted a ceremony, anyway. I can tell they’re really happy, but it’s a little strange with us all being up here together. I feel like I’m butting in, so I keep telling them to go do stuff and not worry about me.” With a laugh, she shook her head. “And it’s kind of weird not seeing Mom’s stuff around my house. We’ll all have to adjust a little bit, I suppose.”

“It’ll be fine, sweetie. You’ll handle it just like you handle everything else, making it fit perfectly into your world.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Sorting through containers, she picked up a dish and moved toward the fridge. “I brought my chocolate peppermint poke cake, and it’ll need to stay cold until ready to serve. The other large dish is peanut butter bars, so they’ll be okay to sit out.” Looking through the side of two large bowls, she carried them to the fridge as well. “Ham and chicken salads. I didn’t know if you’d rather they be on sandwiches or with crackers, but I’ve got a few boxes of crackers if we need them. There’s a batch of fudge brownies and a big bowl of party mix ready to come over, the sausage balls are baking as we speak, and I have a couple pans of twice baked potato wedges that I’ll bring over here for their second heating, if you don’t care.”

“Oh, my Lord. Is it okay if I pray for leftovers?”

“You can if you want, but it’s not necessary.” Jen sent her a grin. “I always make double and triple portions the week of Christmas, so we don’t have to worry about cooking for anything but our brunch tomorrow.” The older woman let out a sigh at the mention of the next day’s highly anticipated meal. “There’s extra of everything except the cake back at the house. Anything you want, you’re welcome to.” With a quiet laugh, she looked around the room. “Where did you banish the guys to?”

“They all loaded up and went to the movies over an hour ago. Apparently, the new James Bond was released this week. Thank God.” Karen turned back to stir the pot on the stove. “Heather’s in the dining room, putting the extender in the table and making sure it looks nice.”

“Great. Then everybody’s out of ear shot.” Picking up a smaller bowl, she moved close to Karen and lowered her voice. “I made these especially for you, so hide them away before they get back and don’t even think about sharing them.”

“You didn’t.” Eyes widened as she studied the bowl. “Really?”

“Snowball cookies. With extra pecans.” Jen gave her a quick hug. “Just the way you like them.”

“My sweet girl … you’ve made my day.” Karen laughed, opening the bowl and picking out one of the cookies, groaning as she chewed. “I can never get these just right, but yours are perfect every time.”

“It’s all good, because I think I smell your slow cooker barbecue meatballs, don’t I?” Brown eyes closed as she sniffed deeply. “And … are those bacon wrapped smokies, too?”

“You guess right.” Snapping the lid back in place, Karen reached up to slide the bowl into the cabinet with her baking goods. “The pigs in a blanket should be just about done. I’ve got four different kinds of Christmas cookies ready, an orange pound cake sliced, veggie and cheese trays put together, and a bowl of fruit salad mixed.” Checking the oven, she nodded. “A few more minutes. I’ll brush the bread knots with garlic butter and hold them in the fridge until right before time. If you want to heat the potato wedges here, go ahead and bring them over.”

“I’ll go get them. They’ll probably take about forty-five minutes. Is that okay?”

“It’s five thirty now, and we’re supposed to be ready by seven. The knots will only take about ten minutes and the oven will already be heated.” Doing quick math, Karen nodded. “That should work out perfectly.”

“Great. If you don’t need your stove for anything else, would you like me to get some hot chocolate started when I get back?” Jen reached for the door handle. “Or maybe some cider? Or both?”

“Both sound wonderful. Do you care?”

“Not at all. Mom and Mac should be about ready to head this way, so I’ll get them to help me carry the table and the rest of the food. They’ll be able to help finish setting up. Once I get the drinks simmering, I should have enough time to run back home and get myself ready.”

“I knew I should’ve tried harder to convince Lisa to let me have you when you were little. I brought it up, but she wasn’t having it.” With a laugh, Karen waved her out the door, watching as she jogged across the backyard and down the trail through the woods. “If that boy of mine screws this up, I’ll disown him.”

*********************

“Come on in, Mr. and Mrs. Akins. Merry Christmas.” JC held the door for the elderly couple who lived around the block, smiling as they returned his holiday greeting. “There’s a great spread in the dining room if you’re hungry.” Closing the door behind him, he walked down the hallway, nodding a hello to faces he recognized from various houses in the neighborhood. Locating Heather in the kitchen, he draped an arm over her shoulders. “Hey, sis. Seen Jen around?”

“Not yet. It’s only seven thirty and she was late leaving to get ready. She’ll probably be here soon.” She looked up at him with a knowing smile. “Why? Missing her?”

“Something like that, yeah.” He nudged her in the ribs, then reached out to grab a sausage ball from the platter she was working on. “Mmm. Those are good.”

“Aren’t they? Jenny brought them. I need to corner her and see if she’ll share some recipes.” Going back to filling the platter, she tilted her head. “Did you get a look at her new photo wall? You didn’t mention it.”

“Yeah, I did. The Art folks did a great job on the painting.”

“And what about those lyrics? I hope she gets a full song out of them.”

“Me, too.”

During the renovations of her house, Jen had removed the bookcases from her practice area, combining all her files and journals into the storage space in her newly expanded office, and installed a removable panel over the largest solid wall. Students from the Art department at school had been happy to create a watercolor effect on the panel and walls, clouds of soft pastel colors flowing all the way around and down the wall created by the staircase, whimsical musical notations and colorful butterflies serving as accents. In the very middle of the panel, someone had painted the words If not with you, then for you, my love in a sweeping black script, creating a centerpiece for her to arrange her favorite photos around. Everyone in her 'family'was included – Lisa and Mac; her dad and grandmother; his parents, Heather and Ty; all of the guys, Diane and Lynn; Lonnie, Kenny and Tiny; Maggie, Brian and her school friends; the Fatones; Matt, Amber and Chloe; Tessa, Shan and their boys; the kids from the Community Center – all scattered in frames on the wall.

But what had made him smile were the largest images she’d hung: a photo of them laughing on the swings at school when they were young, one of her prom photos and the photo Diane had taken of them at Pleasure Island. He’d run his fingers over the frames, then pulled her to his side, kissing the top of her head. She’d looked up at him with a smile, then let her eyes drop to the words in the middle before explaining: “These are all the people I love. Some have already left me, some can’t be with me all the time, and there’s coming a time when I won’t be able to be with others. I figure that if I can’t be with them, then I can make sure to live my best life for them, try to make them proud.”

“I had a blast helping her sort out all those photos. She even let me pick the one of us.” Heather’s voice cut into his thoughts, her smile carrying in her tone. “We had the best time when I got to visit at the end of the summer. Only thing is, when Ty went during Spring Break, he got to go see her work in the studio for a while. He said it was awesome, and I want to be able to do that, too.” Her eyes came up to him. “Do you think it’d be okay if I went down during Spring Break next year?”

“I’m sure she’d be happy to have you anytime, H. Just ask her and y’all can work it out.” Plucking another snack from the platter, he gave her a quick squeeze. “If you see her first, tell her I’m looking for her, okay?”

“Okay.”

They went separate ways, she going out the door that led to the dining room, he heading out the other side and into the living room. Not many people were mingling in this area yet, so he walked across the room, leaning against the doorframe so that he’d be sure to see Jen when she arrived. He hadn’t been there long when a hand touched his shoulder softly.

“Well, if it isn’t Josh Chasez.”

“Hey.” He turned, his eyes widening in surprise at the tall blonde standing before him, a smile curving her lips. “Candice? Candice Patterson?”

“I know, right? It’s been a long time.” She laughed, moving forward to give him a hug. “Last time I saw you in person, we were in the seventh grade.” Green eyes met his, bright with humor. “Then you were all over the Disney Channel for a while. I figured you’d be in Hollywood by now.”

“Well, Hollywood’s not really the goal, but I guess you could say it’s a work in progress.”

“They changed your name, though, didn’t they?” Her brow scrunched as she tried to remember. “Do they call you JC now?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” He smiled, tilting his head toward the living room. “Want to sit for a while? It’s just a drop-in thing, but it’s a little less crowded in here.”

“Sure.” She followed him toward the loveseat, smiling as she sat down. “It’s been nearly ten years, but I still knew exactly who you were.”

“You’ve changed a bit, too.” The size of the chair had them sitting closely together, and he had to lean back to take in the form-fitting white sweater dress she was wearing. “I think it’s the hair and the eyes that give you away. I don’t remember you living in this neighborhood, though. Did you move back?”

“No, not me.” Shaking her head, she twisted to better face him, her leg pressing more tightly against his. “I got my degree in Cosmetology from Santa Monica College in Santa Barbara and became a hair and makeup artist for one of the studios in California. That’s my home base now. My parents moved back a few years ago and bought a house around the next block. I’m just visiting for Christmas.”

“Awesome. Yeah, I’m visiting, too. I’ve been in Sweden and Germany for about two years, but now Orlando is home. The group I’m in just got signed to RCA records, so we’re transitioning into the American market.”

“Ah, the work in progress, right?”

“Yep. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ll get there.”

“Good luck.” She leaned into him, her hand resting on his leg. “Maybe one day soon we’ll be hearing you on the radio.”

“That’s what we’re hoping for.” He shifted in the seat, stretching his arm out behind her shoulders to get more comfortable. “We’ll see how it goes.”

“I know I left before middle school, but how did it go after I moved? Do you keep in touch with anybody?”

“Not too many of them are still around, but every now and again a few of the old crew gets together …”