Still the One (Book 2 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

48 | This is Christmas - Part II

She nodded, and when she turned around, Miles and Luke were there with drinks for all of us.

"Thank you!" she said, gratefully taking the martini from him and taking a sip.

"You're welcome. Your dad is really bringing the bartender game tonight," he said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, he was a bartender back in college," Rachel said. "Did you not know that?"

"No way!" he said, turning back to look at Bradley. "Damn, he just keeps getting cooler and cooler."

We all sat down in the living room, and Katherine joined us from the kitchen.

"Sissy!" I shrieked, getting up and hugging her like I hadn't seen her in weeks.

"Hey Brookie. Merry Christmas," she said, kissing my cheek. "Merry Christmas, y'all," she said to everyone else, and we sat down together on the loveseat.

We sat and talked until Adam called us all into the dining room for dinner.

As we all took our seat around the Cross' giant dining room table and I realized how lucky I was to have them all, I felt a warmth spread through my veins – better than any high I'd ever chased.

Luke

"Mom, Susan, that was so good," I said, rubbing my stomach and pushing my plate away.

Everyone chorused their agreement and we made our way back to the living room. We sat and chatted for a bit until Rachel just couldn't stand it anymore.

"Okay, can we do gifts, please?" she begged, literally bouncing in her seat. "I can't wait to give you guys your gifts!" she exclaimed.

"Remember, Rach; we're not doing gifts 'til in the morning, and that includes you and Miles," Susan cautioned.

"I know, I know," she said, waving her off.

Bradley laughed. "Okay, let's do gifts," he said, and Rachel squealed and ran to the tree, handing me, Brooke, Katherine, and my parents each a gift.

"Wait," Brooke said, jumping up and grabbing the gifts we had brought and handing them out.

Pretty soon, everyone had at least one gift in their hand to open, and we tore into them like animals.

I opened the box from Rachel first since she was so excited, and I laughed when I opened it. It was the special edition Blu-Ray of Grease and the soundtrack to match. "This is great, Rachel, thank you," I said, reaching over to hug her.

"Just so you never forget our run as Danny and Sandy," she said, winking.

I snorted. "I don't think I could ever forget the time we almost got crushed by stage lighting," I said, and she giggled. Miles glared at me and I shrugged. "Sorry, bro."

"He still can't joke about it," she stage-whispered.

Miles opened his new baseball glove and bat from me, and the PlayStation 4 from our parents.

"Yas, I can hook this up to our new big-ass TV when we get home," he exclaimed, hugging them. "And I'll need this stuff soon when baseball season starts. Thanks bro," he said, giving me a side hug.

"No problem." I held up the new camera lens he had gotten me. "I love this lens. I've been wanting a fifty-fifty lens for a minute," I said.

He nodded. "I know."

Brooke was clasping the Pandora bracelet Rachel and Miles had gotten her, and it struck me again just how glad I was to have her back in my life.

"Brooke?" I said quietly, but she heard me even over the noise.