“Come in, Nicole. Come meet my son, Aaron, and his fiancé, Holly.”

Her mother’s voice sounded odd to her ears, but Abby watched as Nic gave them an easy smile, shaking her brother’s hand, then Holly’s.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Nic said. “How was your drive up?”

Yes, it was all so perfectly normal as they exchanged pleasantries. She hugged her father tightly and got a kiss on the cheek. Aaron’s greeting to her seemed warm and genuine, and Abby grudgingly returned it. Yes, normal. That is, until Holly slid her gaze over to her. It was as if everyone in the room was holding their collective breaths.

“Hello, Abigail. So good to see you again.” Her voice was sultry and velvety, and she remembered how it used to whisper into her ear. Her hair seemed to be a little longer than last year, long and thick and wavy. The red sweater clung to her curves and the tight black jeans left little to the imagination. “I see you brought a friend with you this year. How nice.”

Nic was the one to laugh. “Well, we’re friends too, yes. I’ve heard a lot about you, Holly.” Then Nic leaned closer to Abby, nudging her shoulder. “You were right, babe. You and Aaron look nothing alike. Other than he’s as handsome as you are beautiful.”

Relieved laughter from her parents followed, and Abby met Nic’s eyes, hoping her smile looked affectionate. She was fairly certain she had not ever described Aaron to her. She relaxed then, seeing a quiet—and calm—confidence in Nic’s gaze. Yes, they could do this. Nic seemed to be a natural at it.

“So…who wants a drink?” her mother asked, the smile on her face not quite as forced as it had been earlier. “Wine? A cocktail? Beer?”

“Wine,” Abby said automatically. “A big glass. A really big glass.”

“I’ll have a beer, I guess,” Nic said.

“Me, too,” Aaron said.

“William, will you do the honors?” Her mother turned to Holly. “And what about you, dear? Should we whip up a batch of margaritas?”

“It’s a little early for margaritas. I’ll have wine too. A red, please, Abigail. Whatever you’re having. You know what I like.”

In defiance, she turned to her mother. “I’ll have white, I think. Do you have a chardonnay?”

She went with her mother into the kitchen, relieved to get away from the others. She glanced over her shoulders, seeing Holly’s attention fully on Nic. She sighed.

“Gonna be a long ten days.”

“Nonsense. Nicole seems to fit in just fine.” Her mother pulled a previously opened bottle from the fridge. “Let’s finish this one before we open another. The wine cooler is stocked, and your father added several reds to the wine rack at the bar.”