“I told him that. Plus, I know Haley is so excited. What do you think about her and Pace together?”
“It’s pretty new. But I fully approve because Pace knows Chase and I will kick his ass if he messes with her.”
“Haley was impressed that he asked you both if you were okay with him asking her to Homecoming.”
“That was pretty cool. I thought it was a little odd that he had developed a sudden interest in the girls’ volleyball team and always wanted to hang out at Chase’s house. Our little Hay Girl is growing up, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, she is,” Jennifer says as she reaches down to sneak a piece of pancake to Angel. Although it’s probably not necessary. She’s smart enough to sit under the high chair, where there tends to be plenty of scraps flying around. Not to mention, it delights Easton when Angel sits and wags her tail, causing her to toss her pieces on purpose. “I got to go dress shopping with her and Jadyn, and although she always looks cute and fashionable, with full hair and makeup, she’s going to look much older.”
“And of course, she is probably thrilled about that.” I laugh. “I always wanted to look older and more sophisticated when I was her age.”
“So did I,” Jennifer says, shaking her head and laughing. “Now, I wish I could look younger!”
Her phone rings, and she jumps up and screeches. “Oh my gosh! They’re here! My babies are finally here!”
“Who’s here?” I ask as she runs out the door.
Damon drops his fork and follows her. “Her cars!”
“Well, I guess it’s official,” I say, seeing Jennifer’s exotic cars all lined up with some form of Diamond personalized plates on the back. “You’re a Diamond.”
“And almost all my babies are here with me.”
Jennifer has kept the name Jennifer Edwards since she and Dad got married, but now with two kids, she’s changing it to Diamond. She hasn’t decided if she will for her acting career, but it doesn’t matter that much right now. When she was pregnant with Easton, she stopped taking on new roles and took a hiatus from work.
“Good timing, too,” Jennifer says. “I think I might be pregnant again.”
Dad’s eyes get huge. “Are you serious? Is that why you’ve been so tired?”
She grins and nods. “I’m a little late, so we’ll have to see.”
“That’s more exciting than the cars,” Dad says to her. He’s got Easton on his hip while holding Weston’s hand.
Damon is moving around the cars. We’ve seen them before out in LA, but I know he’s dying to drive them all.
“I think I’m going to drive a different one for each day of the week,” Damon says to me. “Let’s see. Maserati Monday, Ferrari Friday—no, that won’t work. Maybe we go alphabetically. Bentley Monday. No, that sounds dumb. McLaren Monday, Bentley Tuesday—no, shoot, it’s too hard to decide. Maybe Sunday could be like a free day.”
“You could drive Chase’s truck,” I tease.
“Speaking of Chase,” Chase says, sneaking up behind us, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulling my back against his chest. He leans down and kisses the side of my neck. And it surprises me, especially considering Jennifer and my dad are out here. “Haley just left to go to the spa with some of her friends, said to tell you she wished you could go but there were no more appointments.”
“That’s okay. I got a pedicure earlier this week and can paint my own nails.”
Damon is now sitting in one of the cars while Jennifer stands next to the door, spouting off a million facts about it.
“Why don’t I come up to your room and watch you get ready?” he suggests. “Or you can get ready in mine?”
I end up back in Chase’s room, lying across his bed while he shows me the suit he’s going to wear tonight.
“Is it hard to believe that just a year ago, you were getting crowned queen?” Chase asks me.
“You didn’t watch,” I say sadly, remembering how he was going to escort me after my date ditched me.
“I couldn’t,” he says quickly, hurt flashing across his face. “I knew you won and all. Homecoming is a tough time for me, honestly.”
“Me, too. I don’t have a very good track record.”
Chase smiles. “You’re right; you don’t. Last year, that Baker guy ditched you. Junior year, Hunter asked you but then got back together with Taylor. Sophomore year, you went with a group of girls, your limo broke down, and you were stuck on the freeway for, like, two hours, waiting for a tow truck. Maybe we shouldn’t have asked you to come with us.”
“I did have one good year. Freshman.”
“You were supposed to go with Dalton.”
He hangs his suit back up and then sits on the bed next to me. I lay my head in his lap and stare up at him.
“You told me you’d take me to the Eiffel Tower. Hard to compete with that,” I say as he gently strokes my hair back off my face.
“And instead, you ended up with fried chicken in the garage. The decor was a little cringeworthy. I was lame.”
I shake my head and say seriously, “No, Chase, there was nothing lame about it. What you did for me was incredibly sweet. You made me feel special. Like a princess. It’s not about the decor; it’s about what we shared.”
“I guess it was your first time, wasn’t it?” He winks at me, teasing.
“For fried chicken and champagne, yes. Someday, maybe we—”
“Could do it again?” he says, finishing my sentence.
“Yeah, although I guess the whole point is that it’s to celebrate something special.”
“And we haven’t had a moment like that since …” He stops and looks up at the ceiling, trying to remember.
“That summer,” I say softly.
I figured he’d look upset when I said it, but he doesn’t.
He bends down and kisses my forehead. “It’s been too long. We need to change that.”
I smile up at him. “Yeah, we do.”
So many memories.
Chase
When Haley got home from her spa appointment, Dani went to get ready with her. And I started making plans. While I want Dani to come in the limo with us, it feels awkward or weird maybe to have the exact same plan, just inserting a different girl into it.
Because Dani isn’t just some girl.
I think about what we talked about earlier. About how other than winning queen last year, none of her homecomings ever really worked out the way she’d hoped.
This year, I want to make it special.
My plans with Lacey were to go in the limo, take photos around the Plaza, have a nice dinner, and then go to the dance.
I go over to my desk, find the folder that has all the photos in it from the birthday confetti toss, and sift through them to find the one I’m looking for.
I think about the pretend homecoming in our garage.
And I know I’m going to need some help.
I run downstairs and call out, “Hey, Mom!”
I’m dressed in a suit and ready to go when Damon, Pace, and the other guys going with us—Jax, Luis, and Reed—arrive.