Prologue:
June 2017
"Ugh. I can't believe you invited them here, to our home," Dean Ambrose lamented dramatically, leaning against the counter as he rolled his eyes. He shook his head in disbelief. "How could you do this to me? This is my one respite, the one place where I don't have to see his stupid ugly face and hear his stupid fucking laugh. You're really going to desecrate our home like this?"
Renee Young didn't look up from the cutting board, her eyes on the cucumber she was cutting to put in the garden salad that was set to go with dinner. She shook her head, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her short blonde hair was pinned back, with a few wispy strands framing her face. She was dressed casually for the summer weather, in a denim romper and tan sandals.
"She's my friend, and she just so happens to be dating him at the moment," Renee reminded him. "You're just going to have to put your big boy pants on and suck it up. It's only for tonight, and then they're off to California." She looked up from her work, taking in the view from her kitchen window. It was a bright, beautiful day, a perfect day to have a barbecue with friends and enjoy a good glass of wine. Turning her attention back to the counter, she reached for the red bell pepper.
"Fine. She's your friend. She can have the guest room. He can sleep in the doghouse."
"Dean!" Renee couldn't help but laugh.
"And if Blue has an issue with that, he can sleep on the lawn. In the back, though. I don't want the neighbors to see him." Dean shuddered. Renee was shaking her head. Reaching over, Dean grabbed a piece of cucumber and popped it into his mouth. "I read something somewhere about sage cleansing dark spirits. Maybe we should do that when he leaves."
"You're incorrigible."
"You married me," he reminded her cheerfully, stealing a piece of yellow bell pepper. He leaned over.
"Best behavior tonight," she told him. "For the love of God."
"You scared I'm gonna embarrass you?" he asked with a grin. Renee grabbed an orange bell pepper.
"You ever think of like...I dunno...just talking it out with Seth?" Renee asked. Dean looked at his wife as if she had grown a second head. "I'm serious. It's been three years. I mean, Roman's already made up with him."
"Roman's his own man. I'm mine." He shrugged. He looked out the window. "I gotta go pick up more propane for the barbecue." He went into the junk drawer and handed Renee a black marker.
"What's this?" she asked.
"I want you to put an X on everything he touches when he gets here. That way I know what to burn when he leaves." Renee put the marker down, exasperated.
"Go. You're killing me."
"Slowly but surely. It's what I do best," he told her with a grin. He reached for his black baseball cap on the edge of the counter and put it on his head. "I'll be back in a few."
"See you when you get back," she told him. He gave his wife a quick peck on the lips, taking another piece of cucumber before he left the kitchen. She waited to release her exasperated sigh until the door shut behind him. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she continued to work, not at all surprised to find that she got her prep work done faster without him around. Sliding the vegetables from the cutting board into the salad bowl, Renee loaded the board into the dishwasher. Her eyes fell on the clock; Jory and Seth would be arriving any minute.
She knew that Seth was going to be uncomfortable; things were still incredibly frosty between the former teammates, and both Seth and Renee knew that this was something that was going to be fixed on Dean's terms, and on his timeline. Two months removed from WrestleMania, there didn't appear to be any end in sight to their rift.
Seth and Jory were in the area on a couple's getaway; Renee had mentioned to Jory about the canals and the gondola rides, and Jory was sold. It seemed like the right thing to do to offer her friend space at the house, but Dean's standoffish attitude about the two of them was looking to make for a tense evening. Seth and Jory were only staying for the night; they were leaving for Long Beach in the morning, and the following day they were going to be headed to the Staples Centre in Los Angeles for Raw.
Renee's thoughts were pulled from everything when the doorbell rang. Wiping her hands on a nearby dishcloth, Renee made her way to the front door. Swinging it open without looking through the peep-hole, Renee grinned when she found Seth and Jory standing on the other side. Seth was dressed casually in black skinny jeans and a Black and Brave T-shirt underneath a Blackcraft hoodie, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail, his glasses on. Jory stood in front of him, armed with a paper bag, smiling nervously. She was dressed in black slashed leggings and a black and red striped tank top that fell to her knees. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. She wasn't wearing any makeup.
"Hey!" Renee greeted, stepping to the side to allow the couple access to the house.
"Hey! Thanks for having us over." Jory crossed the threshold, giving her friend a hug. "I brought wine. Lots of wine. White, red, rose...I wasn't sure what you're into, so I thought I'd grab a little of everything."
"Wine is wine," Renee assured her with a laugh. Seth walked into the house slowly, shutting the door gently behind him. Inside the house he stood a little straighter, his brown eyes darting around his surroundings. He looked at the wide open space, airy with natural light and decorated beautifully. Releasing her hold on Renee, the two women turned to Seth, and they knew he felt out of place.
"Seth..." Jory started.
"Where's your man?" Seth asked.
"He went to get some propane for the barbecue. He'll be back in a bit," Renee told him. She flashed him a smile that did very little to put Seth at ease. "He promised no fistfights, so relax. I mean, what would the neighbors think?"
"Since when has Deano ever cared about what anyone thinks?" Seth asked.
"He knows the golden rule – happy wife, happy life," Renee told him flatly. "So ease up – you've got nothing to worry about tonight." The trio walked into the kitchen. Jory put the bags down on the counter.
"Can I help with anything?" Jory offered.
"Nope. I'm all good here. Steaks are marinating in the fridge. Salad's done. Potatoes are done up and wrapped up. Just relax." Seth and Jory sat down on the stools in front of the counter. Seth's eyes fell on the black marker. "So, you guys are off to Long Beach tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Just to see the sights a bit," Jory said. "I'm kind of hoping to do a wine tour tomorrow. I've never done it."
"Really?" Renee asked, incredulous. Jory nodded. "Girl, you, me, and the Bella's need to do a weekend in Napa. That's like, the wine capital of the world." Renee shot a look at Seth. "We're gonna have to borrow your woman for a weekend one of these days."
"Evidently," Seth said with a smile. "Just...take it easy on her. We haven't been together long enough for me to cough up a liver for her." Jory shot him a look. "Just stating a fact."
"I respect it," Jory said with a laugh. "I guess that calls for wine. Where do you keep your glasses?"
"Up there," Renee replied, pointing at the cupboard. Jory slid out of her seat and went to the cupboard. She didn't bother asking Seth; he wasn't going to have any wine. He only had a glass of beer here and there, and he didn't bother to stop for any on the trip, in spite of his instincts to do so. Grabbing a glass for herself and Renee, she brought it to the island. "What are you guys thinking of doing in the LBC?" Renee asked.
"I want to go to a dive bar with a live band," Jory confessed. "I haven't done that since I hit legal age."
"I'm just following her," Seth said with a smile. "She's taking the reins here."
"Red or white?" Jory asked. Renee took a moment to think about her answer carefully.
"White for now." Jory poured two glasses of white, sliding one over to Renee before she took herself back to her seat. She looked over at Seth. His leg was bouncing. Reaching out, she put a hand on his knee to try and calm him. He looked over at her, and, suddenly self-conscious, forced himself to stop. He looked out the window, at the backyard.
The front door opened. "Honey, I'm home!"
Seth stiffened. Jory shot him a reassuring look and squeezed his knee gently. Dean walked into the kitchen, holding onto the propane tank. He gave Jory and Seth a curt nod before he crossed the kitchen and walked outside. With a sigh, Seth got up and followed after him. Jory opened her mouth to speak but clamped her mouth shut as Seth walked outside. Renee shook her head.
"I just wish those two would make up already," Renee said after the door closed.
"Me, too. They miss each other."
"We all know that. My husband is just a stubborn man." She shook her head. "Seth hurt him terribly."
"I know he did." Jory looked down at her glass. "I also know how much he regrets what he did in hindsight."
"Hindsight is always twenty-twenty," Renee said with a sigh.
"I hear that," Jory agreed, taking a big sip of her wine. The two women looked out the window at the men standing around the barbecue. Dean was working at replacing the propane tank. Seth was staring at the tree. Jory knew there were words being spoken between the men, but she couldn't begin to know what they were saying to each other. While Seth's friendship with Roman was on the mend, almost back to where it was before he'd swung the chair on that warm night in June 2014, Dean still remained the holdout, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that Seth's actions had devastated Dean in ways that he himself couldn't quite comprehend.
"The ship will right itself," Renee assured Jory. "I know Roman's trying. I know The Shield is something special to Roman, and whether or not my husband wants to admit it, it was very important to him, too."
"He can hold a grudge, huh?"
"You have no idea," Renee said with a laugh. She went into the fridge and pulled out the glass container with the marinating steaks. "I'll get you to take these out to the guys. Don't look like that – if Dean hasn't shoved Seth's face into the grill by now, it's not happening."
"Not helping." Jory picked up the container and took it outside. The men turned when she stepped outside. "It's just me," she told them. "Renee sent me out with the steaks."
"You guys got any plans for tonight?" Dean asked. Seth shook his head.
"Maybe see the sights a bit, but I have no idea..."
"I know a few places I think you guys will dig. Renee mentioned the gondolas..." Jory nodded. "We'll hit that. She'll want to go out with you guys anyway, so I'll show you some spots."
"Thank you," Jory told him, putting the steaks down beside the barbecue. The trio fell quiet as Renee walked out with the bowl of foil-wrapped potatoes. Jory studied the backyard. Seth slipped behind her, his arms circling her waist, his head resting on her shoulder. While things were still pretty new with Seth, Jory found herself wondering how she ever did life without him. She wasn't sure if he felt the same way, but so far, with a few small exceptions, life felt good.