It was. At least in Courtney's opinion. Wes took her to a casual, but nice restaurant in nearby Silver Lake and they walked through the quaint town hand in hand for over an hour, ending up at the small dock to watch the sun set. He didn't try anything more than to kiss her, and she was getting into that easily. It was something she wanted to do from the moment she saw him. And he seemed to be all too happy to let her. They met again and again, several times over the next month and then the next, going to all kinds of dates and events together, including apartment shopping to which they failed miserably, unable to find a single suitable place for her to live. To try and raise her spirits he showed her the neighborhood he wanted to live in, pleased when her eyes sparkled at the idea of living there. Eventually he'd offered the guest suite in the mansion for her to stay in.
And that idea appealed. So much so, that she was contemplating not even looking for an apartment. But she did, and in early December when she was looking for one, she saw a real estate ad and immediately called her boyfriend, cutting him off as he answered.
"Wes, one of the houses is for sale." Courtney was already getting a jacket on.
"Which one?" Wes sounded nervous.
"The third one in, it's that stucco color." She described the ad as she got her keys and took the paper with her down to her car. "Four bedrooms, three bath, it's the one with the big yard too."
"I have to get over there." Wes sounded stressed.
"I'm on my way; I'll call the realtor and set something up." She promised and checked her watch. "I'll be there in a half hour; I'll try to set something up for your lunch or after work."
"You're a godsend." Wes breathed out. "Thank you."
"No problem." Courtney laughed as she revved her car engine and started for Silver Hills.
"If Eric gets back soon I'll call you and try to meet."
"Ok, I'll see you later then." Courtney grinned and hung up the phone, confident that she could use her lead foot the moment she got into Silver Guardian's territory. Even though it had only been a few months, the men already knew her car, and that she was dating one of their captains, which gave her a free pass to drive as fast as she wanted, something she knew Rachael couldn't do because even Eric would pull her over. The realtor's secretary made her an appointment to meet with her in the next ten minutes, and with a little pushing, she made it with seconds to spare. In a few minutes she was walking through the house, ignoring the poor taste in furniture the current owners had to look at the terrible choice in wall colors.
Excusing herself from the realtor, she dialed her cell phone once again. "Current owners can't pick paint colors to save their lives, but it's gorgeous." She looked out the window to the fairly large back yard.
"Give me ten minutes." Wes promised and hung up, and true to his word, was there in ten minutes, dressed in his Silver Guardians uniform and began talking with the realtor. Courtney wandered around upstairs and looked through the spacious rooms as Wes talked business. Despite the poor choice in colors, the house was homey, and she could almost see the children running around, playing in their rooms. Lost in her daydreams, she nearly missed the pair of hands snaking around her waist. "Hey." Wes kissed her temple. "I made an offer." Courtney whirled in his arms.
"Congratulations!" She smiled widely and kissed him.
"Thanks." Wes chuckled. "Eric was pretty surprised when I left as soon as he got back. I never told him or Rachael I wanted a house."
"Well now we have to have a party."
"The realtor says the family is moving out next week, I could have this place in my name by New Years." Excitement radiated from him and Courtney held his torso.
"I'm happy for you." Courtney smiled, happy he was happy.
"Thanks." Wes leaned in and kissed her again, longer and slower this time, holding her head behind her ear.
"It's what I'm here for." Courtney smiled, still hazy from his kissing. That was one thing she didn't expect would ever change, and didn't mind in the least.
"Come to the mansion tonight." Wes invited. "I want to tell my Dad and Rachael. I guess she'll bring Eric, so you should come."
Courtney laughed and nodded, greedily leaning up for another kiss. Wes laughingly obliged for a moment before they had to go back downstairs and leave with the realtor. They went their separate ways, and Courtney went to SHU to check out the campus before knowing she'd be attending there within a month. Actually she started two days after Eric and Rachael's wedding.
On a back road she slowed to a stop seeing a familiar car in a driveway. Unsure if the classic car was actually Rachael's she debated going in for a minute until she saw the raven haired girl exit the house and head for the mailbox. Courtney parked and got out, calling over to her.
"Hey." Rachael smiled and moved to Courtney, dressed in old jeans and a baseball raglan t-shirt. "What brings you over here?"
"I was with Wes, long story." Courtney waved it off. "I was going to go over and check out the campus, but I saw your car, I didn't know you lived here." Her eyes swept the cute house behind Rachael.
"Want some coffee?" Rachael offered and the women started for the house. "Eric bought this place just when the rangers showed up in Silver Hills." She explained and opened the door. "I moved in toward the end of their little stint."
"How long after you met?" Courtney pulled off her long jacket and draped it over a chair in the kitchen, intensely curious when Rachael blushed bright red.
"About three days. I know." She shook her head as she put together the coffee. "It was fast, but it felt right."
"How did you know?"
Rachael looked to where Courtney was looking eagerly at her, as if her answer would affect her own relationship. "I'm not sure, but he told me that it was seeing me sleeping in his bed. Nothing sexual." She added and sat down next to Courtney. "It was sudden, took me forever to feel truly at home here. You know, like it's my home, not just his and I live here."
"When did it feel like home?"
"After I repainted it." Rachael laughed. "No, but really, it was gradual, one day I woke up and I was just home." She watched Courtney as she sat quietly for a moment. "Are you ok?"
"Yes." Courtney nodded; trying to shake herself out of her thoughts then looked at Rachael's concerned face for a moment. "No. I don't know." Her shoulders relaxed. "I think I'm in love with him."
"That's not a bad thing." Rachael tried to comfort her.
"But he loves her, I can't compete with that."
"No you can't." Rachael agreed. "But you can love two people. I think he'll always love her." She stood and got mugs for the completed coffee. "But love can fade. He can love you just as much, even more than he ever loved her." She placed the coffee in front of Courtney. "I know he has feelings for you."
"I hope so." Courtney tried to stop the tears from flowing from her eyes, but had to accept a tissue from Rachael.
"What happened today?" Rachael asked in concern. "What did he do? Do I need to have Eric murder him?"
"Nothing." Courtney laughed, but inside felt touched Rachael cared enough to have her fiancé beat her brother. "He's done nothing but be wonderful, I love being with him. I let my imagination get away with me today." Rachael reached over the table and took Courtney's hand.
"If I had a dollar for every time I did that I'd be able to buy out my Dad's share in BioLabs." Rachael's voice was dark with her comment.
"With Eric?"
"Sometimes." Rachael sighed and stirred her coffee, eyes getting far off. "Especially now." She blushed. "Since his mother told me I'll be pregnant before our first anniversary I can't get it out of my head."
"Imagining little Myers' running around?" Courtney smiled at the thought of the dark haired babies Eric and Rachael would have.
"Yeah." Rachael smiled dreamily. "I've gone so far as mentally rearranging the spare room into a nursery before I catch myself."
"Must be a female thing." Courtney shook her head. "My mother isn't thrilled I'm with Wes in the first place, but I can't help it, I feel good with him." Rachael laughed and nodded before looking up curiously.
"Why doesn't she like him? Is he a commoner?" There was a light in her eyes that betrayed the possible insult of her question. Courtney had explained her family and who she was to Eric and Rachael a few weeks after she and Wes started dating, and they'd taken it well, at least it seemed that way.
"My father was a warrior, which is worse than a commoner." Courtney explained with a slight laugh. "Warriors work for the royal family, so she pretty much married her employee. See, her parents didn't approve, but when she inherited the throne she married him anyway, they couldn't stop her then."
"That sounds sweet, why doesn't she like Wes?"
"She thinks I'm too young. I just turned twenty-one, she doesn't want me settling. I'm not settling down, we haven't even…" She stopped, horrified. "I'm sorry; you probably don't want to hear about that."
"No, no." Rachael laughed. "I deserve it; Wes knows practically every detail about my sex life."
"That's got to be awkward."
"For them maybe." Rachael leaned back in her seat. "For me, honestly, I'm really comfortable with my sexuality; it wouldn't bother me if you did say you and Wes were having sex."
"I couldn't take it if Liam had a girlfriend and I knew they were having sex." Courtney shuddered at the thought. Rachael laughed, shrugging one shoulder and sipping her coffee at the same time. She thought for a moment before looking up.
"I have to ask, and be brutally honest with me." She started and took a deep breath. "If our friends, including Jen, were able to come to my wedding, would you still come?" Courtney paused for a moment, mind working double time. That would mean meeting Jen face to face; while she was there as Wes' date. "Bronwyn, Jen's sister, told me Jen's been seeing someone in their time, but he wouldn't be able to come, just the rangers and Bronwyn." Rachael explained, watching Courtney's mind reel. "Wes said he'd be ok with it, he wants to bring you."
"He said that?" Courtney felt her heart rise with hope.
"His words were that he has feelings for you and likes being with you, and he told me that weeks ago, I'm sure it's stronger now." Rachael messed with her coffee mug, tracing her finger along the rim. "Jen or not, I want you there, I like you." She smiled. "You're good for Wes."
"You mean that?" Courtney asked tentatively.
"Whole heartedly." Rachael nodded, eyes widening to emphasize. "I think loving Jen stressed him out, he's putting it behind him and enjoying himself with you. He's much more relaxed since he's been with you than the six months after she left."
"Really?" It was hard not to feel her heart soar with joy as Rachael spoke.
"Really." Rachael laughed and checked her watch. "Do you mind if I grade papers?" She asked, "We're going to Dad's for dinner."
"Wes invited me too." Courtney nodded. "I'll just go." She stood to leave but Rachael stopped her.
"No, you can help me, you speak French." She laughed and pulled out a stack of essays. "You're fluent with grammar?"
"Je parle français comme une reine." Courtney tossed her hair dramatically behind her as she spoke, getting a laugh from Rachael as they sat to grade the freshmen's attempts at writing French. By the time Eric got back they'd gone through twice as much coffee as intended and were laughing at the mistranslations.
He observed Rachael with Courtney from the door for a few minutes before coming in. Rachael didn't have many female friends locally, so it was nice to see her with another girl instead of him and Wes for once. Pulling away from the doorframe, he greeted her with a kiss and smiled at Courtney before excusing himself to change and shower. When he emerged Courtney was gone, and Rachael was waiting for him in their bedroom.
"Hi." She greeted again, a slight smile on her face as she grabbed onto his neck. "I miss you when you leave me."
"Someone's got to work." Eric muttered cheekily and kissed her.
"Hey it's Veteran's day." Rachael laughed and swatted his arm before leaning in to kiss him again. "Don't be mad I get public holidays off and you don't."
"We'll just put it as 'you owe me'." Eric muttered as he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her against him.
"Later, dinner with our parents first." Rachael kissed him one last time before stepping away to strip off her day clothes and pull on a pair of black slacks and a soft blue long sleeved shirt.
"I'm not sure how I feel about our parents living together." Eric frowned as he pulled on dark jeans and a black button down shirt. Rachael stepped over and adjusted his collar, leaving the top button open, just showing the collar of his white undershirt.
"It's not like they're dating." Rachael laughed. "I'm just glad you got her that new doctor." Her voice stiffened as she mentioned his mother. When she'd visited a new doctor, a high end one paid for by Alan, the man was disgusted with the lack of care and information they'd been given, informing them that her cancer could be easily contained and with the right rehabilitation she'd be able to live with only limited assistance. Eric had been furious, but Grace and her husband Sawyer were suing the old doctor for malpractice.
"Me too." Eric murmured and looked down at her with a grin.
"What?" Rachael smiled back.
"I didn't think she'd ever see my kids." He leaned in to rest his forehead on hers. "She's going to see our kids."
"I like the sound of that." Rachael murmured. "'Our kids'." She smiled and laughed. "We should go." She tried to say, but her words were muffled by another mouth enveloping hers. Then she was falling, landing on the soft bed behind her. "We're going to be late." She gasped as he pulled at her shirt, pulling it over her head. Ignoring her, Eric pulled at her slacks, getting them off after only a slight mishap with a button and getting his own clothing off.
Which made them at least ten minutes late for dinner. As much as she tried, Rachael couldn't convince Eric to go even a little over the speed limit, which made their entrance noticeable, and obvious.
"Hi." Wes was smirking as she came into the kitchen, earning a punch in the arm. "Hey." He protested.
"Shut up." Rachael muttered and looked to Courtney. "Hey." She winked and the blonde girl grinned, happily sitting next to Wes. "Hey Leta." Rachael went over to her mother-in-law, kissing her cheek.
"Hello Love." Leta greeted her, holding her arm to whisper quietly in her ear. "Careful, wait until after the wedding for a baby." Rachael turned red, which gave away what was said without anyone else hearing it.
"Mother." Eric protested, coming to Rachael's side. "You've got four grandkids; focus on them for a while."
"Oh I plan on getting to Florida and spoiling them rotten." Leta grinned devilishly and Rachael looked helpless.
"You would love my mother." Courtney laughed and moved around Rachael to sit next to Leta. "She begs my brother for grandbabies daily."
"He should obey his mother." Leta smiled at the girl.
"He's more interested in other things." Courtney laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "There's four of us, I'm sure we'll each give her one or two."
"I'm thrilled my daughter has given me four beautiful babies, but they're not Myers'." Leta smiled, an odd look in her eye. "Eric's babies will be, that's important to me."
"And I'm sure it's important to him too." Courtney took the older woman's hand.
"It is." Eric sat on the other side of his mother. "But when Rachael and I get there." Leta took his hand and held it tightly. "You'll see my kids Ma."
"I'm grateful." Leta smiled and looked over as Mrs. Bailey entered, triumphantly announcing dinner was ready. Eric held his mother's hand and helped her to the table while the others gathered together around the table, a raucous meal ensuing until Wes requested quiet.
"I just wanted to make a little announcement." He grinned and Courtney sat back, proud of him. Wes turned to his father. "Dad I'm moving out." Alan's eyebrows raised. "I made an offer on a house today, and it looks good."
"Wow, congratulations!" Rachael leaned forward on the table, looking across to her brother. "What brought this out?"
"I've been thinking about it for a long time, I wanted something over on Cedarwood Drive." Wes explained. "So I waited and saved, and one just went on the market, and I think we got there in time." He glanced at Courtney and her surprised face before he realized what he said. "She helped me find it." He tried.
"What Wes is trying to say, is I'm not moving in with him." Courtney laughed. "I was looking for an apartment and knew he was looking."
"That's great Wesley." Mrs. Bailey smiled and held up her drink. "A toast." She announced. "To the future." The group raised their glasses and murmured the phrase back before a barrage of questions for Wes about his house, and Rachael about the wedding, occupying them so that it was very late before Wes walked Courtney out to her car.
"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Wes asked her, hands in his pockets.
"Meré will probably have dinner with the four of us." Courtney turned and leaned against her car, messing with the keys in her hands.
"Yeah Dad likes to have us here." Wes looked thoughtful and then back to her. "I promise to miss you." He grinned cheekily as she smiled. He leaned in to kiss her, but she put a hand on his chest, stopping him.
"Can I be honest with you?" She looked up earnestly, shifting her feet.
"Sure." Wes knit his brow with concern, making him look more like his sister than she'd ever seen.
"I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with you." Courtney said softly. "And it scares me because I don't know if you're over Jen." Wes froze, but didn't back away, and while that was encouraging, his face wasn't.
"I'm not going to tell you I'm completely over her." Wes started slowly. "But I feel less for her every day; I go days without thinking about her because I'm completely infatuated with you." He looked down at her. "I'm falling for you too, and it scares me." He admitted.
"Ok." Courtney leaned up and kissed him before he could protest her hands on either of his cheeks. She pulled back and smiled gently. "I'm not asking you to just give her up. I know that's hard, getting over someone sucks and we have time."
"I'm glad." Wes touched her cheek. "I don't want to rush us." He leaned in and kissed her again, lingering this time as he pressed her against her car. Her laughter made him stop and ask her what was so funny.
"We always end up against my car." She giggled and leaned against him, pulling away from the car to lean against his chest. Laughing with her, Wes wrapped his arms around her thin waist and kissed her again. After a while she looked up. "I should go."
"I don't want you to."
"I have to." Despite the thrill her heart felt when he said the words, even if they were heat of the moment, she knew she couldn't stay. Not now. "Call me." She kissed him one last time before reluctantly getting in her car and driving away, making the forty minute trip back to Briarwood with the radio blasting, heart savoring the joy she felt.
When Wes got back inside Rachael was leaning on the doorway and glanced at her watch. "That good bye took twenty minutes." She looked up with a clear grin on her face.
"Shut up." Wes tried to be annoyed at her, but he couldn't, he was too happy to. Rachael moved forward and hugged him.
"We're growing up." She murmured while she laid her head on his chest. "I miss Mom." She whispered her voice choking. "I don't want to get married without her, but I have to." Rachael turned her head into his shoulder, trying not to cry, but finding it impossible.
"I know." Wes rocked her, holding his sister close. "I miss her too, but think about what we've got." He tried. "Dad's backed off, we've always had Mrs. Bailey, and now you've got Leta." Rachael laughed into his chest.
"She scares me into buying pregnancy tests." Rachael admitted as she laughed. "I've never used one; I hid them in the spare room where Eric won't find them." She wiped her eyes. "Don't tell him about that."
"Trust me, Eric and I don't really talk about you." Wes frowned as she laughed and rolled her eyes. "We're men; we talk about men things, not what he does with you in that house."
"Or what I do to him." Rachael flashed a grin and Wes lunged for her, frowning when she dodged him. Feeling good, he tried again, ending up chasing her through the house, past the other occupants who looked on with a mixture of amusement and confusion. Wes tackled Rachael on the couch, getting her to scream by tickling her.
"Do I need to send you to your rooms?" Alan asked his children after Wes fell to the floor, still laughing.
"Why start now?" Rachael grinned saucily, trying to catch her breath.
"That's it, up to your room." Alan pointed to the stairs, but his face and tone were playing into Rachael and Wes' fun.
"I'll take care of that, sir." Eric volunteered and left Leta's side to get Rachael, but she got up and dodged his grasp, trying to hide behind Mrs. Bailey. The woman laughed and hugged Rachael tightly.
"Go home and sleep, you'll need it in this homestretch." She winked at the out of breath girl who met her fiancé's eyes with a smile.
It didn't take long before she figured out Mrs. Bailey was right. Even with a wedding planner she was being asked a hundred questions a day to finalize details. The woman was strict, and hated how there were not one, but five people that were unaccounted for even in the last weeks of December. She got one day off from making decisions, and that was Christmas, the first Christmas she and Eric had ever spent together. They started it lazily sleeping in, holding each other before moving into the kitchen for breakfast, and gave each other the few presents that sat underneath their modest tree.
Eric grinned when he opened his gift and saw the pair of hockey skates. "I haven't skated in years."
"Me either." Rachael laughed and opened the box for her, screaming with delight when she pulled out an ice blue Pittsburgh Penguins jersey. "God I love you." She kissed him in thanks. "I was going to be nice if you gave me jewelry, but you're smarter than that." She laughed as he turned her under him on the couch. "Thanks for knowing me better than that."
"No problem." Eric grinned. "I'd better, in two and a half weeks you'll be my wife." Rachael's eyes widened at the time frame then softened. "What?"
"I'm not scared." Her eyes sparkled. "I can't wait to be married to you."
"Want to be Mrs. Myers?" Eric grinned and leaned into kiss her as she nodded. "I didn't ask if you wanted my name." He knit his brow thoughtfully. Rachael rolled her eyes, making a scoffing noise.
"I don't like women who do that." She wrinkled her nose as he laughed. "Seriously, you got married, use the man's name for your kids."
"I like you." Eric decided and kissed her again, getting pushed off for his trouble. "Hey." He protested, grabbing her arm as she tried to get away. "Come back here, I'm not done." He muttered and pulled her to the floor, climbing on top of her.
"We've got things to do today." She looked up at him with a frown.
"This is important." Eric pinned her wrists over her head challenging her. "I need you."
"You have me." Rachael argued. "And you can have me later, right now I need to get dressed and get the other presents into the car so we can get to Dad's."
"We have two hours." Eric pointed out.
"I will not be late again because of you." Rachael's eyes darkened. "So make it quick."
"Yes Ma'am." Eric greedily picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. By the time she was dressed in a red sweater over a white t-shirt, Eric was slowly sitting up and getting to his things. Rachael laughed and shook her head at him as she went into the kitchen, pulling together presents and things to take over to her father's. A strange beeping came several times before she pinpointed the yellow case was the offending object. Curious, she set up the video part, pleased to see a blonde on the other end.
"Hey Bronwyn, Merry Christmas." Rachael smiled as her friend laughed.
"Merry Christmas, have you been to see the others yet?"
"Not yet." Rachael glanced toward the bedroom. "Slowly getting ready."
"Eric around?"
"Here." He came up behind Rachael, missing his shirt in favor of talking to Bronwyn. She did a double take before getting to her point.
"I just wanted to give you guys your present." She smiled brightly. "We're coming to the wedding, all of us." Rachael clapped her hands over her mouth and leaned back in the chair she was seated in before jumping up to hug Eric. Bronwyn laughed and checked her watch. "I'm going to get going; we're having our own Christmas here." She explained.
"Tell everyone I can't wait to see them." Rachael nodded and signed off before leaping into Eric's arms again. "You cannot imagine how excited I am." She said breathlessly. "It almost feels complete now."
"Your mother." Eric guessed softly, feeling his heart tug as she nodded. "She'll be there, somehow." He touched her chin, tipping it up to make her eyes meet his. "I love you."
"I love you too." Rachael smiled, eyes shining with tears she was trying to avoid. "Go get dressed we're going to be late again."
"Bah." Eric snorted and kissed her hard and fast before going to the bedroom to search out the shirt she'd gotten for him. "Why do you buy me black shirts?" He asked as he came out, the black sweater over a white shirt.
"It's not all black." Rachael defended her choice with a turn of her head. "I'd have gotten you red, but I know Wes will wear it, and I didn't think you'd want to match me either."
"Good point." Eric conceded and opened the door for her, grabbing the heavier of the presents. Rachael stepped out on their doorstep and locked the door before looking up at the sky and sighing deeply.
"I miss snow."
"Really?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall you saying you were sick of it."
"Not on Christmas." Rachael shook her head, smiling that he'd remembered that. "Snow just makes Christmas perfect. Not that being with you isn't perfect." She amended quickly; getting a grin from him as she moved next to him to place the food she'd cooked to help Mrs. Bailey not have to cook it all for dinner.
"So you do miss Boston." Eric accused as they got into the SUV.
"Just the snow on Christmas." Rachael grinned and leaned over to kiss him. "There're more things I like here." She leaned back in her chair. "See I've got this guy, I live with him and I'm going to marry him."
"Don't tell him about me." Eric played along with her joke, pleased she laughed along as he drove her across town to the giant house her father lived in. Their first Christmas together was filled with family and friends, but Eric was the happiest when he had her back in their house, wrapped up in a blanket on their couch with her close to him. It was a quiet moment, one where they could rest in each other's company without the stress of any part of the wedding, now that the guest list crisis had been resolved. Neither woke until early the next morning when they had to get back to life, and answer questions everyone had for them.