Page 52 of Tinsel in Telluride

“Right, but we all played different sports. Which led to arguments about which was better.”

“Fucking men.” I roll my eyes, but mostly I’m impressed. It’s all so normal. Wholesome even. And between Bash’s stories this morning and this, I’m beginning to see a different side to Luca. One that isn’t pretentious or selfish.

“You aren’t wrong.”

“So what happened?” I ask, invested in their story. “What brought you all together?”

“Believe it or not, our first Christmas.”

“Really?” I tease, not believing it for a second. “That sounds like something out of a Hallmark movie.”

“Those were always Jack’s favorite. I can’t count the number of times I came home and caught him crying on the couch.” He chuckles and blinks away his own glassy tears threatening to fall. “That first Christmas Enzo and I weren’t going home because of…” He hesitates for a beat but keeps going. “Well, that’s a story for another time—but Bash and Holt were in season, so they were around, and Jack stayed behind because he insisted that’s what friends did.”

“He sounds like a smart guy.” I turn up the corners of my mouth to hide the wave of emotion that hits me. I’ll never get tomeet this man who managed to get this ragtag group of guys on the same page.

“The smartest,” Luca agrees. “Jack waited until we were all out of the suite, and when we came back, it looked like Christmas had thrown up on every available surface. He claimed it was because Christmas was his favorite holiday, but I think he knew it was exactly what we needed. Enzo and I were in the thick of family drama, Bash was homesick, and Holt had just gone through a bad breakup.”

I file away the tiny bit of information about his family with a mental note to ask about it later. “And what happened?”

“We all got super drunk on hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps and fell asleep on the couches. From that moment on, we were inseparable.”

“So basically all it took to get through to you guys was a good old-fashioned sleepover?”

Luca tips his head back and laughs. Like really laughs. It’s deep and rich. He clutches his stomach, and I’m almost certain there are tears in his eyes.

And I’m lost in the sight of him. He might be an asshole one moment and sweet the next, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so carefree.

It’s beautiful.

Devastatingly so.

I look away as he catches his breath, needing a moment of my own.

“When did you guys find out he was sick?” I whisper, and the way he drops his chin to his chest and sighs, I almost kick myself for asking.

But I need to know.

I need to understand. After everything Holt and Bash shared, I’m convinced so much of who Luca is now is wrapped in this story—this moment of his life.

“Senior year.” Luca pauses and scrubs his hand down his face. “He had been losing weight and went to the doctors only to find out the cancer had returned. It was so far along that there wasn’t anything they could do. He was gone in a matter of weeks.”

“Oh my God,” I breathe and, without thinking, reach over and take his hand in mine. Giving it a gentle squeeze, I channel every healing vibe I have left in my body. “I am so sorry, Luca.”

He returns my squeeze, and a half smile tips his lips. “Me too. But I’m so glad I got the chance to have him in my life. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. With the guys. Or with you.”

My head tilts in question. “With me?”

He nods. “I was only at the fundraiser the night we conceived Zach because that’s the hospice company that took care of Jack.”

“Oh.” I use my free hand to tug my coat tighter against the cold, ignoring how my stomach flutters at the way he’s making it sound like we were destined to be there that night. “I always wondered why you were there. It didn’t seem like your kind of event.”

Indie would say it’s fate.

Willow, serendipitous luck.

Me? I’m firmly in the camp of everything happens for a reason, but fate and destiny are bullshit.

Luca continues. “We rotate who goes each year. Most of the time, though, it’s Enzo, Bash, or me, since Holt still has games to attend.”

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