Where We Began

chapter fifty-eight

Cole's POV

As Zane pulled up to Brooke's it hit me that, even after all these years of being friends, I had never once been to her house. I paused for a moment after getting out of the truck to take in the oversized farmhouse with its wrap-around porch complete with rocking chairs by the front door between the pots overflowing with colorful flowers. Beyond the house I could see what looked like an amazing view of the valley that held the river we swam in every summer and a couple of cattle dogs laying in the grass not willing to come greet the company. Beside the house there was a garage with the doors open showcasing Brooke's jeep, her stepdads truck and her mom's SUV all shining in the sun like trophies ready to be taken off a shelf.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Zane said as I turned to see the huge front yard lined with oak trees before the forrest began on one side and the cow fields on the other.

"It's fucking huge," I muttered still in shock at the size of the place. I knew Brooke's family had money but this was beyond what I had imagined, "what's the inside like?"

"Oh no I'm not spoiling that," Zane laughed as my parents got out of their car looking around in the same amount of shock, "Brooke would kill me."

"Who the hell are you dating son?" My dad joked as they all came to stand with us at the bottom of the porch stairs, "this place is huge."

"I love it," Ellie giggled as she noticed the dogs in the yard and tried to call them over.

"Hello everyone!" a short blonde woman who I recognized as Brooke's mom from serving them at Ally's greeted us as she floated through the front door, "do come in please."

"Hey mom," Zane laughed as she pulled him into a hug as we walked inside, "looking beautiful as ever!"

"Oh Zane stop it," she laughed before turning to me and putting out her hand to shake, "you must be Cole!"

"Yes ma'am," I said, shaking her hand trying to hide my nerves, "these are my parents Paul and Tanya and my sisters Lynne and Ellie."

"It's nice to meet you," my dad said as they all shook hands.

"You have a gorgeous house," my mom said as she looked around the entryway, "I absolutely love the staircase!"

"Thank you," she said motioning the grand staircase that wrapped from the second story to the first in front of the floor to ceiling windows, "it was my late husband's idea so there would always be a good backdrop for family pictures."

"Cora dear, why don't we show our guest to the living room," a man who I assumed to be Brooke's stepfather Rob, said as he appeared from the kitchen area and extended his hand to my father, "hello I'm Rob Sasito! Welcome to our home."

"Nice to meet you Rob," my dad replied shaking his hand as his sleeve slid up to reveal the start of his tattoos, "I'm Pa-"

"Paul Matthews!" a woman who looked a lot like Brooke gasped, descending the staircase and wrapping my father in a hug, "I haven't seen you in years yet you haven't changed a bit!"

"Rachel Grady!" my dad said after the quick hug from the older blonde version of Brooke, "I thought you moved off somewhere!"

"No I've been here since the day I was born," she joked as she noticed my mom and reached to take her hands, "you must be Tanya! Which means these are all your beautiful children! It's great to meet everyone! I wasn't sure Paul here would ever settle down."

"I wasn't either," mom laughed with Rachel like they were old college roommates, "I heard quite the stories about his younger days."

"I'm sure I can tell you many more," Rachel said, making my dad run his hand through his hair like he did when he was on edge.

"Dude," Zane whispered so no one could hear him but me, "your dad used to bang Brooke's aunt."

"Get bent asshole," I hissed back him as I noticed movement at the top of the staircase, "Holy fuck."

Standing at the top of the stairs was Brooke wearing the most flattering dress I have ever had the privilege to see hugging her curves. She flashed me her breathtaking smile as she began to descend the stairs making the house fall silent, apart from her heels hitting the hardwood, with all eyes on her. The black fabric of the dress flowed behind her making her appear to float effortlessly down to us like an angel descending from Heaven with her hair creating a perfect halo around her face then falling in curls down her back. The sunlight from the bay windows caught the stones on the bodice of the dress accentuating the contour of her figure. I almost forgot to breathe as she walked up to me and took my loose hanging tie in her hands.

"Hey loser," she smiled looking up at me still despite her heels and she wrapped my tie around itself then pulled it through, "did no one ever teach you to tie a tie?"

"I, um," my brain froze trying to form a witty come back but she was so perfect standing there all I could say was a simple "no".

"Jesus Brooke," Zane laughed beside me taking her in, "let the poor guy breathe. He didn't see you fall down the stairs last year so he thinks you're some goddess."

"Of course you would bring that up," Brooke laughed as I heard the shutter of a camera followed by the laughs of our parents, "well shall we get to actual pictures then?"

"Yes ma'am," I said before I noticed my mom shoot me a 'introduce me or i'll kill you' look, "but first I would like you to meet my parents. This is my mom Tanya and my dad Paul."

Brooke's POV

Cole's parents looked like models from the cover of a tattoo magazine. His dad had dark hair with a sprinkle of gray on the sides to match his perfectly lined short beard which drew away from the wrinkles beside his dark blue eyes. Peeking out from the collar of his shirt I could see parts of a tattoo like the ones hidden under the sleeves of his button down shirt. Tanya on the other hand didn't try to cover her tattoos with her one sleeve navy dress. I was mesmerized by the sleeve of flowers that trailed from her wrist to her shoulder and disappeared down her back covered by her wavy midnight hair.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," she said as she wrapped me in a hug, "you are even more beautiful than the few pictures we've seen!"

"Thank you," I felt my face turning bright red under my flawless makeup, "your tattoos are amazing."

"Thank you," she laughed, holding her arm out so I could see all the different flowers.

"Brooke we need to start on pictures," my mom said coming up behind me, "the girls are all dressed and ready now as well as your blonde friend and his girlfriend."

"It's Eli and Rebecca mom," I sighed, knowing I had just told her their names for the thousandth time this morning, "where are we starting pictures?"

"I think everyone should sit on the stairs with their dates to start with," she said, guiding me toward the stairs where everyone and their parents had gathered looking amazing in all their brightly colored dresses, "everyone gets a picture with their date and the parents, then one big group picture before we can head outside for more!"

The next two hours went on with my mother bossing everyone around as the photographer snapped what seemed like a million pictures. I kept Cole close by to make sure I had pictures with him and not just Zane who my mother was hell bound to have in all my pictures. Zane sensed my building annoyance as he excused himself to the restroom while I took pictures with Cole and his family. Right before my mom could pull me away from Cole he grabbed my waist and dipped me back holding me softly as we locked eyes and the butterflies erupted in my stomach. His curls were perfectly framing his chiseled face with his eyes glittering in the sunlight not to be outdone by his perfectly straight teeth. He caught my staring at his lips as he brought me close to his chest and cupped my face before placing the softest kiss on my lips to the sound of the camera shutter.

"I can't wait to get you alone and kiss you," he whispered in my ear before letting me go.

"We don't have to go to the dance if you have other plans in mind," I winked at him before being drug off for more family pictures. He shot me a mischievous smile before Zane and Eli reappeared to talk about the after party. I wouldn't mind skipping it too if it meant I could see what he was hiding under the too tight button down that was clinging to him in all the right places.