“I just told him. Blake promised to keep his hands to himself and let me deal with this.”
“Good.”
“Your mother is in a panic, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“She doesn’t think she has enough eggs for all of us.”
“Eggs?” Only my mother would worry about eggs at a time like this. “Lucky for her I brought a chicken along.”
“You brought Elvis?”
“I couldn’t leave her at your place without Harvey there. Addy would’ve freaked out.”
She nodded. “It would definitely be a blue Christmas without Elvis.”
I grinned at her echo of my earlier thought. “Exactly.”
“Head inside, baby girl. Hope just got your kids to bed. They’re waiting for a kiss good night.”
I started to open the door, but then hesitated as Reid crested the top porch step, curiosity making me slow to turtle speed.
“Merry Christmas, Zo,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. I could hear the uncertainty in it. “Well, almost Christmas.”
Aunt Zoe sniffed. “You’re good, Martin. This was a very shrewd chess move on your part.”
His arms spread wide. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t even try to play innocent. If you thought you could come here and convince me to change my answer, you’re wasting your time.”
Her answer to what?
I opened my mouth to pry, but caught myself at the last moment. Slipping inside the house, I quietly closed the door behind me. I’d have to badger Aunt Zoe for details later when I had a chance to catch her alone.
The foyer smelled like fresh-baked apple pie. I drooled all over myself as I kicked off my boots. My mother came around the corner from the dining room as I was unbuttoning my coat. She looked radiant in the shiny gold dressing gown she wore only around the holidays. Her blond hair flowed over her shoulders, her cheeks warmed with a pink blush.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, pulling me in for a squeeze. I could smell the rum on her. That explained the blush.
“I told you I’d make it,” I said when she held me at arm’s length.
“And I told you that blizzard was coming, but did you listen to me? Of course not. What do I know?”
“Let her be, Hope,” my father said from behind her. A Santa hat covered his black hair, the silver at his temples blending with the white furry trim. “She made it in before midnight. We’re lucky to have her here at all with this storm.”
I rushed into his arms, one of my favorite places, and snuggled against his soft red flannel shirt for a moment. Ah, there it was. Home sweet home.
“I brought Reid,” I admitted right out of the gate.
“I heard.”
I frowned up at him. “He saved the day, so please try to be good.”
“Your aunt already gave me a lecture, and I agreed not to shoot him in the ass on sight.”
Well, that was a start. “What about tomorrow?”
He kissed the top of my head before letting me go. “One day at a time, Goldilocks.”
“I can’t believe you brought five additional guests, Violet,” Mom said, helping me take off my coat.
“I couldn’t leave them alone on Christmas.”
“Your heart always has been too big when it comes to lonely critters, human or not.” She squeezed my chin. “We’re going to need more eggs.”
“You’re in luck. I invited a chicken to Christmas, too.”
Dad laughed and stepped around us, opening the front door in time to pull Natalie inside.
She gave both of my parents a kiss on the cheek. Doc followed shortly, shaking my father’s hand and then letting my mother hug and coo about him while he charmed her with compliments.
I left the foyer, hurrying past the dining table and down the hallway, avoiding the living room in case Susan was lurking there. Addy and Layne shared my brother’s old room whenever they came to stay at my parents, which was now equipped with bunk beds since Quint stayed at his condo the few days a year he was actually in town.
Addy squealed when I stepped through the doorway. She rolled out of bed and threw herself at me, wrapping me in her little arms when I lowered to her level. “I was so worried you wouldn’t make it through the snow, Mom.”
This moment had been worth the angst and frustrations of the last twelve hours. I held her tight and breathed her in, smelling the coconut-scented bubble bath that Mom kept in the spare bathroom for when my kids were visiting. I stroked my daughter’s hair, soaking up her heated hug. While Addy and I shared the same hair color, unlike my thick curly mess, her hair always reminded me of blond corn silk.
“No blizzard is going to keep me from you two,” I whispered. I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled, holding out Buck the unicorn for her to take. “Guess who else I brought along?”
She took Buck and hugged him to her cheek. “Grammy already told us. You brought Natalie.”
“I’m not talking about Nat. This special guest has a red comb, white feathers, and a poodle sweater.”
“Elvis!” Addy jumped free of my arms, bouncing up and down around the room.
Dang. That silly chicken received as much joy at making it in time for Christmas as I had, maybe more.
I rose and looked at my son, who was sitting on the top bunk with his legs dangling over the side rail. “Hey, big guy, do I get a Christmas Eve hug or what?”
Layne tried to act cool and reserved with his damp dark blond hair combed back, but when I stepped closer and held up my arms, his face split in a big, puppy-loving grin. He bent forward and gave me a hug that lasted twice as long as usual.
“Don’t do that again, Mom,” he whispered in my ear before pulling away.
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I tweaked his chin playfully. “I won’t, sweetheart.”
“Where’s Doc?” he asked, frowning behind me toward the doorway.
“He’s saying ‘Hi’ to your grandparents. Why?”
