Cass beat her to open it. “Come in! Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” she added when he handed her a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates.
“It’s the least I can do, crashing your Christmas Eve festivities.”
“We’re happy to have you. Wye, show Ward where he can wash up. Dinner’s almost ready.”
Ward took Elise for a quick snuggle, then followed Wye to the bathroom. “You sure it’s all right that Elise and I are here?”
“Positive,” Wye said, remembering her conversation with Cass and her sisters in the woods earlier that month about deciding to belong. “Did you bring your things to stay overnight?”
“I packed a bag, but I don’t know—it seems weird…”
“I know it does, but it isn’t good for you to stay home alone. You’ll be better off here.”
“If you think so.”
“I know so. Come on; wash up and let’s go eat. Cass and I have been cooking all day.”
Chapter 9
‡
Emerson knew if he didn’t stop eating, he’d end up falling asleep at the candlelight service later, but it was hard to exercise restraint when Cass and Wye set out this kind of spread.
“That was good,” Ward said, jostling Elise a little, who was sitting on his lap, taking tiny bites of turkey he offered her and chewing them with her limited set of teeth.
“That was stupendous,” the General proclaimed. “You outdid yourself, Cass.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Wye.”
“We menfolk will clean up,” Brian declared. “Go make yourselves pretty for church.”
He was met with good-natured protests, but the women retired happily upstairs, Jo stealing Elise from Ward’s arms.
Ward hung back as the other men sprang into action, and Emerson figured he wasn’t sure how to help without getting in the way.
“Broom’s in the pantry over there,” he said. “If you want, you could sweep.”
“Sounds good.” Ward went gratefully to start the task.
Brian took charge of washing the dishes. Several of the others helped dry and put away. Emerson kept a constant flow of dirty dishes from the table to the sink. Connor put on some music. Twenty minutes later, when they’d put a sizable dent in the work, Emerson noticed Ward had headed outside. Looking out the window, he saw the man bent over his phone, tapping quickly.
Could his wife have gotten in touch? At first, Emerson thought that might be the case, especially as the minutes ticked on, but when Ward finally shoved the phone in his pocket and came back indoors, he just shrugged. “Friends saying happy holidays,” he said.
“Thought it might be…” Emerson realized it wasn’t a good idea to bring up Mindy. “Never mind.” When Ward frowned, he rushed to change the subject. “Want to help me take this tablecloth outside and shake it?”
“Sure.”
Ward was back on his phone several more times before they left for church and had it in his hand again during the drive home. Emerson was glad to see him put it away when they reached Two Willows. It was late, and the sky was a sea of stars. Everyone else stopped to look up when they got out of their vehicles.
“I love this part of Christmas best of all,” Alice said softly. “The hush before the storm.”
“I like opening presents,” Jo said. “Always have, always will.”
“I like the food,” Connor said.
“I like it all,” Emerson said, but his gaze was on Ward, who was looking up at the sky as if it had the answer to something that was puzzling him.
“I like you,” Wye said and kissed him on the cheek. “And I’m ready to go to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“You and me both,” Cass said contentedly. “Go ahead upstairs. Get your brother settled for the night.”
“Will do. Come on, Ward. Let me show you your room.”
“Sure thing.”
Emerson was lying in bed by the time Wye had gotten Ward and Elise settled in for the night, and when she slipped into his room, he lifted the covers as an invitation.
“I thought we’d never get to the good part,” Wye said, hurrying to join him.
“How’s your brother doing?”
“As good as can be expected. Preoccupied, actually,” she admitted as she stripped down, slid on a silky little slip of a thing and joined him. “I think he’ll do better tomorrow after the morning’s festivities. Then it’ll be over and life will get back to normal. I think that’s easier for him than holidays. I wish he’d put his phone down, though, and pay more attention to Elise. You don’t think…” She hesitated. “You don’t think he’s on a dating site, do you?”
“Maybe.” The thought had occurred to him, too. “He’s human, Wye. It’s hard to be alone during the holidays. You couldn’t blame him for reaching out to someone else.”
“It’s way too soon.”
“Probably. Although that never stopped anyone before.”
She chuckled. “You’re right. As a species, we aren’t very sensible.”
“Ward is old enough to decide for himself when he’s ready to look for love again.”
She nodded. “I won’t nag him, if that’s what you’re trying to say.”
“I’m not saying that at all. Just thinking out loud. I wish everyone was having as good a holiday as I am, your brother included.”
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am.”
She snuggled closer. “I think your holiday is about to get a whole lot better.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I have a gift for you right here.” She indicated herself. “You just have to unwrap it.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Luckily Wye wasn’t wearing all that much to unwrap, and he made short work of tugging off the tiny garment she’d just put on, exposing her to his touch. She climbed on top of him as he palmed one breast and lifted it to take her nipple in his mouth. Teasing her with his tongue, he cupped her other breast, and she arched her back.
He
