Page 85 of The Lie That Stole Christmas

“Has your name right here.”

“Who is it from?”He took the gift and looked at the tag.

“Doesn’t say,” Ms.Porter said.

Gabe hesitantly opened the gift as all eyes were on him.Ms.Porter grabbed the paper before it could hit the floor and happily shoved it into the garbage bag.

Gabe’s eyes widened, and it took everything in Ashley to not peer into the box.He dropped the box, holding the contents inside.It looked like a book.He quickly flipped the cover and first few pages open, and Ashley caught the image.

A worn copy ofThe Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, Gabe’s favorite book growing up.It had the same cracked spine.

He stopped on a page and audibly gasped.

“Who did this?”he asked, scanning the room.“Grandpa?”

Grandpa shook his head.

“Ash?”

She hadn’t seen that book in years.She had totally forgotten about it until now.“It wasn’t me.”

“Me neither,” Taylor said.

“Aunt Marilyn?”

She snorted.“I barely remembered to get your father something.”

Everyone else shook their heads, looking at each other.

“Carter?”Gabe asked, and Ashley turned to see Carter had silently slipped in.He was leaning against the wall, wearing a three-piece dark green tweed with a crisp white shirt and a Christmas tie.

“Considering you tried to beat me up not even a few days ago, you weren’t exactly at the top of my Christmas gift list.”

“Santa,” Ms.Porter said.“It’s the only explanation.”

“Yeah.”Gabe closed the cover, resting his hand on it for a moment, and then he smiled.An actual full-on Gabe smile Ashley thought had been lost.

Ashley stood and made her way to Carter.She had slipped into his room last night, but she hadn’t had a chance to tell him her plans.She needed a moment alone with him.

Gabe crossed the room and approached them.Ashley braced for whatever the hell Gabe was about to say.Surely some rude comment about how Carter didn’t belong here.

Instead, he held his hand out.Carter stared at it for a moment before accepting.

“I was an asshole.”

Carter looked at Ashley, and she shrugged.She had no idea Gabe was ready to make amends, but heat burst into her heart.Maybe this was a new chapter after all.

“Took you thirty years,” Carter said with a laugh.

Gabe chuckled.“I still don’t like you.”

“Not like I was expecting a hug.”

“Good, because you weren’t getting one.”They dropped hands, and Gabe smiled at her.“He was right to tell you.It wasn’t my business, and—”

“Are you about to apologize?”Ashley asked.

“I’m trying to.”