Page 90 of Some Sort of Love (Happy Crazy Love 3)
“Usually,” I said, shivering. “Ooh, it’s cold. But this year we’re going to a party at the winery where Skylar works on Christmas Eve, and then to my mom’s on Christmas Day for dinner. What about you? Heading up to Charlevoix?”
He nodded and wrapped his arms around me to keep me warm. “Yes,” he said, dropping a kiss on the tip of my nose. “And you are invited to come to brunch there on Christmas morning.”
“Really?”
He laughed. “I love how that lit you up.”
“Well, that’s exciting for me, to meet your family. I want you to meet mine, too. You and Scotty.”
“That would be nice,” he said.
“Could you…could you maybe stop by the winery on Christmas Eve?” I asked hopefully. “It would be so nice to see you that night.”
“I wish I could,” he said, “but I think my mother would kill me. Now you better go, before you get frostbite out here.”
“OK.” I tried not to feel too disappointed. Being invited to Christmas Day brunch was amazing, and I couldn’t wait to tell my sisters.
We kissed goodnight, and he opened the car door for me. “Drive carefully, OK? I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I will. I love you.”
He smiled. “I love you too.”
• • •
Life got a little hectic in the days before Christmas, and we didn’t get another chance to see each other before he had to leave for Charlevoix, although we spoke every day. He called me on his way up.
“Are you getting ready for the party?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, hunting around for the right earrings for my dress. “I wish you were coming with me.” It was our first Christmas Eve as a couple, and we had to spend it apart. I was trying not to feel sad about that.
“I know. I’m sorry. My mom is all insistent that Christmas Eve is for family.”
That made my heart ache a little. “I get it.”
“Well, listen. I better go. Roads aren’t great and it’s getting dark. You have fun tonight and call me in the morning when you’re heading out. You have directions and the address, right?”
“Yes. Drive carefully, please,” I begged, worried about him on the dark, snowy highways.
“I will. Love you. Merry Christmas.”
“Love you, too. Merry Christmas.”
I hung up and finished getting ready, trying to focus on all the good things in my life, not on how much I’d miss him tonight. But it was hard.
Christmas Eve was
for family, his mother insisted. I didn’t disagree, and I loved my family fiercely. But I wanted him in it.
Was that crazy?
I set the phone down and smiled. Pulling off the white lie about tonight hadn’t been easy, since I was so bad at deception, but every time I thought about her face when she saw Scotty and me at the party tonight, it gave me the strength to keep up the act. At least she couldn’t see my face today, I thought, which hadn’t been straight at all during our conversation. It had been much harder the other night when I’d had to turn down her invitation in person.
I felt a twinge of guilt thinking about the comment I’d made regarding family but decided it would make her that much happier when she saw that family to me included everyone I loved most—and that meant her.
I hummed a holiday tune as I went to collect Scotty from his room for his shower. “Ready, bud?”
“Yes,” he said, putting his hands over his ears. “But Dad. Stop singing.”
