AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I didn’t want to know what those two were doing. “Bye, Ember.”
She ran from the living room where she’d been playing with the puppy to where I stood at the door. “Thank you for my puppy.”
I crouched down to her level. “You’re welcome. You take care of her. She’s your responsibility.”
Ember nodded. “I’ll feed her and walk her.”
“And make sure she gets outside so she doesn’t pee in the house. You need to help her learn that she needs to go outside.”
Ember nodded solemnly. “I can do that.”
I pulled her in for a hug, wondering if my son or daughter would have been similar to Ember. Would they have grown up together? I knew better than to go down this road, but I couldn’t help but think about our unborn child at Christmas. Was Holly feeling the same way? I wanted to get to her.
“I’ll see you tonight,” I said as she pulled away.
The puppy nipped at the edge of her pajama bottoms, making her giggle. I slipped out of the house, determined to spend some time with Holly before we needed to join the rest of the family for dinner.
When she wasn’t at the house, I went to the shed. I uncovered the fixture I made for Holly, hoping she’d love it. I put a large bow on it and carried it into the house and placed it under the tree. There were only a couple of wrapped presents underneath.
For my family, I bought baking lessons for Addy, the puppy for Ember, a house cleaning service for Mom that I renewed each year, and a voucher for a ski trip at a lodge in Telluride for the family. I was excited to check it out.
I hoped the family could go in January or February to take a break from the holiday season. I’d included a ticket for Holly, but I wasn’t sure she’d want to leave work for that long.
I had plenty of money, and I preferred to spend it on family. I couldn’t think of a better gift than a vacation for all of us. The farm would be closed for the season, and the shop had limited hours during the off-season.
I anticipated some pushback from Emmett just because that was who he was. But I hoped the rest of the family understood what this would mean for all of us. We needed this time together.
Chapter 22
Holly
Talon was asleep when my alarm went off, so I slipped into the shower, hoping he’d join me when he heard the water running.
Instead, he’d called to me from the doorway, saying he’d see me later. I felt this divide between us, but I hoped it was merely the business of the holidays.
He’d sent me a picture of Ember and her new puppy, and I was so happy that she adored her. I just wished I’d been there to see her face when she realized the puppy was hers.
I sent back a picture of me in front of the tree at my mom’s. I didn’t want him to know that I was feeling a little down because we were spending the morning apart. We were adults. I should be able to handle this. I’d see him later.
When I arrived at Mom’s, we ate the frittata she’d baked and discussed my business and other things going on around town.
Mom took a deep breath. “What did you think of John?”
“I was a little surprised you didn’t warn me ahead of time so I could be prepared,” I said carefully.
Mom sighed. “I was worried you wouldn’t come.”
“It’s weird for me. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be dating, or I shouldn’t expect it; it was just a surprise.”
“I can understand that.”
The morning sun shone through the window, warming my face. “Why haven’t you dated before?”
Her forehead creased. “I was busy taking care of you, but it was more than that. Your father was charming, and I fell hard for him. His energy was addicting. Every time he left, I hoped he’d come back and realize he was making a mistake. By the time I figured out that he would never be the man you or I needed, my trust was worn thin. Why wouldn’t the next guy be the same? I couldn’t expose you to someone you couldn’t count on.”
“And John is different?” I asked.
“You never know for sure, but I realized that not every guy is your father. It took me a while to trust John. He’s been there for me. He’s patient and kind. He understands what we’ve been through, and he says he’s all in. I’m choosing to believe him.”
