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Rissa squeezed his hand. “If you’re sure, I’d love to stay.”
In the back seat, Frizzle barked her agreement, making them laugh as they sealed the deal with a kiss.
For the first time since Burke’s family had moved away from Burlington, she could look forward to Christmas.
Burke couldn’t contain his smile. Rissa would stay through Christmas, giving him time to work on their relationship. He knew his heart had fallen for her. It was quick, but it was right.
One of his biggest regrets had been letting her slip out of his life. It had been about pain management, but he wished he’d handled it differently.
He doubted she’d had many good Christmases after they’d moved in with Fox. When she’d spent time with his family over the holidays, her eyes had always been wide with wonder.
She hadn’t wanted to come on Christmas Day the first year they’d been friends because she didn’t have any money for gifts. He’d told her it didn’t matter and believed it. All he wanted was for her to have a fun day with his family.
Burke’s mom had solved the problem when she brought Rissa into the kitchen and shooed the rest of them out of the room.
Burke had listened to them whisper and laugh while the house filled with the scent of gingerbread.
When they’d emerged from the kitchen, Rissa’s eyes had sparkled with joy and hope. On a platter, there was a large gingerbread person decorated for each of them.
Flowers for Jolie, knitting needles and yarn for Amber, a superhero comic for Knox, a lawn mower and wrench for Lawson, and a car for Burke. He’d been saving every penny, hoping to buy a car when he turned sixteen. She’s also made two gingerbread people holding hands for his parents.
When Halona revealed another for Rissa, complete with library books, Rissa’s eyes had filled, and she’d had to gulp back the sobs. Everyone noticed, but also pretended not to, until little Jolie hugged her. “We love you, Rissa.”
Rissa had hugged Jolie hard and swallowed her emotions. So had the rest of them.
He drew in a lungful of icy air to do the same now.
“Are you okay? If you’ve changed your mind—”
Her voice trailed off, and he realized she thought he regretted asking her to stay. She still didn’t realize what an amazing woman she was, how much she was loved.
He grinned at her. “That’s not it. I got lost in a Christmas memory. Do you remember the year you and my mom made those gingerbread cookies for everyone?”
Rissa smiled, and it reached her eyes. “Of course. That’s my favorite Christmas memory. Your family made it magical.”
“My parents were great people. We were so lucky to have them for those years, and lucky again when Fox took us in.”
“I have wonderful memories of Fox when he came to visit you before that year. He taught me how to fish without hurting any worms.”
Burke laughed at the memory. “And he showed you how to catch and release without hurting the fish.”
Her grin widened. “I haven’t been able to eat fish since. They were so pretty, shining like rainbows in the water.”
“Softie.”
She shrugged. “Guilty.”
Which was a miracle in itself. Losing her mom so young and living with her miserable father, she’d never lost her inner softness.
Burke opened the Blazer’s rear door. “Let’s get these into the Q Lab and then see if Charlie and Ella want to play with bubbles.”
They stacked all the bins inside the RV, then entered and closed the door behind them. Rissa knelt to remove Frizzle’s elf outfit, giving Burke time to study the RV.
Straight ahead was a bench seat with a desktop computer and a second monitor secured on the table, with space for her laptop as well. The tech was older, but reliable.
The passenger seat sported a raised dog bed secured in place with a series of steps leading up to it. More steps led to the bench seat at her workstation with another Frizzle-sized dog bed in the corner.
Frizzle barked happily when Rissa removed her suit, then she bounced to climb the stairs and snuggle into the bed on the bench seat. Rissa covered her with a blanket. “I’ll turn up the heat for you, Frizzle.”
