AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I bit into the cinnamon roll and closed my eyes, letting the flavors wash over my tongue. “Holy cow, this is amazing.”
“Isn’t it?”
“How can one person cook so many things this well?” I asked.
“Marie is a superhero,” Kat said. “I wish she’d take Mom’s offer of a full-time job back home.”
“I can see why.”
“I think I might travel back here just for the food.” Kat patted her belly and reached for a second cinnamon roll before saying, “Gift time?”
“Sure, let’s move this into the living room,” Rose said as she fixed herself an espresso.
I grabbed some orange juice and another cinnamon roll and we moved into the other room. The presents had been set out overnight, just as if Santa had come and delivered them. The room felt magical with the glistening tree and mountain of presents in front of picture windows with gorgeous snowy mountain views.
It was the type of Christmas that I had dreamt of as a little girl. I felt giddy, like a child, and Kat seemed to be feeling equally as silly as her and Aiden raced for the chair closest to the tree.
I stood back from the group, not wanting to intrude on their family time, but Rose patted the seat next to her on the couch. “Join us, Harper.”
My phone buzzed in my hand, and I glanced at it. Frowning, I read the name, “Tony.”
Merry Christmas, beautiful. I miss you. I hope we can talk about what happened when you cool down a bit.
It was like ice formed around my heart. I couldn’t breathe for a second, and I was transported back to New York, to Tony’s office, with the blonde on her knees in front of him…
“Harper?” Nathan asked, sitting on the other side of the spot saved for me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine,” I said, turning my phone off and placing it on the table as I took my seat. If Nathan could be as confident as he was facing Carly, surely I could avoid a text from my ex. At least I wasn’t staring him in the eyes.
Nate offered a sympathetic look, as if he knew and maybe he did. I so badly wanted to take his hand in mine and to seek comfort from him, but I knew I needed to play it cool.
Rose stood up and went to the tree, grabbing a package wrapped in gold and red. “This is for Harper.”
“Me? Really? Seriously, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
“But I did. I loved shopping for you, Harper,” Rose said, handing me the gift adorned with a beautiful handmade bow. I held onto it until everyone had a gift, and one-by-one, we opened them.
Kat got some new AirPods, Aiden some tech gadget that I had no idea about. Jackson got a new tie which was apparently very expensive and something he had requested, while Nathan got a new Rolex.
“Your turn!” Kat called out, pointing to my gift.
I didn’t tear into the gift; the wrapping was too pretty for that. I gently slipped off the bow and removed the paper, revealing a non-descript box.
Once I opened it up, I pulled out a pink cardigan that was the softest thing I had ever touched.
“It’s cashmere,” Rose said with a satisfied smile. “I hoped that pink was still your favorite color.”
“It is,” I said, surprised that she had remembered that all these years.
“And I hope it fits, but if not, there's a gift receipt in there.”
I slipped it on and it fit like a glove. It was the coziest sweater I had ever worn. I had never had anything cashmere; it felt luxurious and decadent against my skin.
“I love it. This is the nicest sweater I’ve ever had.”
“You deserve it, sweetheart,” Rose said, getting back up and handing out more gifts. I got another. In fact, I got several more and I couldn’t believe that even the triplets bought me something.
“How did you guys manage to do all this shopping? The decision to come here was so last minute.” I couldn’t stop smiling. I was feeling spoiled for the first time in my life. I felt so bad for not getting them anything, but they insisted they understood.
