by Jody Holford
“I might take you up on that.”
“Daddy, where are we?”
Kate and Elliot turned to see Beth was waking up, rubbing her eyes.
“We’re home, sweet pea. Well, we’re at Kate’s home. But we’ll be at ours in ten minutes.”
“You gotta go, Kate?”
“I do. But I’ll see you guys…” she started then turned to Elliot. “When do you want to do the tree and decorations?”
“Tomorrow work? I want to talk to you about something anyway.”
Kate scrunched her nose up, pursing her lips as she stared at him. Why is he being so cryptic? She couldn’t think about it right now with the girls waking up and her nerves battering her insides.
Kate gave both girls a smile. “I’ll see you both tomorrow. We’ll put up a tree and I’ll tell you about all of the fun things my family does at Christmas. Then we’ll make your daddy do them, okay?”
“Okay,” Beth said, her toothy smile widening.
Elliot shook his head, getting out of the truck.
“See you girls tomorrow,” Kate said.
They spoke in unison. “Bye, Kate.”
Elliot had her bag out of the back by the time she came around the truck. She’d forgotten what noiseless city streets were like.
“Thank you for driving me.”
He passed the bag. “My pleasure. Thanks for the company. You sure about tomorrow?” Her gaze had caught on the fullness of his lips. When she glanced up, she saw he was watching her with an amused expression. “Kate?”
“Yeah?”
“Tomorrow?”
She nodded. “Yes. Tree. Christmas. Top Gun and mystery conversation.”
His laugh cut through the quiet as he pulled her into a one-armed hug. “Sounds perfect. Say hi to everyone for me.”
She watched his truck pull away from the curb and then she turned and stared at the house where she’d grown up. Kate had been so scared to leave and take off on a grand adventure. She’d earned a degree in social work and then said goodbye to her hometown and her family to follow a dream she’d kept hidden from everyone.
And now she was home. Nerves pulsated like a heartbeat, making her feel weighted and empty at the same time. “How long are you going to stand there?”
Kate turned, her heart singing at the sound of her sister’s voice. Lucy stood, covered in a ridiculous parka, the hood pulled up around her gorgeous face. Lucy’s smile could light up all of Angel’s Lake and seeing it, knowing she was home, flipped a switch inside of Kate. She burst into tears.
Chapter Six
Kate squeezed her sister so hard she was probably cutting off Lucy’s air. She didn’t seem to mind though, and returned Kate’s embrace with just as much strength.
She couldn’t stop the tears that fell onto Lucy’s sweater. Lucy leaned back, keeping her hands on Kate’s shoulders. “You okay?”
Nodding was the best Kate could do. Lucy tugged her close again. “You look good. New York City good. I’m so glad you’re home.”
Tell her now. Then you can start working on getting her to forgive you. Against Lucy’s shoulder, Kate mumbled her words. “I’m not going back.”
Lucy released her, but stayed close. “Okay.” Her eyebrows drew down, like she was confused, or waiting for more.
She’d missed Lucy’s face. She’d missed all of them. Kate chatted with them on FaceTime and Skype. She talked to her mom or one of her sisters every few days. But it wasn’t the same as being in front of them. With them. God, was she ever going to grow up and stop needing her family?
“Kate?”
The words rushed out, eager to escape. “I can’t go back, Luce. It was awesome and wonderful, but I want to be home. Even at my happiest there, I felt lonely. Like something was missing. Whatever I do with fashion and design, I need to do it here where you guys are. I need to be home. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Lucy nodded. She didn’t look mad and that sent a spark of hope into Kate’s heart. Lucy spoke before she could. “You obviously need to get this off your chest before we go in, but I’m freezing here, so hurry up and tell me the part that is supposed to surprise or shock me. And why are you sorry?”
Kate stared at her sister. Could it be this easy? “You got me the internship and connected me with Kael. I never would have had that without you. He was doing you a favor and then I just up and leave. I let both of you down.” There. She’d said it. The pain of the words still sliced through her chest. She was the responsible one, the focused go-getter. Yet in the last two years, she’d wasted her parents’ hard-earned money on a social work degree, only to take off to New York because she dreamed of being the next Kate Spade. When she realized she’d only ever be Kate Aarons, small town girl personified, it had been a harrowing blow. But Lucy didn’t seem troubled by it at all.
In fact, she laughed. The sound floated through the air like the snowflakes falling. Lucy hugged her again fiercely, and it soothed some of the ache in Kate’s chest.
“Welcome home, honey. Who am I to question where you think you need to be?”
A lump lodged in Kate’s throat. She swallowed around it but it wouldn’t budge. “You’re not mad?”
She felt Lucy shake her head. “No. And you hardly fled the city. You finished everything you were working on. Kael was sorry to see you go but he isn’t upset. I’m happy you’re home. It took me ten years to realize it was the only place to be for the rest of my life. Sometimes you need to go away to find out where you should end up. I’m glad it didn’t take you as long.”
Kate gripped her sister’s sweater, inhaling the scent of cinnamon and cold air. “I always was quicker than you.”
Lucy pulled back and put her arm through Kate’s, tugging her toward their parents’ back porch steps. “Maybe. But now that you’re home, Mom can try out her latest tricks and tips on you.”
Kate groaned. “I won’t be staying here long. It feels like…falling backwards. If I have to stay in my old room more than a few nights, I’ll regress.”
Lucy nudged her with her shoulder. “I understand, trust me. But about your room, have you talked to Mom and Dad?”
Kate was thinking about how Lucy had done her own soul-searching-find-your-dream whirlwind. And it had landed her right back in Angel’s Lake. So, maybe I’m not so far from where I’m meant to be. Lucy was staring at her and Kate realized she’d asked a question.
“No, why?”
“Uh, you haven’t heard about Char and Luke’s house?”
“No. What’s wrong?”
Lucy put her arm through Kate’s. “I’ll tell you later. Let’s just focus on you being home and go inside.”
Like a camera zooming in, everything was pushed to the background when she and Lucy stepped into the noise and chaos of a family brunch. Motion stopped, reminding Kate of the game she played in high school drama class—Freeze Frame. Like a comedic tableau, her family stared at her from their varying spots around the table and kitchen.
Her mother was wiping something off Emma’s adorable cheeks. Her father was passing Alex a can of cola. Carmen, Charlotte’s older daughter, was looking at a book with Luke. Mia, also two and adorable, was banging blocks on Emma’s high chair tray. All eyes were on Kate. Breathing and talking were suspended, making the pounding of Kate’s heart sound like fireworks in her ears. And then everyone moved at once.
Julie Aarons reached her first. “You’re here! All three of my girls in one place again. Finally.”
Something about her mother’s hugs made everything inside of Kate regress. She clung to her mom’s shoulders and let herself be rocked, coddled, and soothed. Julie didn’t know she was settling the turbulence in Kate’s heart; that’s just the way her mother was. Kate had forgotten how grateful she was for Julie’s exuberant style of hugging.
She choked out a laugh. “Mom,” she said. “I can’t breathe.”
“That’s your problem, not mine,” Julie answered.
Like she was on an assembly line, sh
e was shifted and shuttled right into her dad’s arms. Mark Aarons pulled her close. If Julie was the calm for her storm, Mark was the shield that tried to protect her from it. Her dad’s hug pushed everything else away.
“There’s my baby. God, I didn’t even realize how much I missed you.”
Kate nodded against his shoulder. Not even a whisper could fit through the lump stuck in her throat. Charlotte’s eyes were already rimmed with tears by her turn. “Did you bring me pretty clothes?”
Kate laughed but before she could respond, Carmen looked up from her book. “Mommy, we’re not supposed to ask people for gifts.”
Luke chuckled and rubbed Carmen’s shoulder. “Auntie Kate is different, honey. Say hi.”
Carmen hesitated, then almost smiled before looking back at her book. “Hi.” Luke tugged Char’s sleeve and gave Kate a noisy kiss before squeezing her tight.
Finally, Alex stood in front of her, grinning quietly, his eyes watchful. “You good?”
Kate nodded. “I will be after I get hugging guys out of the way so I can pick up those babies.” He made it quick and Kate plopped herself between Emma and Mia. They’d grown so much since she’d last seen and held them. Carmen was engrossed in a very colorful book on penguins, probably absorbing every detail and ounce of knowledge the book had to offer. Kate touched her shoulder gently then turned back to Mia, who grabbed at her hair. Emma, not to be outdone, pointed at Mia and squealed. “Baby,” Emma said. Then kept saying it.
The laughter and happiness in the room pushed all of Kate’s worries out of her mind and out of her heart like she’d placed them on a conveyer belt and shipped them to the next stop. She knew they’d catch up with her again, but for now, she was with her family. She was home.
Chapter Seven
Elliot fisted both hands on his hips and dipped his chin to his chest. He counted to ten in his head and listened to his breathing. In. Out. In. Out. They were still fighting. He broke up domestic disputes and goddamn bar fights and his twins were going to get the better of him.
Since the Jedi-mind-trick/Zen strategy was not working, he stepped through the door of their shared room. A bomb of clothing and toys had exploded and eviscerated the floor.
He kept his eyes on them. “Stop!”
Gracie and Beth froze, almost comically, their respective hands still latched onto either side of a small, cloth rag doll with reggae hair, a stitched-on face, and a blue dress.
Grace looked like she wanted to rip it apart, and Beth’s eyes were full of unshed tears. Elliot stomped over a pile of dresses and skirts, sidestepped a hairbrush and thrust out his hand, palm up.
“Give it.” Both girls launched to their feet still holding the damn doll.
“Daddy, I had it first, and it’s my turn to sleep with it,” Beth said.
Grace gave a useless tug. “You slept with it in the car yesterday.”
“That doesn’t count,” Beth said. Her eyes were pleading with Elliot.
“Give it,” he said, his tone even and calm, even though inside he felt like this room looked: an utter disaster. It hadn’t even been two nights yet.
The girls sighed in unison and handed it to him. He squeezed it and brought it closer for inspection while they stared at him. It wasn’t their best doll, not by a long shot. It had woolen strands for hair, a cloth dress that was ripped, two real buttons, a mini pocket, and what looked like painted-on shoes.
“Where’d we get her?” Elliot asked, holding the doll up to face them.
“Aunt Shelly gave it to us,” Grace said. She looked down at the pile of clothes under her feet, then back up.
Elliot tried not to frown on the outside. “One doll for the two of you?”
“Yes,” Beth said, her lip trembling. “She said one day we’ll probably share boys so we could start practicing with a doll.”
“Jesus Christ,” Elliot muttered, unfortunately aloud.
Both girls’ eyes went wide. Shit. He was so tired that even if he didn’t have twins, he’d probably see two of them. He was lucky he wasn’t seeing four. Alex had given him today off, thankfully, but he hadn’t slept much the night before. Every time he’d closed his eyes, he saw Kate’s sweet smile. When he did catch a bit of dreamtime, his mind was filled with horrible visions of forgetting to fill the girls’ stockings or put their Christmas presents under the tree. The girls continued to stare and it wasn’t their fault he was tired. They were too, and he needed to cover his tracks and shift the mood.
“Nothing. It’s His birthday,” Elliot said.
“Huh?” Beth narrowed her eyes at him. She wasn’t buying his story, and he obviously hadn’t needed the cover.
Elliot turned, doll in hand, and waved them out of the room. “Come on. We’re forgetting the meaning of Christmas. You’re in there fighting, giving me and this doll a headache, and we should be getting ready to put the tree up.”
In the kitchen, he pointed to their spots at the table. Doll forgotten, they both started in on their spaghetti. Well, Elliot wouldn’t really call it spaghetti since neither of them were willing to try the sauce he’d made. He served his own plate and brought it to the table.
Beth slurped up a noodle. “When’s Kate going to be here?”
Kate. He’d hoped to clean his house at least a bit before she arrived. Not that she hadn’t been there before but it’d be nice to look mildly competent in front of her. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress her. Hell, they were just friends and he needed to be interested in a woman the way he needed another knee to the groin
Gracie picked up her milk. “Daddy!
“Uh. Sorry. She should be here soon. I hope you two can help with the tree,” Elliot said, shaking his head with a mock look of concern.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Beth asked.
“You can’t help with the tree when your room looks like that,” he said.
Both girls opened their mouths and looked at each other, then back at him. Like they’d timed it, they both said, “We’ll clean it.”
Elliot smiled. “Okay, then. Finish up and go do it.”
They chatted non-stop, faster than Elliot could keep up with, so he let his mind wander. Gina had texted approximately eight dozen times, and he was ready to change his number. Most of them read I’m sorry. Are you mad? No, he wasn’t fucking mad because it wasn’t high school. He was tired. The weary kind of tired that he knew meant he was actually, legitimately done with her bullshit. They’d been on this ride for far too long, and he hadn’t liked it much after the first few tries. It was time to step all the way off, and though he hadn’t wanted to go this particular route, he needed a lawyer.
The knock pulled him from his thoughts. On the way to the door, he loosened his jaw, which had gone tight at the thought of Gina.
Kate was bundled adorably, a scarf and hood hiding most of her face. Her gloved hands were in a prayer-like position, her fingers against her lips. She was bouncing on the balls of her feet and it made him laugh.
“Cold?”
She stomped her feet on his front steps, shook herself, and stepped in. He closed the door, inhaling the freshness of the snow and the subtle scent of vanilla that came with Kate.
“I’m pretty sure my lips are frozen,” she said, pulling off her gloves.
Elliot pictured warming her perfect lips with his own. She yanked the scarf from around her face and neck like it was attacking her and his eyes zeroed in her mouth, apparently for too long.
“Elliot?”
She was looking at him with her flushed face and full lips, and his heart wouldn’t calm the hell down. What was wrong with him? This was Kate. They were friends. Had been friends for a long time.
She poked his shoulder with one finger. “Elliot…phone home.”
His eyes snapped up to see humor lighting her eyes. “Sorry. Lost my train of thought.”
“Oh, I thought you were trying to figure out the movie reference.”
When she shrugged out of her coat, he took it and hung it up in
the entryway closet. And because he needed to prove to himself that he was just overtired and not falling for Kate, he gave her shoulder a brotherly shove. But the spark that sailed up his arm from the contact, zapping his heart, did not feel brotherly.
“It was one movie. I could top you any time with trivia.”
She walked ahead of him into the kitchen, like she’d been there a dozen times before, and he followed her easy laughter. “You’re on. You’ll lose, but you’re on.”
Before he could reply, or admit to himself that the competitive tone of her voice turned him on, the girls came running in. “Kate!” Beth and Grace both latched onto her waist, arms flying around her.
Kate giggled along with the girls’ enthusiasm as she squeezed them tight. “Hey! My favorite twins,” she said.
Both of his daughters giggled wildly, like Kate was funnier than all of their favorite shows and Elliot’s heart clutched hard. He inhaled sharply.
Kate looked over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes sparkling. “You okay?”
Elliot waited for the pinching feeling to subside before nodding. “I’m good. Should we get started? I pulled out my decorations.”
“Daddy, you don’t have that many,” Beth said, releasing Kate.
“Fear not, little one. I’ve brought treasures from the Aarons house,” Kate said, bending down to tap Beth’s nose.
When she straightened, she looked at Elliot and tilted her head. “Said treasures are in my car. When I told my mom you didn’t have much, she went a little crazy packing up stuff she doesn’t really use.”
Elliot didn’t know whether to smile or groan. The Aarons did nothing halfway. By the time he’d dragged in the two huge plastic bins from Kate’s family, she and the girls had settled in the living room. Christmas music played from Kate’s phone through his docking station, filling the room, and Elliot, with a festive spirit. He’d put the artificial tree together earlier, standing it in one corner of the living room.
Elliot stood in the large rounded archway that separated the living room from the kitchen and watched as Kate sat cross-legged, holding the doll of discord in her hands.