“Hey, you guys.”
Avery smiled at Mitch as he led the others into the pew in front of them. Kenton quickly introduced them to Avery’s mom, but any further conversation was cut short as music began to play at the front of the sanctuary.
As the service progressed, Avery was happier than ever that she’d asked her mom to come. With Christmas carols and readings, it was just the type of service her mom had enjoyed attending in the past. Avery enjoyed it as well, feeling a sense of completeness for the first time in a long time. Returning to something that they had enjoyed doing as a family, in the past, before her dad had died, gave her a sense of peace.
As the service drew to an end, Avery found herself wishing it could go on longer. She couldn’t deny that she was enjoying the feeling that Kenton was part of their Christmas as they sat side by side during the service. Once they left the church, it would just be the four of them again. While in the past, her sense of incompleteness came from her dad not being there with them, lately, being around Kenton was making her want something more in addition to just missing her dad.
After the service, Avery noticed that Kenton was talking with Benjie and Elliot. The church was serving refreshments in the basement, but she wasn’t sure if her mom wanted to stay or not. She was thinking not, but when Avery asked, her mom surprised her by agreeing. They made their way downstairs with other members of the congregation and found beautifully decorated tables set with Christmas cookies, cupcakes and beverages. Christmas music filled the air, providing a soft background to the conversations going on around them.
“Can I have your keys, Ave?” Elliot asked before taking another bite of the half-eaten cupcake in his hand.
“What do you need my keys for?”
“Kenton has something for us. I was going to put it in the car.”
Avery frowned, watching as her mom engaged in conversation with Kenton’s sister, Makayla. “What does he have?”
“Something for Christmas, he said.” Elliot shrugged, his gaze slipping to where Kenton stood, a small crowd of teens and boys around Benjie’s age surrounding him. It appeared his anonymity might have come to an end.
Still not sure what was going on, Avery dug into the side pocket of her purse and handed her keys to Elliot. “Bring them back when you’re done.”
“I will.” He took the keys and returned to where Kenton stood. After he finished signing a few things, he smiled at the group before following Elliot to the stairs that led to the main floor.
Their time in the basement didn’t last long, just long enough to have a cup of tea and a cupcake and to wish the rest of Kenton’s family a Merry Christmas. The crowd began to thin out, so when her mom expressed an interest in leaving, Avery agreed. When they said goodbye to Kenton and Tristan, Avery was surprised that they each gave her a hug as they wished her Merry Christmas.
It didn’t escape her notice that Kenton’s hug lasted a bit longer than his brother’s. It was long enough for her to inhale the scent of his cologne and to feel the strength in his arms as he held her. It made her feel cherished. Protected. Things she hadn’t felt from a man in a very, very long time.
“By the way,” Kenton said as he stepped back, his arms slow to release her. “We’re having a get together on Boxing Day. Our backyard rink is up and running, and there will probably be some skating and a hockey game or two if Benjie and Elliot would like to join in. It’s really casual, so you’re welcome to come for however long you’d like.”
Avery frowned at him. “Do I need to come just to make sure you don’t skate?”
Her question brought a grin to Kenton’s face. “Well, when you put it that way…yes!”
She laughed at that. “Okay. No promises, but I’ll talk to the boys and my mom and see what they think. My mom won’t come, most likely, so I want to make sure she’s okay being on her own.”
“Sounds good. Hope to see you there.” Kenton walked them to the door. “Have a good Christmas tomorrow.”
“You too,” Avery said, pausing for just a moment before turning to follow the boys and her mom to the car.
Her mom was eager to talk about the service as they headed home, and Avery was thankful her mom was more focused on the evening’s activities than on the drive. After she pulled into the garage, the boys asked her to pop the trunk.
“What on earth?” Avery asked as they carried several large bags into the house. After taking off their boots and coats, the boys took the bags to the Christmas tree. Still wearing her coat, Avery followed them. “I thought you said Kenton had something for you, not many somethings.”
The boys were on their knees, pulling out wrapped boxes and putting them under the tree with the other presents that she and her mom had put there. There were quite a few presents already there for the boys, but now it looked like they were getting even more.
“Wow. You guys are going to have some serious unwrapping to do tomorrow,” Avery said, not sure how she felt about Kenton buying them so much stuff.
They both hesitated for a moment, exchanging a look before continuing to pull packages out. As Elliot pulled out a particularly large box, he paused and looked at the label.
“This one’s…for me?” Elliot looked at the other box still in the bag then nudged Benjie. “And this one’s for you.”
“There are gifts for us too?” Benjie asked, a sense of awe in his voice. “Kenton bought stuff for us?”
“Okay, boys,” Avery said as she shrugged out of her coat and left it on a nearby chair. “What’s going on here?”
The boys crumpled up the now empty bags and settled cross-legged on the floor. They exchanged another look before Benjie shrugged, as if acquiescing with whatever Elliot wanted.
The teen cleared his throat, looking over as his mom joined Avery. “The other night, when Kenton took Benjie and me out, it was so that we could buy some presents for you guys.”
“For Mom and me?” Avery asked, crossing her arms as she sank down on the couch. “But you two didn’t have money for gifts unless you’ve been saving up your allowance, and I didn’t know about it.”
“Yeah. He said he knew it would be hard for us to buy gifts for you and Mom, so he wanted to help us out. We went to the mall, and he told us to pick whatever we wanted for each of you. Benjie got for you, and I got for Mom.” Elliot gave her a pleading look. “We spent a lot of money but don’t get mad at Kenton. He just wanted us to be able to do something nice for you two. He said the money didn’t matter, that he had plenty of it, and this was how he wanted to spend it.”
Avery wasn’t sure what to say. Wasn’t sure how to react, actually. Part of her was incredibly touched that Kenton would do that for the boys. But there was another part of her that was upset that he would allow them to spend so much money. How was she supposed to approach him about this?
“He shouldn’t have done that,” her mom said, her lips pressed tightly together.
Avery sighed. She knew why her mom was acting the way she was, but at the same time, the boys had looked so pleased that they’d been able to choose things for them. She couldn’t bring herself to spoil that excitement for them.
“He shouldn’t have, but it was very thoughtful of him,” Avery said. “I guess we’ll have some fun opening presents tomorrow.”
Benjie scrambled to his feet and came over to her, dropping down on the couch beside her and leaning against her arm. “I can’t wait for you to see what I got for you. I think you’re gonna love it all.”
Avery ran a hand through his silky dark brown curls. “I’m sure I will.”
She looked over to where Elliot still sat by the tree, his arms wrapped around his knees. He looked dejected, as if what he’d chosen for their mom wouldn’t be well received.
“Mom.” Avery waited for her mom to look at her. “Kenton offered to do this for them, and this is more about what the boys have chosen for us than who paid for the gifts. Let’s just enjoy what the boys picked out.”
The tension in the room
was thick, only easing when her mom finally nodded. “I look forward to seeing what you picked out, sweetheart.”
Elliot lost the dejected look though he seemed to realize that there was likely more discussion on the matter to come.
“Now, how about we play some games together and eat some of the snacks Mom made earlier,” Avery suggested. “And then you two need to go to bed so that Santa can come and fill your stockings.”
The boys both rolled their eyes since neither believed in Santa, but it was fun to play the game. This was their tradition now, and Avery found herself looking forward to it more than she had in the years since her dad had died. Maybe…just maybe…they were finally turning a corner. Seeing her mom find joy in something she’d previously celebrated with her husband was encouraging. Not that they were done grieving—she wasn’t sure that they would ever be—but they were coming to life once again. A different life to be sure, but a life nonetheless.
Kenton spent Christmas Day on tenterhooks, waiting for his phone to ring. Even though their celebrations had been a little bit more low-key than the ones he remembered from the past, it was still good to be with the family. And there had been a million presents for Olivia Joy—several of which he had contributed—as well as for the newest addition to the family who was still too young to know what was going on. The rest of the family had thanked him for his gifts which had consisted mostly of gift cards.
But it was the gifts he’d let Benjie and Elliot pick out that he was wondering the most about. He’d expected a call the night before when the boys had taken the gifts home with them, but his phone had been quiet. And then all day he’d waited, sure that Avery would call him, upset at what he’d done, but so far there was no phone call from her. That was almost worse…
It wasn’t until he’d retreated to his room after the day was done that his phone finally rang. Taking a deep breath, he hesitated just a moment before sliding his finger across the screen to accept the call.
“Hi, Avery,” he said, bracing himself for what was likely coming his way.
“Hi. How was your Christmas?” Her voice didn’t seem to hold any anger or tension, so Kenton let himself relax.
“It was good. I know Mom and Dad were glad to have all of us together again, and Maya’s parents came for Christmas dinner as well.” He paused. “And how was yours?”
“It was very good,” she said then she sighed. “I’m still not sure whether I should be ticked off at you or thankful for what you did.”
“Can it just be neither?” Kenton asked as he leaned back against the headboard, stretching out his legs. He tapped the screen to turn on the speakerphone then rested the phone on his chest.
“I will say, the boys had a terrific Christmas. They were so excited for Mom and me to open all our presents.” She let out a little puff of breath. “You were beyond generous with us.”
“I was happy to do that for the boys and for you and your mom,” Kenton said. “It was fun to see what Benjie thought you’d want for Christmas. Was he right?”
“He was, although I never wear such expensive jewelry. I told him that I’d only wear the necklace for special occasions since I’m afraid something might happen to it.”
“Don’t wait for a special occasion, Avery. Wear it as a reminder of how much your son loves you. If something happens to it, I’ll make sure it’s replaced.”
“Well, thank you. I feel bad that we didn’t get anything for you.”
Kenton chuckled. “I truly don’t need anything. The fun I had shopping with the boys was a gift in and of itself. But if you really want to give me something, you can give me the gift of your presence tomorrow. You and the boys, and your mom, if she’d like to come.”
Avery was silent for a moment. “I guess we’ll come. Like I said, I need to make sure you stay off that ice.”
“Well, if you promise to keep me company, I’ll do my best to stay off my skates.”
She didn’t respond right away, but then she said, “But what if I want to skate?”
“You should definitely bring your skates. Some years the girls have joined in on the hockey games, but for the most part, they stick to the casual skate we do before the game.”
“Is it just your family?” Avery asked.
“No. There are several family friends who join us. Hunter will probably show up, though I’m not sure if he’ll skate.”
“What time should we come, and what can we bring?”
Kenton gave her the information, well aware that he was far happier about the fact that Avery was going to come and bring Benjie and Elliot with her than he should have been. “I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.”
“I haven’t mentioned it to the boys yet, but I know they’re going to be thrilled.”
After they ended the conversation, Kenton tucked his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. He wondered what it would be like if this was his life, if he lived there, surrounded by friends and family who were separated from the life he’d built around hockey. Having this break and seeing how his brothers and sisters all had lives that didn’t revolve just around their careers made him realize how insular his life was.
And for the first time in a long time—perhaps ever in his life—he wanted something more than just hockey.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The next day, Kenton helped out as much as he could wherever he was needed. That meant that for a while, he was cutting vegetables for snacking on later, then he was given the task of grating cheese for the chili they’d be having for supper. After that, he was sent to the dining room to help Gabe extend the table and set up more chairs.
Finally, he was outside with his dad, setting up the benches around the firepit. As they worked outside, Dalton came out with Tristan to check and see if the speakers were working and to try out the playlist he’d arranged for the skating. It was a chillier day than Christmas had been, but there was no wind, so it was bearable for the time being. Hopefully, it stayed like that throughout the afternoon and evening.
When he went back inside, Kenton found that people were starting to arrive. Though the people who were invited to their Boxing Day get-together were mostly friends of his siblings, he knew them from the visits he’d made home during the summer over the years.
Erin and James Dawson had arrived, laden down with boxes of cupcakes from Erin’s bakery. Also with them were Finn and Noella Kinnaird, who he’d heard through the grapevine were expecting a baby, though Noella certainly didn’t look like she was pregnant. Tennyson Page was there with his wife, Olivia, and their three girls, the oldest of whom looked to be a little younger than Benjie.
He found himself hovering around the front window, hoping that Avery and the boys would arrive sooner rather than later. There was always a chance she’d change her mind, but he didn’t really think she would—if for no other reason than that she didn’t want to disappoint the boys. Still, there was a part of him that hoped that maybe something more than just her desire to please the boys would cause her to come.
It wasn’t until most of the others had arrived that Avery and the boys finally showed up. Kenton greeted them at the door before they even had a chance to ring the bell, not caring that it made him look like he’d been anxiously waiting for them.
“I thought maybe you guys weren’t going to make it,” Kenton said as he held the door open for them to come in.
Benjie had a large hockey bag on his shoulder that he dropped to the floor, keeping his gaze averted as he did so. Kenton frowned, looking between the subdued pre-teen and his mother.
“Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” Avery said, though there was noticeable tension on her face.
“Why don’t you bring your boots through to the back,” Kenton said. “Then we can go out and see the rink and the fire.”
“Fire?” Elliot asked as he slipped off his boots and picked them up. He didn’t appear to be carrying the same tension as the other two, so clearly it was a mot
her-son conflict.
“Yeah. My dad lights a fire out by the rink so you can sit there to warm up.”
“That sounds cool,” Elliot said with a smile.
Kenton led the way to the large back mudroom, passing through the kitchen where they stopped to say hi to his mom, Makayla, Sammi, Grace, and the babies who were all steering clear of the ice skating rink this year. Once in the mudroom, they put their boots back on, and Kenton pulled on his jacket as well as a knit cap and his gloves. Before Benjie could pick it up again, Kenton grabbed the hockey bag and slipped the strap onto his shoulder.
“Let’s go see what everyone is doing,” Kenton said as he pushed open the door.
“Wow,” Benjie said, his eyes wide as he got his first glimpse of the large rink and the nearby fire. “This is so cool.”
“Very,” Elliot agreed.
When they came to a stop at the boards surrounding the rink, Kenton could see the majority of the gang were out on the ice. Christmas music filled the air as the skaters moved around in a counter-clockwise direction, some clearly more comfortable on skates than others.
“Can we skate?” Benjie asked, his gaze on the action on the ice.
Since he still didn’t know what the conflict between mother and son was, Kenton kept his mouth shut. His instinct was to say sure, but if some sort of limitations had been put on Benjie by his mom, Kenton wasn’t going to get in the middle of that.
“Yes, you can,” Avery said, reaching out to squeeze the boy’s shoulder.
Benjie looked at her for a long moment before his gaze darted to Kenton. He took the bag when Kenton held it out to him, then he and Elliot moved to the benches where they sat down together.
“Something up with Benjie?” Kenton asked.
Avery’s gaze was on her son, but when she looked at Kenton, he saw pain in her eyes. “I just needed him to face some realities of life today.”
“He’s what? Ten? What kind of realities does he have to face?”
Avery sighed. “Important ones, but he’ll be fine. Once he’s out on the ice, he’ll probably forget all about them.”
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