Page 90 of Follow My Heart

“Just not jolly,” Fiona added.

“I’m proud of him for doing it,” Jameson said.

“No teasing him about it either. He’s doing us all a favor,” Wes said.

Jameson nodded. “True.”

“We should have made Axel come back and be Santa,” Ryder said.

“Maybe next year when he’s home. I think Dad said he’s officially retired this month or next. He’s waiting for the paperwork to go through,” Wes said.

Ryder smiled. “It would be nice to have him home for the holidays.”

“Then everyone would be home,” Fiona added.

Surely, Ryder wouldn’t move back to Virginia. Not after realizing all he’d missed by not being here, and Faith adored this side of her family.

But I couldn’t get that phone conversation out of my head. The look on Ryder’s face or the set of his shoulders. Whatever had gone down, it wasn’t good.

I watched Charlotte interact with Teddy, touch his shoulder when he greeted a child, the way she leaned in to say something to him. She was hovering in case he needed her, but there was something else going on too because Teddy didn’t look irritated by her presence. Not as much as he usually did.

“Teddy hates costume parties. I can’t believe she got him to put on the suit,” Ryder said.

“She has a way with him,” I murmured.

Ryder glanced down at me. “You think so? She seems to piss him off more than anyone.”

I nodded in their direction. “That’s not what I’m seeing today.”

Faith grabbed Ryder’s hand. “Can we eat? I’m starving.”

Ryder let her drag him out of the barn, and I followed. “Sure. Want to go to the food trucks?”

“Absolutely.” The air was cool but not too bad for December. We stood in line for a hot dog and fries for Faith and crab sandwiches for us. We carried our food and drinks to a picnic table.

Izzy approached to Faith when she finished her food. “Want to play?”

“Sure.” Faith jumped up to join her without waiting to ask permission.

Ryder shook his head. “I’m not going to say anything because it’s family. But I’ll remind her later tonight to ask me first and clean up her trash.”

“Parenting is tough, huh?” I thought my parents treated us unfairly, but maybe they’d just been doing the best they could. I should give them a break and go home for Christmas.

He snagged one of Faith’s fries. “I make a million mistakes a day.”

“No one is perfect.”

His brow furrowed. “I just want to do right by her.”

“You are.” I wondered if I should ask about the phone call, but I didn’t want to upset him again.

A few minutes later, Ryder sighed. “Stacy called earlier. She wants me to pave the way with Faith for them to move in with Phil.”

I frowned. “I don’t even know what to say about that one. What are you going to do?”

Ryder’s arm rested on the table, his shoulder brushing against mine. “I don’t have a therapist for Faith. But maybe I should find one.”

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea for her to have someone neutral to talk to about this stuff.”

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