Page 15 of Single All the Way

“They’ve had a rough few months. It’ll be a while before they get settled somewhere.”

“Lucky thing they just moved in with a knight-in-shining-armor type,” Max quipped.

“I can’t fix their housing problem, but I can spread Christmas spirit around like glitter.”

“So…what? You’re going to Christmas the crap out of them?”

As I scratched Mahomes between the ears and got his purr motor revved up, I nodded. It was an easy call. “Yep. Like it or not, Emerson and her kids are about to experience Christmas the Holloway way. It’ll be life-changing,” I joked.

“For them?” Max asked, looking smug, “or you?”

“Them.” I made my voice strong with conviction, but as I walked out after telling him Kat would be in for the bloodwork, I felt a hell of a lot less sure.

Christmas spirit I could handle. A crushed heart… No, thank you very much. I’d just have to keep a tight rein on myself.

ChapterFive

Emerson

As I walked with my little girl from A Novel Place to Sugar, I held her hand, half listening to her talk about her new books and half-ensconced in a storm of worries.

I hated that this was so hard for her. She’d been increasingly anxious the past two weeks as the stacks of boxes had grown and our belongings had disappeared into them, but I’d hoped once we got to Ben’s and unpacked her most-loved things, she’d settle in and worry less. I thought maybe she’d get carried away with the novelty of having Ben’s kids around and sharing a room with Evelyn.

So far, she’d withdrawn more and clung to me. I didn’t know how to help her other than what I was doing today.

I’d taken her to the salon with me, where she’d colored pictures and worked through an activity book while I hurried through the admin stuff that couldn’t wait. Then we’d gone to the Dragonfly Diner for a special mommy-daughter lunch of Dragonfly Dust Waffles.

Next we’d hit Earthly Charm, where Harper Ellison had shown us pictures of her new kittens and helped Sky pick out a labradorite stone she said helps with courage and bravery during difficult times. I don’t know if Skyler chose it for its alleged powers or because of the shiny rainbow iridescence in it.

After that we’d hit the bookstore, where my friend Maeve worked. While Maeve and I caught up, Sky had painstakingly picked out a book after reviewing a dozen. Maeve had shown us a handful of kids’ books about moving, and I’d let Skyler pick two. I’d grabbed a cozy mystery for myself, and now here we were, heading for more sweets.

I hoped the mother-daughter time would help my girl feel more grounded. We couldn’t do this every day, but though I’d left a lot of work untouched at the salon, this was so much more important.

Times like this made me wish for a partner in parenting, someone with another perspective that could maybe help our kids. Someone else who could spend one-on-one time with them and love them as much as I did. Blake had loved them with all his heart, but being in the military didn’t allow him the chance for much hands-on time. Tragically our kids didn’t know their father. Xavier had been three when he’d been killed and Skyler only a month old. I’d made most of the parenting decisions alone since they’d been born.

Parenting was the hardest thing a person could do, in my opinion. Doing it solo? Some days I wasn’t sure I’d get through the next twenty-four hours, never mind twenty years.

When we walked into Sugar, Skyler ran to the counter, where my friend Olivia was working. The only customers in the place turned out to be Chloe Henry and her daughter, Sutton; Hayden North and her son, Harrison; and Sierra North. I’d graduated with Chloe and Olivia and knew Hayden from her family’s restaurant. Sierra was a more recent acquaintance because of her marriage into the North clan, which was now entwined with the Henry family.

“Hey, Emerson,” Hayden greeted with a smile.

“Hi, guys,” I said, veering toward their table before joining my daughter, knowing Olivia was chatting with her already.

“Look at your adorable little outfit,” I said to ten-month-old Sutton, who grinned up at me from her mom’s lap. “Rainbow dragons and ripped jeans? You dress better than me, cutie pie.”

“Faye loves to buy little-girl clothes,” Chloe said of her stepmother-in-law. “It doesn’t suck.”

“Don’t kid yourself,” Hayden said. “Faye also loves to buy little-boy clothes. She’s behind this jean jacket.” She tugged at the sweatshirt-material hood of her son’s jacket. “Right? Mimi got you this, didn’t she?”

Harrison’s mouth appeared to be full of cookie, and he nodded.

“Mommy!” Skyler called from the counter.

“We need to get treats,” I said to my friends as I headed toward my daughter.

“We’ll pull up two chairs,” Sierra said.

“Hi, Olivia. Sorry about that,” I said as I joined my daughter.

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