Page 104 of Deck the Fire Halls

While he was driving was hardly the perfect time.

“Just how happy I am,” I said. It wasn’t what I wanted to say, but it certainly wasn’t a lie. “This is gonna be a great Christmas.”

He grinned at me, his cheeks darkening by the dashboard light. “I think so too. It’s already been the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time, and we’re still a weekout. God, can you believe I’ve only been here for three weeks? Feels like I’ve been here for years.”

Three weeks . . .

Yeah. Now was not the right time. It made me feel a little sweaty, actually. “Crazy, huh?”

“Oh my god,” he breathed. “Look at their house.”

As we drove up to the house, the grand old manor looked stunning perched up on the hill. Fairy lights lit up the sweeping veranda and stairs, illuminating the size of the place in a muted yellow glow. It was spectacular.

“Wow.”

Rob drove around back, parking by the other familiar vehicles. Ren’s truck, Gunter’s car, Colson’s sheriff vehicle. “Are we late?” Rob asked.

“No, right on time.”

Before we even had the goods out of his car, the back door opened and Hamish appeared. “Need a hand?”

“No, we’re good,” I replied.

He was wearing a sweater with a reindeer on it. “Come through here,” he said, holding the door for us. “We just got here.”

“This place,” Rob whispered.

“Gorgeous,” Hamish whispered right back.

We walked through to the kitchen where everyone was standing around. The wood fires were burning, something smelled amazing, Christmas lights adorned the most gorgeous tree. It was utterly perfect.

We said hellos and made small talk. Colson gave me a smile and a pointed nod toward Rob. “Things are going well, I see.”

“Ah, yeah,” I said, trying to play it cool. “He’s... great.”

He laughed. “And the Kris Kringle thing was your idea, I heard.”

I groaned. “Okay, so the gift idea, yes. The homemade idea was all Hamish.”

He spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “I let Braithe take care of that. He’s better at that stuff than me.”

I laughed just as two kids ran in from the door we’d come through. “Daddy,” the girl cried, running up to Cass. He scooped her up and flattened down her dress.

Daddy?

Cass had kids?

I was racking my brain to remember if I knew that, when Jayden picked the boy up and whispered something in his ear, making the kid giggle and nod.

Then another couple came in. Trey, from a horse ranch out on Red Cedar Road, and a woman. “Sorry we’re a little late,” she said, giving Jayden a kiss on the cheek, then Cass.

I wasn’t aware there’d be kids coming for dinner, not that it bothered me in the slightest—this was clearly Cass’s ex-wife and her new man—they were obviously a close family and could invite whoever they wanted for Christmas dinner.

I was just glad we hadn’t made the Kris Kringle gift R-rated...

Then Cass’s parents came in, waving shy hellos, and when another older couple came in from somewhere down the hall, I could see the surprise on Hamish’s face.

But then another woman followed them in. She was mid-fifties, at a glance. Wearing a nice navy outfit, her hair done perfectly, and I assumed it must have been another family member.

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