Page 75 of Take Me Home for Christmas

All three children lunged toward him. Their arms crawling around his neck as they burrowed in closer.

“It’s okay,” Henry said. “You take all the time you need.”

Everett felt a sob lodge in his throat. He wrapped his arms around the three kids. As angry as he was with Helen Keneally, she’d never know the huge favor she’d done by banishing him to Chances Inlet.

“This looks . . . interesting,” Xander Fisk said from the doorway. “You aren’t trying to shove these kids into an oven you have hidden back here, are you, West?”

Emily and Whitney squealed as they pulled free. Henry let go and raced toward the gym owner.

“Xander!” Henry wrapped his arms around the man’s knees. “You promised you’d let me try the rock wall over break. Today was the last day of school. Can I come climb it tomorrow?”

Whitney was already back at the table, carefully wrapping her two snowflakes. Emily sat down beside her and did the same.

“It’s up to your mom.” Xander ruffled Henry’s hair. “If she says yes, then sure.”

“Aw.” Henry dropped his arms and threw himself into a chair with extra dramatic flair. “She said I have to be sixteen.”

“I’ll work on her for you, sport,” Xander said. “Maybe we can get her down to twelve.”

Henry sighed as he rolled down into a sitting position at the table and wrapped his own snowflake.

“Are you almost done with” —Xander waved his hand toward the kids— “whatever this is?”

“I’m not interested in climbing the rock wall,” Everett quipped.

“Har, har. The Rotary Club holiday cocktail party starts in twenty minutes. The sheriff said the individual you’d be interested in meeting will be there. Whatever that means.”

Finally.

“Excellent. What’s the address?”

“I can’t tell you that. It’s invite only.”

Everett cocked an eyebrow.

Xander laughed. “You’re going as my plus-one. When you’re finished babysitting, come find me out front.”

The three kids quietly finished wrapping their gifts. Everett picked up the pile of journals and rolled out some wrapping paper.

Whitney eyed him carefully. “What are you doing, Mr. West?”

“I want to wrap these because they are a gift from my wife. To me.”

“Can we help?” Henry asked.

“How about you three do it for me? That would make it extra special.”

He sat back and watched as the children worked together to carefully wrap the bundle of journals. His plan was coming together. If all went well at the cocktail party, he’d share his ideas with his agent. Not that he cared if the guy objected. Everett could always find another agent. Kitty was already onboard. And she was the most important piece of the puzzle.

ChapterNineteen

Elle hunchedover and held her nephew’s hands while he bounced on his toes and rocked his body toward the Christmas tree across the room.

“Max doesn’t seem to have any interest in walking,” she said to Kate.

Her sister stood at her kitchen island, arranging a charcuterie board. Kate and her husband, Alden, always hosted a dinner during the holidays when the McAlisters got together to draw names for Christmas gifts.

“Why walk when you can look adorable and have everyone else do your bidding?” Kate said. “And I’m in no hurry for him to start toddling. I can still plop him down with some toys or a board book while I enjoy a glass of wine after work. Once he finds his sea legs, all bets are off.”

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