Page 77 of Take Me Home for Christmas

Her sister groaned. “Yes, but I’m a bit of a type A personality that way. Actually, more like a type A plus plus if we are being fair. That doesn’t mean my way is the right way. Heck, Elle, I spent my twenties buried in boring textbooks while you’ve spent yours trying things out for size. Exploring the world. Finding your niche.” Kate took Elle’s hand in hers. “Truth be told, I’m a bit jealous that you have the freedom to do that.”

“It’s not all fun,” Elle argued. “It can be scary. The rest of you had big-time careers by my age.”

“There’s more to life than big-time careers, little sister. And there are plenty of well-adjusted people in this world without one who are content with their lives.”

“Name one.”

“Bernice.”

Both sisters laughed. Max joined in.

“Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if that woman doesn’t have her own Wikipedia page someday,” Kate admitted as she retrieved her son from his jumping harness. “Please tell me you aren’t taking the job in New York out of a sense of obligation to make Mom proud. To make any of us proud?”

Elle couldn’t find the words. She shook her head instead.

“Promise?” Kate insisted.

Elle nodded just as Emily, Henry and Whitney sprinted in the door. The rest of their growing family followed. The room was instantly crowded and loud, making any more conversation with Kate impossible.

Several moments later, however, Kate slipped a folded sticky note into Elle’s pocket.

“What’s that?” Elle asked.

“It’s the email address of a friend of mine. She’s also an expert in post-traumatic stress. Just in case you need it when you get back to New York. Or if you begin to suffer symptoms of withdrawal from the remedy you are using now.”

Elle had to chuckle at her sister’s analogy. Kate’s diagnosis was correct, though. “Withdrawal” from Hayden was going to hurt. A lot. And if she’d learned anything these past few weeks, the demons were easier to keep at bay if you didn’t have to face them alone. Heck, wasn’t West proof enough of that?

“Thank you,” she said. “I will get in touch with her tomorrow to set something up.”

Her sister’s look said “Yeah, right.”

“I mean it,” Elle insisted.

Kate pulled her in for a tight hug. “Whatever you do with your life, you will be successful at it.”

“Because I’m a McAlister,” Elle replied.

“And we are all here to cheer you on.”

They jumped apart when baby Hazel let out a shriek.

“Max pulled her hair,” Emily announced.

“She doesn’t have any hair,” Henry argued.

Hazel was crying in earnest now as everyone tried to placate her. Not to be left out, Max joined in.

“There’s a sleeper sofa at your place in New York, right?” Kate asked.

Elle nodded.

“Excellent. Sisters’ weekend at your place. Soon. Very soon.”

Hayden saton the corner of his bed, tugging on his uniform boots. Elle’s contented sigh had him glancing over his shoulder at her. She was sprawled out on his sheets wearing a coy grin, and nothing else.

He groaned. “Could you maybe turn the sex appeal down a notch this morning? I have to pull a twelve-hour shift, and at this rate, I’ll be doing it with a hard-on.”

“Can I help it if my man thoroughly satisfied me last night? Multiple times, in fact.”

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