Page 4 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

I keep walking.

“Come on, dude, my knees aren’t what they used to be…”

I take another step and then stop, huffing.

Damn him and appealing to my empathy for us aging.

Oliver sidles up to me, towering over me at six foot seven. I don’t often feel dwarfed at six two, but Oliver’s a giant.

He puts his hand on my shoulder. “Look, I get it.”

“Do you? Do you really get what it’s going to be like for me to have toseeher after–”

Oliver grabs my shoulder. “Hey, look at me.”

I lift my eyes into his green ones. I try to maintain an ire-filled expression, but it doesn’t help that between us there are fifteen years of friendship, support, and love.

Sure, there have been ups and downs, but Oliver understands me better than anyone on this earth. Save one person, but…

“We love you, Trev. Rowan and me. Rose. My family. If you’re not there, it’s not Christmas.”

I resist the corners of my lips perking up.

It’s nice to hear, I have to admit.

“I know the breakup hasn’t been easy on you. It hasn’t been easy on any of us. And what Iris did wasn’t fair to you.”

“More than unfair.”

“Right, it was cruel. It was…” Oliver presses his lips together and squeezes my shoulder a little tighter. “I won’t be able to live with myself if you’re alone on Christmas. I’ll come over and be with you alone if I have to.”

“Don’t do that, man…” I flinch.

The Hawthorns are the closest knit a family can be. I’d be selfish to take him from his family on Christmas.

With a sharp inhale, I make up my mind.

I can do it. I mean, I didn’t think I’d be able to forgive him for being with Rowan, and now here we are. Family.

We’re family. Family makes sacrifices for family.

Even when they hurt like hell.

“I won’t ask you to do that. I can handle it. Seeing Iris, I can–” I gulp. “Handle it.”

“You sure? I’ll spend Christmas with you if–”

“No, you’re right. At the very least, I can do this for Roses” My chest warms with thoughts of my goddaughter. Her wavy brown curls, button nose, big smile.

Oliver shakes my shoulder a bit. “I owe you.”

“No, this is what family does.” Family doesn’t owe each other. Not the way I want my family to be. “When’s she getting into town?”

Oliver smiles sheepishly. “Tomorrow?”

My expression falls. “So, she’s going to be at family dinner on Sunday?”

Overhead, the El rumbles, loud enough to make me want to cover my ears.

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