Page 8 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

Everyone starts flooding past me toward the dining room, the aromas of Ash’s cooking permeating the air.

I turn, searching the faces. Surely, I didn’t hug my ex-fiancé without even noticing.

My eyes find Red’s. She rushes up to me.

“Um…is Trevor here?”

Oliver passes just as I ask.

Red and him aren’t subtle. I notice every time they exchange a worried glance.

Oliver holds his arms to their daughter. “I’ll take Rose. You two take your time.”

Red hands off the baby to Oliver.

He walks off, the last of the Hawthorns to enter the dining room.

“Okay, Red, what’s going on?” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Nothing, I just want to prepare you for… He’s not happy you’re here.”

I chuckle. “Of course, he isn’t. I told you he wouldn’t be.”

“Yes, yes, but–” She waves her hand in the air, suggesting we need to be quieter. “I don’t know how he’s going to handle actually seeing you, and I just want to tell you how much we want you here. And how much he wants you here too.”

I freeze. “He said that?”

“Not explicitly.”

I shake my head. “Not implicitly either, I’d imagine.”

Red gives me a pointed look.

“What?! Otherwise, he would’ve come to say hi, right?”

“He’s just giving you space. You know, this has been hard on all of us.”

I snort. “Am I supposed to feel bad about that?”

“That’s not my point, I’m just saying that we all want this to be a happy holiday. Foreveryone. Including you and Trevor. I know this year has been hard on both of you.”

It didn’t start out that way. Not by a longshot.

Rowan takes my hand away from my chest and squeezes it. “Just be you. That’s all. You know we all loveyou.”

Not all…

I keep that thought to myself so as not to burden my friend with any more of my concerns. There’s no need. It’s all the same anxieties.

She and Oliver wouldn’t have begged me to come if they didn’t want me here. I’m going to have to rely on that when it becomes difficult to be around Trevor.

“Can we go eat? I’m starving. And I can smell Ash’s potatoes.”

Red grins. “Come on.”

Hand in hand, we walk into the dining room. Everyone is already seated.

My eyes immediately lock on Trevor.

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