Page 19 of All I Want for Christmas

“Well…” Joe finally said, shoving the tree trunk into the tree stand. “Go ahead and say it.”

“Say what?” I asked, holding Hope close.

“You probably think I’m a terrible person for slamming the door in her face and not hearing her out.”

“I wouldneversay that, Joe.”

“But you’re thinkin’ it.”

I shook my head, then walked over and sat on the floor next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “No, Joe. You have every right to feel the way you feel.”

He leaned his head into my arm and closed his eyes. “Why do I think there’s a but in there?”

“There’s no but. Her showing up on our front porch out of the blue had to be a shock. You’ve told me how terrible she was to you after your father died, not to mention all the years before that. And don’t forget I met her when we were dating. She wasn’t exactly sweetness and light to me.”

He reached a hand up and covered mine with his own. “Butyouwould give her a chance.”

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Maybe. Maybe not. If my momma showed up at the door, would I give her the time of day? I’m not so sure.”

“I would hope you wouldn’t give your mother the time of day, considering she’s been dead for two years and she’d be a zombie,” he teased.

“True,” I said with a soft grin. “But even if she weren’t a zombie, I’m not sure what I’d do.”

“I do,” he said, sounding defeated. “You would have let her in.”

Would I? I considered it a moment. “The last words I spoke to my mother were said in anger,” I said. “I don’t regret them because they were a long time comin’. But if she showed up, I’m not so sure I’d let her in. Not without letting her know I was a different person now, and she couldn’t treat me the way she used to when she was alive, or I’d kick her out.”

“See? You’d see her, you’d just lay ground rules first.”

I hesitated. “I suppose I would see her, but only because I’m a different person now. I think I’d need to prove to myself that she can’t hurt me anymore.” I squeezed his shoulder. “You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, Joe. If you never want to see her again, then that’s okay. No one can fault you for that.”

His voice broke. “She didn’t even come to Kate’s memorial service.”

While his sister had always been a wild card and had done many unscrupulous things, she’d gone off the deep end when she’d kidnapped Hope, plotted to kill me, then planned to give my baby to Neely Kate. Kate had been killed in the end, and while Joe had hated the things she’d done, he’d blamed his parents for screwing her up.

When Betsy hadn’t claimed Kate’s body, Joe held a private service for her. He’d sent word through his grandparents with details about the service, but neither they nor Betsy had come. There had only been three people at the service—Joe, Neely Kate, and Jed (I couldn’t bring myself to go), and Betsy’s absence had hurt Joe more than he’d let on, even if Neely Kate had been relieved.

“I know,” I said. “I’m so sorry. Nothin’ about this is easy. I don’t blame you for sending your mom away, and if you never speak to her again, I’ll stand by that decision.” I hesitated. “If I’m honest, I’m not sure I want her around Hope and the kids, but I’ll respect your wishes no matter what you decide.”

He turned to face me, still kneeling and holding his hand over mine on his shoulder. “I love you, Rose.”

I leaned over and kissed him, holding Hope to my chest. “I love you too.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

NEELY KATE

Jed and I got the Christmas tree in the stand and the lights wrapped around the branches while Daisy took her nap, but we decided to hold off on putting the ornaments on until we got the platform. The tree was pretty with just the lights, and Daisy was mesmerized. Jed teased me that she was just like her mother, taken in by sparkly lights.

On Sunday morning, Joe brought over a foot-tall platform, and he helped Jed get the tree set up on it. Before he left, he told us that his mother had shown up on their doorstep after they’d gotten home from the Christmas tree farm, and he’d sent her away.

My stomach twisted. Joe’s mother hated me. I couldn’t blame her, given that I was physical proof her husband had cheated on her, but I reminded myself that she had no power over me. Still, I felt relieved that Joe didn’t want to see her, even if it was selfish of me.

“What did she want?” Jed asked.

“She claimed she wanted to reconnect with me and to have a relationship with her granddaughter—who she thought was a grandson until we corrected her,” he said in disgust. “But I’m not buying it for a minute.”

“Then what do you think she wanted?” Jed asked.

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