Page 93 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?
“Are you looking forward to seeing everyone?” She slipped a hand under Ella’s shirt and caressed her breast.
“Yes. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together. I hear my brother is bringing a girl he’s been seeing.”
“That should be interesting.” She gently traced Ella’s nipple with the tip of her finger. She heard her inhale quietly.
“Mhmm. They make a cute couple. He posted a couple of shots on Insta, and he had this very genuine smile that tells me he’s happy. I look forward to you meeting them all soon. But I know you need to stay close to your mom for the holidays.”
“Yes, but one day I want to see where you grew up. I want to know everything about what makes you you.” She placed a slow kiss on the back of Ella’s jaw just as her alarm sounded. “Unfortunately, I have to take a shower.” She pushed herself up and headed to the bathroom.
“Did you really just get me all hot and bothered and sneak away?”
“I would love nothing more on earth than to spend thirty minutes making you claw those sheets, but I have the Dickinsons at 8 a.m.”
“Not the Dickinsons,” Ella said with mock reverence. She propped herself on a forearm and grinned.
Max laughed, too, liking it when Ella teased. That playful glint was too adorable. “And they like to show up early and insult each other in the waiting room. The longer they sit there, the angrier they get, and the more work it is for me to convince them to compromise.” She sighed and melted for a moment. “But you have amazing breasts. Have I ever told you that?”
“They miss you,” she said, shaking them in Max’s direction. “Come play with them some more.”
Max swallowed, arousal flooding her system. This woman looked too good lying in that bed, blond hair on her bare shoulders. Max wanted to do decadent things to her, and shedidn’t want to wait until tonight to do it. She checked the clock. There was no time left. Didn’t matter. “Come in with me?” she asked, walking backward, tipping her head in the direction of the walk-in shower. She greatly appreciated the remodel that made it extra spacious. There was even a quartz bench she could imagine putting to use.
“Oh, yeah?” With a twinkle in her eye, Ella was up and moving. “Good morning to me.”
“To us,” Max said, sliding her hand in Ella’s hair to her neck and crushing her mouth to Ella’s.
Ella’sfavorite Christmas carol was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The quiet, almost internally spoken lyrics made her thoughtful and soft. She had it on while she worked at her desk, adding detail to the jacket of one of the characters on her cover. Francesca was her name, and, apparently, she was about to be blindsided by a visit from a past girlfriend who broke her heart years ago. “Gear up, Frankie,” she said as she gently drew a fold in the fabric. “Hold onto that jacket.”
Her phone, which had been playing her music, buzzed on the nightstand across the room. She hurried over and grinned when she saw her father’s face on the screen. She took a seat on her bed next to the open suitcase. “Is this Santa?” she asked after sliding onto the call.
“You have to admit. I’m a damn good one.” Her father offered his famous “ho ho ho,” cultivated after years of playing Santa at the local elementary school holiday parties. HisThe Night Before Christmaswas not to be missed. “How are you, Penny?”
She grinned at the childhood nickname, sprung from when she was seven and found his car keys after he’d torn the houseapart looking for them. He’d told her she was his lucky penny, and it stuck. “I’m having a great day and just finishing up some work before I move on to trip plans. I want to go shopping for some road trip snacks. Is it even a road trip without good food?”
“I taught you well.” He took a deep breath. “Hey, I want to run something by you and see how you feel.”
She tracked the hesitation in his voice and frowned. “Okay, sure. What’s up?”
“Everyone here is thinking of hanging on a bit longer and maybe celebrating the holidays here in Bavaria. Nuremberg has an amazing Christmas market. They do a whole big thing.”
“Wow. I bet it’s beautiful.” Her heart sank like a stone in a lake.
“Yes! The city goes nuts for Christmas, and your mom and I thought, ‘You know what? We’re getting older now, and how many more chances will we have to experience Christmas in Germany?’”
“Right. I hear you.” Her mind was working quickly to understand the implications. They wouldn’t be back in Tulsa this week. They were bailing on her again. And didn’t once think,We’re getting older now. How many more chances will we have to celebrate Christmas with our daughter?She felt like she needed to sit down, like she’d been punched in the stomach. But because she was already sitting down, there was nothing left to do but absorb the pain. There would be no Christmas at home.
“We were wondering what you would think about celebrating New Year’s at the house instead? We could do a whole spread. Noisemakers, firecrackers. All of it. Your brother and Heather are both in.”
Silence. She blinked back hot tears. Her throat ached with a combination of sadness and humiliation. Unwanted, that’s exactly how she felt. Again.
“But, listen,” he said, perhaps sensing the gut punch, “if this gets in the way of your plans, we can skip it and come home. You say the word.”
“I’m not going to tell you that you should want to spend Christmas with me.”
“Oh, hon,” he said. “That’s not it at all. Of course we want to spend Christmas with you. We love and miss you.”
“I know.” Just not enough, she finished in her head. “Have a good time in Germany. I’ll see if I can change my ticket and come for New Year’s.”
“I honestly can’t wait. We’re going to have the best time.” A pause. “Ella’s in! She’s all about New Year’s,” he called some distance from the phone.
