Page 70 of Wylder Ranch
“Hey, I’m all for trying new things. I just know my limits, and cooking is one of them. Plus, why bother when we have a beautiful breakfast laid out up here every morning?” Miles asks, gesticulating around the Great Hall.
“It’s pretty fancy,” Haven agrees. It’s a stark contrast to the first time I brought her to Burlington, when she walked around with her mouth open and stared at everything. “But why are those guys moving all the furniture out?”
My guts twist. Miles senses my discomfort enough that he answers for me.
“They’re getting ready for the Christmas tree.” His lips roll, eyes slicing to mine in case I want to finish the rest. “Every year it comes in and we decorate it.”
I dearly wish Haven’s face wasn’t lighting up with more happiness than I’ve seen in her since she’s been here, especially when she turns to me with green eyes alight with excitement, but possibly a little wariness. “You decorate a tree?”
I can’t tell whether she’s asking if I personally decoratethe tree, or if it’s a collectiveyouthat includes the entire family. Again, Miles is silent. He’s as eager for my reply as Haven.
I haven’t decorated the Burlington Christmas tree since the year before my dad died.
It was always a tradition for Lando and me to come home from boarding school at the beginning of December to a naked tree ready for its baubles. It was always my favorite time of year, and I counted down the days until Michaelmas term ended so we could go home. Then twenty-one years ago, we arrived back, and it had already been decorated because my parents had plans to take us to the pantomime instead.
I was so upset that my dad left the following morning to buy another tree for us all to decorate.
He died before he made it there. His car was hit by another driver on the wrong side of the road.
I never have a Christmas tree in the cottage.
I never have decorations.
I haven’t joined in with our decades-old family tradition since that day.
But I’d have to be a monster to say no to Haven when she’s agreed to stay in Valentine Nook for Christmas, giving up her beloved holiday season in Aspen. I remember all those decorations around her house. The Nutcrackers. A life-sized Santa and his entire sleigh, a tree in every room.
My nightmare is her Disneyland.
I can’t look at Miles when I nod and reply, “Yes. Next Saturday, then we go down to see the lights switched on.”
Again, I don’t know why I’m including myself. I never go.
Her head tilts, and I’m not entirely sure she’s boughtmy bullshit, but then the twinkle returns to her eyes.
“I figured you wouldn’t have a tree, but this is so cool.” She turns to Everly, freshly bathed and ready for bed, wrapped up in her little sheep onesie. She’ll sleep in Max’s old crib while we spend the evening downstairs. “Your first Christmas tree, Evey.”
My heart lurches because as much as I hate Christmas, I know I will do anything for Haven and Everly.
“Who wants a drink?” Miles asks, and I shoot him a grateful smile.
“Me. Definitely.”
He claps a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “Let’s go. Fuck knows where everyone else is.”
“You guys do family dinner every week?” asks Haven, as we walk toward the library room with its fully stocked bar.
The change of subject cheers me somewhat. “We do. But movie night’s usually once a month.”
“Movie night?”
I stop and blink. Shit. In the chaos of the fire engines and everything that followed, I totally forgot to mention movie night. I’m not even sure how because I definitely meant to prewarn her.
“Yes. Tonight’s movie night. So I need you to get your game face on, family movie night is not a small undertaking. Miles usually talks all the way through, Lando gets annoyed, and Clemmie either cries or watches behind her fingers. If Max is with us, we only get through half a film because we have to keep stopping it to answer his questions.”
Haven stifles a giggle, which has me smiling.
“I don’t talk all the way through,” Miles gripes and letsout a long huff. “Not every time, anyway.”
