Page 26 of The Long Haul

“I can,” he promises.

“Mary?” Back to Diana giving permission.

“Do we have any eggnog?”

“Yes,” Diana responds. “Next.”

That ends up being Catherine, wanting to know if there’s enough syrup, followed by Damon inquiring about who wants coffee. The answers are yes and everybody, respectively.

Vincent chimes in after that. “I’ll make bacon, if anybody is interested.” Again, we all are. The only person left, aside from David and Diana, is Carson.

As a collective, we all turn to look at him. “What you got, bro?” Violet sasses.

“It’s private,” he tells her.

“Dude, we’re all in. No secrets, remember?”

“Want to share with the class who Gregory Barnes is?” She turns so red I fear she’s going to catch fire. “I saw you doodling his name on your notebook.”

“Low blow, Carson.”

“No secrets, remember?”

“You sure you want to claim this ragtag group of pests?” David asks with a grin, pressing a fatherly kiss to the top of my head.

I glance at the people surrounding me, receiving a nod or smile in return, each showing an acceptance I haven’t received since losing my parents. “More than anything.”

“And with that, I’m taking my woman to talk privately.”

Teasingly, as if I fear it’ll be bad and now knowing it won’t, I plead, “Save me, family.”

They all play along, reaching for me. Carson growls through a grin, a neat trick that, and explains, “If you’d all give us a minute, I’m trying to officially make her family.”

To that, I hear Damon mutter, “Really, Car? Only a minute?”

“Eww,” the sisters, and Diana, exclaim.

“You’re paying for their therapy,” David tells Damon when he grins.

Taking my hand, Carson leads me to his room and shuts the door. We both stare at the still rumpled sheets. “Soon,” he promises. “But first,” he sits on the bed and pulls me onto his lap, “I’m not mad at you. I need you to know that. After meeting them, I get why you did it.”

“I lied, Carson. To all of you.”

“If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t have met. I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you. I wouldn’t be wondering if it was too soon to propose.”

“What?”

“I know you heard me, angel.”

“I did. I just wanted to hear it again.” He laughs, that more than anything telling me we truly are okay. I know it’s silly to let it have more of an impact than his words, but I’ve spent almost two decades with people who showed that actions speak louder.

**Carson**

“I love you, Audrey Wilcox.” I’m using her name on purpose, wanting her to have no doubts I know who I’m with. Her name might’ve been a fib, but I know, in my heart, the rest was the true her.

“I love you, Carson Jenkins.”

“Not that we have that settled, I was only half joking about the proposal. We don’t have to get married right away…”

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