Page 30 of Bragg's Christmas

“Homewrecker? Tell me more.”

“She doesn’t go after men who are single. Oh no, not Love Hill. She prefers to steal men from their women,” Harmony explains.

“Not to mention the whole ninth-grade thing,” Eden says.

“What happened in ninth grade?” Olivia asks.

“She dated the teacher!”

Someone gasps and I open my eyes to discover Love Hill standing in front of me. Her eyes are full of hurt. She clutches the chair and her knees wobble.

I stand. “They didn’t…”

I trail off when I realize I have no idea how to comfort her. Even if what my sisters-in-law say is true, she doesn’t deserve to be gossiped about at a family gathering. Family gatherings should be safe places.

She swipes at the moisture in her eyes. “I’m going to…” She whirls around and runs out of the house.

“Watch Skye!” I shout down the stairs. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I wait until Peace responds. I know he’ll watch Skye and, unlike with my other brothers, I won’t have to worry about spending the rest of my life finding glitter in my daughter’s hair.

I snatch my coat from the hallway and run outside.

“Love Hill! Wait!”

Chapter 11

I should always be in possession of the binoculars since my home is closest to Love Hill’s. ~ Message from Sage to the Gossip Gals

Love Hill

Crap. Crap. Crap. Damon’s going to fire me. I’ll never get a new roof now. Maybe I should leave Winter Falls.

No, I can’t leave. I promised Dad I’d always care for the home he built for my mom.

Damon grasps my shoulder and spins me around. “Love, stop!”

The surprise of hearing him say my first name without my last name attached to it has me skidding to a halt. No one ever uses my first name. Not on its own at least. It’s always Love Hill or Nanny Love or that Love woman.

Never just plain Love. The name my father picked out for me. The name my father thought fitting since, as he always used to say, ‘How can they not love you, Love?’

“I apologize on behalf of my family,” Damon says. “Family gatherings should be safe spaces. They shouldn’t have said the things they did.”

“It’s okay.”

I should be used to it by now. None of the people in this town have liked me since the ninth grade. Never mind how they got the whole situation wrong. Never mind, no one bothered to ask ifIwas okay.

Except Dad. Dad knew what really happened. But he was already sick at the time and couldn’t be my defender anymore. I had to defend myself.

“No, it’s not okay. I invited you to Thanksgiving. My family should have known better than to gossip about you.”

“I think I’ll take the day off. Tell Skye I said goodbye. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I start toward my house.

“I’ll escort you home.”

I roll my eyes. “No need. I’m perfectly safe here.”

“Except from gossiping sisters-in-law,” he mutters.

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