Page 26 of A Christmas Changes Everything

“None of that matters.” And none of it did. As Holly said earlier, this wasn’t about them. This was about Lyss, Sean, and the twins. What they needed, and not the effect any of it had on him and his sister’s best friend. “Go get some sleep, Lyss,” Chace ordered with a smile. “You need to be rested when you see Sean tomorrow.”

“If they transfer him.”

“They will. Think positive.”

“I’m not sure I have the strength.” She laughed at the irony in that statement. “I really appreciate you and Holly looking after the girls, Chace. Especially with Christmas so close.”

“We’re glad to help.” Though he doubted Holly would appreciate his use ofweas if they were a unit, he was confident she’d agree about wanting to help Lyss in any way she could.

“I’ll keep you posted. Good night, Chace.”

“Good night, sis.”

Chace disconnected the video call and closed the lid on the laptop. Sighing, he leaned back against the soft cushions of the sofa, plowing his fingers through his hair and then linking them across his abdomen.

Like his sister, Chace felt every one of the last seventy-two hours clear to the marrow of his bones. From the shock of Lyss’s initial call about Sean to the long-ass flight from Cairo after his replacement arrived to everything that had happened in the twenty-four hours since his arrival in Hickory Ridge, Chace was utterly spent.

He should get up. Fight the fatigue like he’d been trained to do as a Ranger. Get his circulation going. Only he couldn’t muster the energy it took to move even one muscle fiber. A quick power nap. That was all he needed. Just a few minutes, and he’d be good to go.

At least, that was what Chace told himself as his eyes drifted closed.

* * *

“I wishwe could have talked to Daddy, don’t you, Sissy?” Emme asked Wren.

“Yeah, but he needs his rest to be a soldier.”

Holly’s chest tightened at the twins’ conversation as they gathered everything for their shower. Despite how well Lyss had handled Emme’s question about where her father was, Holly knew that couldn’t be Lyss’s go-to response every time she chatted with her daughters. At some point, they’d have to tell the girls some version of the truth.

Which wasnotsomething Holly was looking forward to, no matter who explained the situation to the twins.

“Are we going anywhere tomorrow?” Effortlessly, Wren changed the subject.

“I’m not sure.”

“We should get a Christmas tree,” Emme suggested.

“And decorate it,” Wren added with a few bounces up and down on her toes.

“Then we could show it to Mommy when we talk to her.”

“I don’t know if we can get all that done by the time your mother said she’d call.”

“Then we’ll show it to her the next time,” Emme countered with a look that said,See? Problem solved.

If only life were as easy as her favorite seven-year-olds thought it was.

“Let’s go see what Uncle Chace thinks.”

“Freeze,” Holly commanded as they made a break for the door. “Showers first. Pajamas second. Then we’ll see.”

Wren’s eyes widened with an idea. “Why don’t you go ask him while we get our shower?”

Yeah, she could do that, especially since it would give her control over the conversation rather than her goddaughters. “Okay. But make sure you close the curtain so we don’t have another water mess to clean up.”

Both shot her a thumbs-up and disappeared into the Jack and Jill bathroom separating their bedrooms.

Though the twins had their own bedrooms, two twin beds were also in each for sister sleepovers that, according to Lyss, happened more often than not. So far, anyway. For now, the setup allowed the girls to share space if they wanted to while providing personal space when needed.

---