moving. Like maybe you need more help to look after things. I know Connor’s here, but it shouldn’t be all up to him to help you.”
“That’s not why we want to move.” Mom’s voice went uncharacteristically gentle. “We told you the reasons yesterday. That’s all it is. We’ve always known you kids would grow up and leave home and have your own lives.We love to see you, but we don’t expect you to come home every weekend. And we don’t expect you to kill yourselves looking after the house so we can stay here.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “I’m still sad about it.”
“I know. Things change, though. Life goes on and things change.”
I gave another nod.
Jon came down then, having slept even later than I had. “Morning.” He crossed the kitchen to kiss my cheek.“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“Jenna Rose, did you overdo it last night?”
“No, Mom.”
She snorted.
I laughed. “Seriously, I feel fine.” I looked at Jon. “Want some coffee?”
“Sure, thanks.” He sat on a stool.
Oh. He expected me to get it for him. I rose and opened the cupboard where the mugs were. I forgot he didn’t really know his way around the kitchen and wasn’t as comfortable as therest of us were.
“How late did you stay?” he asked as I slid a mug across the counter to him.
“It was nearly two when we got home.”
“It was one fifty-six,” Mom said.
“Mom! You didn’t wait up for us, did you? We’re not teenagers anymore.”
“I just happened to be up and checking on Christopher.”
“That’s bullshit. Emily was home with him by then.”
Mom grinned.
“It was so much fun. I reallymiss Leesha.”
Emily walked in carrying Christopher and I jumped up. “There’s my nephew! What a handsome boy you are today. Come to Auntie Jenna.”
Emily laughed and handed him over. He smiled at me and kicked his legs.
“Look! He knows me! He’s smiling at me.” I turned to show Jon. He didn’t seem impressed.
“When are you going for the sleigh ride?” Emily asked, moving to pour herself a cup ofcoffee.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I’m not sure if I should bring Christopher. It’s cold out.”
“It’s not that cold today. You can bundle him up, and then go inside if you think he’s too cold—there’s the little restaurant and gift shop there.”
Emily considered that. “Yes, I guess that’s true. I won’t skate, though.”
“Ha! Dad and the guys
might
let you get away with that, but they’ll tell you toput skates on Christopher and get him on the ice.”
Emily laughed. “He can’t even walk!”
“Minor detail.” I grinned.
The back door opened and the kitchen filled with big, tall men.
“I was just telling Emily that we could find some little skates for Christopher.” I hugged him closer, hiding my smile.
“Hell yeah.” Andrew’s grin beamed across the room and touched something deep inside me.
Again,I was so aware of his presence in the room, charging the air with electricity that shot right to my core. I bent my head and breathed in the scent of Christopher’s baby-shampooed hair. I shouldn’t have looked at Andrew.
Don’t look at him.
How the hell was I supposed to avoid him?
“I’ll go find the skates.” Mom jumped up.
“Mine are in my car,” Connor said.
“If you want to skate, Emily, I canlook after Christopher for a while,” I offered.
“But you love skating,” Andrew objected.
I flicked a glance his way, still trying not to look at him.
“There are enough of us that we can all skate and take turns watching Christopher,” Daniel said. “Hey, who drank all the coffee?”
“Make more,” I told my brother.
Grumbling, he washed the pot and changed the filter and started scooping coffeeinto it. I walked around, bouncing Christopher a little. “Are you going to be a hockey player?” I asked him. “Your dad wasn’t good enough, but maybe you can be.”
Daniel snorted and I fought back my grin.
Two hours later, we arrived at
“That’s not why we want to move.” Mom’s voice went uncharacteristically gentle. “We told you the reasons yesterday. That’s all it is. We’ve always known you kids would grow up and leave home and have your own lives.We love to see you, but we don’t expect you to come home every weekend. And we don’t expect you to kill yourselves looking after the house so we can stay here.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “I’m still sad about it.”
“I know. Things change, though. Life goes on and things change.”
I gave another nod.
Jon came down then, having slept even later than I had. “Morning.” He crossed the kitchen to kiss my cheek.“How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“Jenna Rose, did you overdo it last night?”
“No, Mom.”
She snorted.
I laughed. “Seriously, I feel fine.” I looked at Jon. “Want some coffee?”
“Sure, thanks.” He sat on a stool.
Oh. He expected me to get it for him. I rose and opened the cupboard where the mugs were. I forgot he didn’t really know his way around the kitchen and wasn’t as comfortable as therest of us were.
“How late did you stay?” he asked as I slid a mug across the counter to him.
“It was nearly two when we got home.”
“It was one fifty-six,” Mom said.
“Mom! You didn’t wait up for us, did you? We’re not teenagers anymore.”
“I just happened to be up and checking on Christopher.”
“That’s bullshit. Emily was home with him by then.”
Mom grinned.
“It was so much fun. I reallymiss Leesha.”
Emily walked in carrying Christopher and I jumped up. “There’s my nephew! What a handsome boy you are today. Come to Auntie Jenna.”
Emily laughed and handed him over. He smiled at me and kicked his legs.
“Look! He knows me! He’s smiling at me.” I turned to show Jon. He didn’t seem impressed.
“When are you going for the sleigh ride?” Emily asked, moving to pour herself a cup ofcoffee.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I’m not sure if I should bring Christopher. It’s cold out.”
“It’s not that cold today. You can bundle him up, and then go inside if you think he’s too cold—there’s the little restaurant and gift shop there.”
Emily considered that. “Yes, I guess that’s true. I won’t skate, though.”
“Ha! Dad and the guys
might
let you get away with that, but they’ll tell you toput skates on Christopher and get him on the ice.”
Emily laughed. “He can’t even walk!”
“Minor detail.” I grinned.
The back door opened and the kitchen filled with big, tall men.
“I was just telling Emily that we could find some little skates for Christopher.” I hugged him closer, hiding my smile.
“Hell yeah.” Andrew’s grin beamed across the room and touched something deep inside me.
Again,I was so aware of his presence in the room, charging the air with electricity that shot right to my core. I bent my head and breathed in the scent of Christopher’s baby-shampooed hair. I shouldn’t have looked at Andrew.
Don’t look at him.
How the hell was I supposed to avoid him?
“I’ll go find the skates.” Mom jumped up.
“Mine are in my car,” Connor said.
“If you want to skate, Emily, I canlook after Christopher for a while,” I offered.
“But you love skating,” Andrew objected.
I flicked a glance his way, still trying not to look at him.
“There are enough of us that we can all skate and take turns watching Christopher,” Daniel said. “Hey, who drank all the coffee?”
“Make more,” I told my brother.
Grumbling, he washed the pot and changed the filter and started scooping coffeeinto it. I walked around, bouncing Christopher a little. “Are you going to be a hockey player?” I asked him. “Your dad wasn’t good enough, but maybe you can be.”
Daniel snorted and I fought back my grin.
Two hours later, we arrived at
Similar Books
