The Bad Boy's Redemption by Lili Valente, Jessie Evans Page A

about them today wouldn’t do anyone any good.
    Besides, he didn’t want to worry.
    He wanted to enjoy another perfect day with the woman he was falling for so hard and fast it would give a normal man whiplash. But thankfully, Colton wasn’t a normal man, he was a man accustomed to flying F-18s and shuttling through the air at the speed of sound. By comparison, falling for the girl next door, a person he’d loved in one way or another since she was a little girl, wasn’t such a fast thing.
    It was just a good thing. A wonderful thing and Colton couldn’t ever remember being happier to walk into his parents’ home with a woman on his arm. The house smelled like turkey, sweet potato casserole, and homemade pies, the Christmas tree was glittering in the corner by the fireplace, his father, cousin, and brothers were crouched around the coffee table in the living room playing a loud game of poker, while his mom blasted carols loud enough to drown out the shouts and cursing.
    As he and Olivia closed the front door behind them, his father looked up and lifted a hand in greeting. “Olivia! Welcome, sweetheart. Merry Christmas.”
    “Merry Christmas, Mr. Brody,” Olivia said, returning his wave. “Merry Christmas to you too, Tucker. Good to see you Seth, Blake.”
    His cousin Seth grinned and welcomed Olivia to the madhouse, while Blake and Tucker waved and murmured their own welcomes before turning back to their cards, clearly too distracted by a losing streak to be on their best manners. But the annual Christmas Eve Day poker game was an epic and very serious event that would involve bragging rights for months to come. Not to mention a giant jar of pennies, the biggest pot they played for all year.
    “Just like I remember it.” Olivia beamed up at him as he took her coat and hung it on one of the dozens of hooks nailed into the redwood wall inside the door. “It even smells the same.”
    “It’s good to have you here for Christmas again,” Colt said. “Mom is so happy you’re back in town.”
    “Colt is that you?” His mama peeked out the door to the kitchen, her flushed cheeks stretching in a wide smile when she spotted Olivia. Tossing the dish towel in her hands onto the counter, Sarah hurried across the large, open living room with her arms outstretched. “Olivia! Oh my goodness, get over here darling and let me give you a hug. I’m so glad to see you.”
    “Me too, Mrs. Brody.” Olivia sank into his mother’s hug with a grin. “I’m sorry I didn’t come by sooner. I’ve been so busy trying to get the shop ready to reopen; the days have been flying by.”
    “No need to apologize. I should apologize for missing the race yesterday. I heard it was the most exciting one in years.” His mom pulled away, her brows knitting as she reached for Colt. “Come here you big thing. I need to get as many hugs from you as I can get. I’m stocking up for when there’s a shortage.”
    “I’ve always got hugs for you, Mom,” Colt said, hugging her tight. “Especially if you made apple cheddar crumble pie.”
    She humphed. “Made two—one for today and one for you to take home.” Sarah patted him on the back and motioned for him and Olivia to follow her into the kitchen. “Now you two come on in and help me get a quick lunch organized. Your brothers are useless and Daisy’s upstairs with the kids rounding up old clothes for the snowman competition.”
    Olivia bounced on her toes before skipping along beside him toward the kitchen. “Oh, I can’t wait! I was dreaming about my snowman last night. He’s going to be amazing.”
    “I thought we were going to be a team this year,” Colt said.
    “We can be,” Olivia said. “As long as you’re willing to go along with my artistic vision.”
    Colt grunted. “Willing to be bossed around is more like it.”
    “Takes one to know one.” She shot him a look that left no doubt in his mind that she was thinking about the bossing around he’d done last night,