Worth the Risk (Carolina Rebels 5)

I look up at her and she glances at Jackson. “Oh? Do you want me to go with you?”

She shakes her head. “I was hoping Bree could stay here with you.”

Oh. That makes more sense. She doesn’t need me or Bree there while she’s meeting with Henry. “Yeah, of course. Take the day if you want it.” We’re about to leave for another trip this week anyway. If she wants a day off, tomorrow will be a good day to take it.

“Thanks. I might.”

“Are you nervous?” I ask, though it’s a dumb question to ask. Of course she is.

Raelynn nods. “I have a lot of questions for him. It’ll be good to get some answers. He’s using his lunch break to meet me, but I don’t know if an hour will be long enough.”

“If you need me to watch Jackson for you, I will.”

“Thanks. Is your family excited about coming for Christmas? Where exactly is home for them?”

She stuns me for a moment, just by being curious about me and my family. I don’t miss that she changed the subject, but that’s okay. “They’re excited,” I answer. I called Mom earlier this week to finalize the plans. “I’m from Canada, Thunder Bay specifically.”

“Wow. So, they’re flying all this way just for a few days? That’s awesome.”

“Yeah.” I pause for a moment, wondering if I should ask the question I’ve been thinking about and then decide to go for it. She’ll either answer or she’ll deflect. “How do you two normally spend Christmas?”

Raelynn doesn’t get the chance to answer before Jackson, who has been listening, decides to do it for her.

“We decorate a little tree with lights and ornaments and tinsel. On Christmas Eve, we make cookies and build a special fort and sleep under it while we wait for Santa.” Jackson leans forward and whispers, “Sometimes, we eat some of the cookies for Santa. Momma says he doesn’t mind.” He leans back and speaks normally again as he continues, “In the morning, I open presents in our fort and we eat any leftover cookies for breakfast.”

“What about your mom? Does she have presents to open?”

Jackson shakes his head, slightly confused by my question. “I’m her Christmas present every year. Right, Momma?” He looks at Raelynn for confirmation.

She nods. “Yep,” she says, popping that p at the end again. “Best present ever.”

He grins and focuses on whatever he’s building. Raelynn smiles while she watches him. Her Christmases since he’s been born have been just the two of them. They have their own traditions and ways to spend the holiday. While she probably doesn’t mind that no one has looked after her, or has been there to give her a present in that time, it makes me want to figure out what she’d like and buy it for her. I already have an idea of what I’d like to do for Jackson.

“Maybe we could go shopping before or after your meeting tomorrow?” I suggest.

Raelynn looks surprised, but she nods. “Yeah, that should be fun.”

And maybe I’ll catch her eyeing something I can buy her for Christmas.

Elias pulls int

o a parking space at the restaurant and I spot Henry standing by the door, waiting for me. Even in work clothes, he manages to have this arrogant, filthy rich, high class air surrounding him. Maybe it’s the way he stands, all tall and confident, at ease, and somehow looking as if he owns the place.

“Are you ready for this?” Elias asks.

“No.”

He chuckles. “You’ll be fine. Make him buy your lunch and I’ll be back in an hour unless you text me sooner.”

I nod and get out. Since we’re shopping afterward, he thought he should bring me and hang around the area until I’m done. I don’t know what he and Bree are doing while I’m here, but I have other things to worry about.

“You came,” Henry says as I stand in front of him.

“Of course I did. Let’s get this over with.”

He opens the door for me and we walk inside. The silence between us is awkward amongst the noisy fast food restaurant. We came just in time for rush hour. The line is long, people’s voices clash with one another as they talk and order, and as we shuffle closer to the counter, Henry’s arm brushes against me here and there. I cringe each time.

When we finally sit down at a small table in the back corner, I take a moment to watch Henry. To wonder how he ended up here. How will this go? I’m about to find out, I know, but am I ready?