She turned her head and saw him laughing at something Tyler had said.
He’d dropped everything to come home and support his family. He was there for them, all the time, even when they drove him crazy, because Jackson O’Neil wasn’t a man who walked away.
She thought about that first night when she’d messed up her presentation and he’d insisted she stay. She thought about the night she’d been on her own and miserable and he’d refused to leave her. She thought about the sled ride through the forest and the times they’d laughed. And she thought about making love with him.
It had felt perfect, and the things that made it perfect were the same things that made him absolutely, totally the wrong man for her.
She sat still, frozen by the realization that she’d allowed herself to care.
How had that happened? How?
“Time for presents!” Jess leaped up from her chair, and Maple barked furiously, fired up by the excitement in the room.
Kayla stood, too, like a robot executing a preprogrammed movement. “I ought to be getting back to my cabin.”
She shouldn’t have come. She should have worked, instead of allowing herself to spend time with them.
“You can’t leave now!” Elizabeth took her hand and squeezed. “We’re opening presents. You’re part of that. Let’s go into the living room. We can clear up later.”
Before she could even draw breath, Kayla was seated by the Christmas tree she’d helped decorate days earlier.
Maple jumped onto her lap, and Kayla hugged the dog, trying to work out how she’d got in so deep so fast.
Jess was on her knees in front of the tree, sorting through presents.
“This pile is for Grandma—” She read labels and handed out presents while Kayla sat, awkward and self-conscious, grateful for Maple.
“This pile is for Kayla—” Jess dropped them onto her lap next to the puppy, and Kayla stared at the prettily wrapped gifts.
“What are these?”
“Your presents.” Jess passed two to Elizabeth and one to Jackson, while Kayla sat there, clutching parcels, her feelings raw and exposed.
They’d given her presents.
“You shouldn’t have bought me anything—”
“You gave up your Christmas to be here with us.” Elizabeth handed around coffee. “That makes you one of the family.”
She wasn’t one of the family. She couldn’t be. Didn’t want to be.
“Kayla?” Jackson’s voice was soft, and she realized she had to get this over with fast, before she made a fool of herself.
It was just a few presents. She’d open them, make enthusiastic noises and then go back to her cabin and pack. She’d bury herself in work, and all these feelings would go.
“This is exciting!” Smiling, she opened the heavy one first and pulled out an ax. Her smile wobbled as she glanced at Walter.
“I guess you can’t take it on the plane, so you’ll have to leave it here,” he said gruffly, “and use it when you come and visit.”
There was no way she was ever going to be able to come back here.
No way.
“Thanks, Walter. I—” She found it difficult to speak, so instead she went through the presents one by one and managed to smile and say the right things, even though it was the hardest thing she’d ever done. Alice had given her a pretty red scarf, Jess a box of chocolates, Tyler a warm pair of ski socks and Élise a cookery book for beginners.
And then Elizabeth pushed a small box into her hand.
“This is from all of us.” She reached down to hug Kayla. “You’ve worked so hard and we want you to remember us. Merry Christmas, sweetheart. Come back soon.”