“Love you, Addi-girl,” he whispered, using his old nickname for me.
“Love you back, Uncle A.”
He stood with a grin. “I’m still your favorite, right?”
“Always.”
We left him smiling and happy.
I was beginning to feel tired, and I wondered how early we could head home. Between the wedding and Christmas and all the hidden drama, I felt drained.
Brayden kissed my head. “I’ll whisk you away after supper. We can have a bath and some sleep, okay, little elf?”
“You know me too well.”
He stroked under my eye, his touch gentle. “I know this little bruise forming means you’ve had enough. No one will think twice about us cutting out a little early. Technically, we’re on our honeymoon.”
I was grateful for that excuse.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we got back to the Hub, but luckily, everything seemed fine. Jaxson was in the library reading, and Gracie was in the kitchen. Brayden kissed me, then went to find his dad, hoping for a game of chess. They started one each Christmas day, and it usually lasted until the New Year. They would take long breaks, sometimes a day between moves, trying to outdo each other. Maddox often won, although Brayden had beaten him two years in a row.
Gracie smiled as I walked into the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. I spied a bottle of wine on the counter—her favorite kind—and it was half empty. It was unusual for her to drink so much, but I supposed given the stress she was feeling, it was understandable. I poured myself a glass of red and asked what I could do to help.
My mom smiled at me. “You can make the gravy in a bit. The boys set the tables, the turkeys will be out soon, and dinner is in about an hour. Did you and Brayden have a nice walk in the woods?”
Gracie’s gaze snapped to mine, and I smiled innocently. “We walked on the beach and watched them skate. We mostly sat by the fire and whittled sticks with Aiden.”
I saw Gracie visibly relax.
“Why don’t you take your wine and sit by the tree? You’ve been going all day. I’ll call when it’s gravy time.”
I took her up on her offer and curled up by the tree. Shelby was busy sketching on the other end of the sofa. Ronan was asleep on another. Thomas was busy on his laptop, listening to someone in his earbuds, but he offered me a smile and a wink as I sat down.
Outside, the snow was getting heavier and harder. The wind was picking up as the sun went down, and I had a feeling Jaxson wouldn’t be going anywhere. I thought about what he’d said about hurting Gracie. I wondered if she would ever tell me the whole story.
How had I missed the fact that something huge was happening in her life, and I didn’t know about it? I had been so caught up in the opening of the winery, the wedding, and everything else, I had missed the signs. She had been quieter than normal, and we hadn’t seen much of each other outside of work. I vowed to do better once the holidays were over.
She walked into the room just as Jaxson appeared across the way. They stood looking at each other. His pain was evident in his gaze. Her anger colored her vision, and she glared at him and turned on her heel and walked away.
He watched her leave with a slight shake of his head, and he headed downstairs, disappearing from view.
For the first time ever, I wanted Christmas done. We really needed to talk.BraydenDinner was its usual loud, boisterous affair. There was so much food. Platters of turkey and ham. My mom’s garlic mashed potatoes plus a huge dish of roasted ones. Liv’s curried cheese vegetables—the yams, carrots, and cauliflower tasty with a bite of curry and the rich sauce. Massive containers of stuffing. Platters of warm buns. Vast boats of gravy my wife had made.
Dishes of homemade cranberry sauce, festive in color. An area filled with nothing but cookies and tarts, pies, and sweets. A feast made with love by all the women in our lives, including my wife. I grinned, thinking about how much I loved calling Addi my wife.
Tables were set up like a U, and there was a lot of shouting and passing of platters. It always shocked me that no matter how much food was prepared, it disappeared. The Callaghan boys, their father included, were frightening when it came to meals. I noticed Jaxson was fascinated, watching them devour plate after plate of food. He informed the mothers he had never seen a feast such as this or tasted food so delicious. There was no doubt all the women found him charming, Addi included, except for the one he wanted to charm the most.