"And me." She reached over and squeezed my hand. "You're okay with me coming out to your dad's tomorrow after I open presents with Parker, right?"
"Of course. I hate the fact that we can't spend the night together tonight. Seems a shame." I turned to look out the front window and let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
"I'll be right back." She got out of the car, and I turned to look out the other window, not sure how I was going to get through the idea that last night might have been our last time to make love together. It seemed absurd, like that couldn't possibly be our outcome, but it could.
She got back in the truck a few minutes later and laid a small bag at my feet. She sat down the bag of goodies she made me beside it. "Take these to your dad's and let him enjoy some of them. You were so damn greedy about them the other night."
"I still am." I turned to her and took her hand. "Chloe, I just want you to know that I meant what I said last night. I know it doesn't make sense, and it's only been a few weeks, but I love you. I don't want to lose you, and I need you to think about if that matters to you."
"Of course, it does." She reached out and touched my face.
"Right. So, here's the deal. I want to keep working on us and see where this goes. If that means that we make this work long distance, or you stay here, or I go with you...it's whatever. I just don't want to give up when we've just started. I'm too far into you."
She nodded. "I love you, too. Let me think about what the best answer might be tonight, and we can talk tomorrow about it."
"Okay. I'll hold you to it." I sat back, feeling better that she loved me, too, but still torn up over what our end result would be.
"I hope that's not the only thing you plan to hold me to." She wagged her eyebrows, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Anything you want, baby. All you have to do is ask."
Chapter 31
Chloe
"Get up! It's Christmas!" Parker jumped on my bed and shook me awake like he did when we were kids.
I threw my arm in the air, trying to swat him off of me, but missing entirely.
"What time is it?" I rolled over and groaned. "Parker, It's five in the morning. We're not kids anymore."
"I am. Get up. It's time to open presents." He jumped on my bed again, and this time I got him, grabbing him and rolling over on top of him.
I pinned him to the bed and breathed in his face.
"Dad! Help! Dad!" he screamed, and I rolled off, grabbing my robe and trying to trip him as we ran down the hall.
I couldn't remember all of a sudden why in the world I hadn't been home for Christmas for the last few years. Me and Dad being at odds was one thing, but my little brother was growing up alone without me. I shouldn't have stayed away, and I never would again.
"Chloe, what are you doing to your brother?" Dad looked up from his stance in the kitchen with a mysterious look on his face.
"What are you doing in the kitchen is the real question." I moved up to him and pulled him into a hug. "Are you cooking something?"
"Yeah, Parker and I figured out your mother's old breakfast casserole recipe. We ran to the store and made it while you slept on the couch."
"You guys didn't watch The Grinch?" I turned and lifted my eyebrow at Parker.
"What do you care? You were snoring at nine-thirty." He laughed and started organizing the presents by the fireplace.
"Why do you guys not have a tree?" I looked back at my father.
"I don't know. Just seemed like another thing to do, and Parker never asked for one." He handed me a cup of coffee. "Why? You want one? We'll go get one after we open presents."
"No, it's too late this year, but next year you're going to have to put up a really big one to make up for this sadness." I pointed to the empty living room.
"So you're coming home next year?" He turned to me and smiled.
"I'm not leaving. I think this should be home from now on."