Worth the Risk (Carolina Rebels 5)

“No, that’s okay,” she answers.

I kneel in the floor in front of them. “What do you want first?”

And so, Jackson opens his presents. He’s absolutely thrilled when he gets to his skates. He wants to put them on right then, but Raelynn tells him no.

“We have to make sure they fit, though. Right, Jackson?” I say with a grin.

“Right,” he agrees, extending his feet out to me.

“But then we’re taking them off because your mom doesn’t want you wearing them right now, okay?”

“Okay, Mr. EJ.”

“Hey, you can call me EJ from now on, okay?”

Jackson’s eyes widen and he looks at Raelynn. “If he says it’s okay, then it’s okay,” she tells him.

“Time to stand up.” I help him stand. “How do they feel?”

“Like we need to go skating,” he answers, causing the three of us to laugh.

“We’ll break them in once you’re feeling better.” I take his skates off and he crawls onto Raelynn’s lap.

“Am I missing out on the party?”

Everyone looks to see Derek walk into my room.

“We’re just giving Jackson his presents. Derek, this is Henry, Jackson’s dad. Henry, this is one of my best friends, Derek.” They say hello. “Hey, help me take the fort down,” I say to Derek. While I don’t like the idea of Henry anywhere near my bed, especially if Raelynn is in it, why deal with the hassle of getting in and out of the fort? And Christmas is basically over. Plus, if they want to watch a movie, they wouldn’t be able to because of the fort.

Henry, Derek, and I get the fort taken down. As Derek and I are about to leave them to their family time, Jackson stops me.

“EJ?”

“Yeah, J-man?”

He looks to be on the verge of falling back asleep. “When do I get my room back?”

I laugh. “Tomorrow, but if you really want to sleep in your room tonight, I can see about rearranging some things.”

He nods and even says please while Raelynn shakes her head. The kid is sick. If he wants to be in his own room, then who am I to stand in his way? Nicole can move to Bree’s room and sleep on the twin bed and Derek can sleep on the couch. It’s everyone’s last night. I doubt they’ll be that upset by the change.

I pluck Bree from Nicole’s hold, feeling like I haven’t had any time with my own kid since they’ve been here, and sit in one of the chairs. “Nicole, don’t you want to take Derek’s place in Bree’s room and Derek, don’t you want to sleep on the couch?”

“Why?” Nicole asks.

“Jackson wants his room back.” I shrug. “He’s sick, so I kinda want to give him what he wants.”

Derek, who sits next to Nicole, throws an arm around her shoulders and pulls her into him. “You mean you want to kick your baby sister out for the preference of a five-year-old?” He looks at Nicole, who’s already laughing. “We don’t have to deal with this, Nicole! Your brother should treat you better. Let’s get a room at a hotel instead.”

“Take my daughter to a hotel and I’ll kill you myself.” My dad says pretty much the exact thing I was thinking.

“You hear that, Nic? They think I’d go to jail for you.” Derek shakes his head in disbelief at us. My sister, though? She’s still smiling and laughing a little, which I think is a bit weird.

I grab a pillow and throw it at him. “Get away from my sister, Novak.”

He rolls his eyes as he removes his arm from her shoulders. “I don’t mind letting your sister take over my bed.”

I groan at his choice of words, though Nicole thinks it’s funny once again.