Chapter 1
Kayla
“This was her idea. How is she late?” I grumble, crinkling my nose at the sauce pan of boiled fruit.
I was perfectly fine avoiding the Christmas cabin after last year when she complained about my child crying nearly as much as she whined.
My mom sighs, stirring around the mixture. “She said that she and Beau needed to drive separately last night.”
“Beau,” I drawl out the name. “Why are we inviting a man we’ve never met to the Christmas cabin?”
Her lips thin. “He’s your sister’s husband.”
I move away from the stove, leaning against the counter.
“Right, the husband of two months that she married without telling anyone, without even inviting us to a little hey, we just got married get-together. Nope, just inviting him to the family cabin without even asking. What if I don’t want a strange man around Theo? ”
She sets the wooden spoon down on the middle resting dish. My mother turns to me, wiping her hands on her apron before placing them on her hips. “While that’s entirely reasonable, you’ve had over a month to object to it. So what’s going on now?”
Tonguing my cheek, I slump my shoulders. “No problem, just hate the change of plans. They were supposed to be here this morning, and Theo took a late nap, and now dinner is off. You know how I get.”
My mother rolls her eyes with a shake of her head before moving past me to grab the cake pans and mixture of batter.
I’ll never understand her commitment to bake a fruitcake that no one eats, but I admire the consistency.
“I understand, and I also understand it will be uncomfortable to have a stranger in the house, but he’s technically family. Your sister has pulled away from us so much. Can you imagine how it would have gone if we told her no?”
I lean against the counter, my head rolling back with a groan. “She wouldn’t talk to us for months, and she’d probably create a petition to sell the Christmas cabin out of spite.”
My mother gives me a sharp look. “I don’t think she’d go that far.”
Holding my tongue, I know better than to make her see the light on my sister’s pettiness and how it knows no bounds. Even in different colleges separated by multiple states, my sister found a way to make some aspects of my life miserable.
Movement from the room above has both of us looking up, and I push off the counter. “Well, if she’s not here within the next hour, we’re eating without her.”
My mom relents with a sigh as I meet my sleepy son halfway up the stairs.
“Hey buddy, you have a good sleep?” I ask.
He gives me a grumpy look before holding up his arms. I pick him up, thankful he’s not too heavy for me just yet.
I get sad when I think about the day I pick him up for the last time and don’t even realize it. Carrying him into the kitchen, he rests his head on my shoulder.
My mom grins brightly when she sees us.
“Well, good afternoon! I hope your nap was good,” she says, coming around to tickle at his side. He laughs, jerking away from her.
“Do you want a snack? I can make you some ants on a log?”
I wrinkle my nose. Even I’m not a fan of that one, and my mom rolls her eyes.
“We’ll do apples instead of celery. And some M&Ms instead of raisins,” she says. Like his candy fanatic mom, Theo perks up at M&Ms.
“Oh, now you’ve done it,” I tease, setting him down on the stool at the counter. I take over making the snack so she can finish baking for the day.
It’s not long before we’re interrupted by a car driving up the road, honking on its arrival. My mood sinks, knowing exactly who it is.
My mom gives me a soft smile, moving to open the door. Theo and I follow close behind.
Kendall barely looks at me before moving past and hugging our mom. I raise my eyebrows while pinching my lips into a disappointed smile and nodding to myself because that’s the greeting I expected.
I look over my shoulder to meet my mom’s gaze, a plea not to say anything.
“God, the drive up here was horrid. People really shouldn’t drive if they’re unfamiliar with the snow,” Kendall says, dropping her bag on the floor near the door.
My mom hums. “It’s the tourists. They’re always the worst. How bad was it in town? We still need to pick up the ham.”
“Still? It’s getting late. You should have picked it up already,” she retorts with her nose turned up.
I bite my tongue, wanting to remind her that we only waited because she was late.
Instead, I pick up my three-year-old, who has been watching the aunt he barely knows with a sly, curious look. I tickle his belly as he curls into me, and his laugh bursts out before he rests his head on my shoulder.
Kendall glances over at us, some of her expression softening, but not enough to greet either of us.
My mom clears her throat. “I was just about to leave if you wanted to come with.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to get back into the car.”
I exchange a knowing look with my mom and shrug. “We can go with you while Kendall rests.”
“And leave me here alone?” Kendall asks snidely.
My mom rubs at her shoulder. “I’ve missed you, honey. Why don’t you come with me?”
With a sigh, my sister agrees. It’s not like she wants to go, but she can’t fathom being left out while the rest of us are together.
Theo perks up. “Grandma!” he shouts, flexing his hands out for her to take him from me.
I grab his arms, tucking them down. “Grandma will be right back. Tell her bye-bye, see you soon.”
He pouts. “Grandma!”
Kendall shifts on her feet, a small sneer twisting on her face.
My mom smiles. “I can take him with us. It’s no big deal, right?”
The second question is directed at my sister, whose gaze bounces between us. Her arms cross before she shrugs. “Yeah, whatever.”
I have to tamp down the snark I want to return, and I give my mom a tense smile. “It’s fine. He can stay with me.”
Theo’s chin starts to tremble, water gathering in his eyes.
Having to deal with my child every day, I see through the theatrics, but my mother gives me a panicked look.
“Oh, it’s okay, dear. Let’s grab your coat and you can come with Grandma.
” She takes him from me, setting him on the floor so they can walk to the closet together.
I cross my arms, watching my sister avoid my stare. “You sure it’s okay?”
Kendall sighs, rolling her neck to give me an annoyed look. “I don’t care, Kayla.”
“Yeah, that’s the problem. I don’t exactly want to let my child go off with someone who doesn’t care about him.”
Her eyes narrow. “I never said I didn’t care about him. He’s my nephew.”
“Then act like it,” I snap, before dropping my arms and kneeling down to smile at my son as he runs up to me. “You need to be good for Grandma, okay? Then when you guys get back, we can make those cookies and watch the train movie.”
His eyes go wide, and he nods before wrapping his arms around me. I kiss his cheek and stand, holding onto him as I carry him to my mother’s car.
We drove up together, so his car seat is already installed. He waves off my hands to stop me from buckling him in as Kendall and my mom climb into the front seat.
“I set the timer on the microwave in case we’re not back in time to pull out the cake,” my mom says, and I nod, my heart clenching. If there’s anyone I trust with my baby, it’s her, but it’s still hard to let go.
“Anything else you want me to get started on?”
She shrugs. “The frosting for the cookies, if you want to, but either way it’s fine. I also don’t mind a clean kitchen,” she says with a wink.
I roll my eyes. She knows damn well I was going to clean it, regardless. Closing the door, I wave at Theo through the window. “See you in a bit, baby.”