Chapter 31
Despite her assurances that it was fine, totally fine, that he come home with her, Harrison immediately suspected he’d come at the worst possible time, because when they walked into Amy’s modest cottage house with the wreath on the door and a jingle bell on the handle, he could hear her kids arguing from somewhere in the house.
“Hello!” Amy called out as she dropped her keys into a plate on the entry console.
“Mom!” the youngest one shouted, and a moment later he was in front of her. “Jonah took my Santa hat that I was going to wear to the party.” He then noticed Harrison and pulled a face. “Why is he here?”
“Okay, rude,” Amy said.
“What is he doing here?” The older kid had arrived, wearing a Santa hat that was too small for his head.
“Could you two please not be so rude and say hello? This is Harrison, remember? He’s my friend and he’s here for Christmas.”
“Oh,” said Jonah. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
Ethan took the opportunity to make a leap for his hat, snatching it off his brother’s head. “Connor’s wearing one, too!” he shouted as he dashed off with the prize.
“Great, then you’ll both look stupid,” Jonah shouted after him. “God, he’s so annoying,” he added as he slunk off.
Suddenly the door opened behind Harrison, and Kevin entered, wiping wet snow from his shoulders. At least he grinned when he saw him standing there. “Well, hello, golfer dude. Didn’t know you were coming tonight. No one tells me anything.”
“Right. Do we have everything?” Amy asked her brother.
“What do we need other than a good attitude and a drink?” Kevin asked. But at Amy’s frown, he nodded. “Yes. We have everything. Is he going with us?”
Amy looked up at Harrison. “You sure about this?”
“I’m sure.” He wasn’t sure. He was actually a little scared.
“Then let’s get this train moving,” Kevin said, and shouted up at the boys to come on.
The party was massive. The house was a decent size, but people were spilling out the front door and onto the covered porch. It had all the markings of a terrible fire hazard.
The Casey boys, having already forgotten Harrison’s presence, disappeared into the crowd, followed by Kevin, who was carrying two large brown bags overhead and shouting at people to clear a path to the kitchen.
Amy and Harrison brought up the rear, stepping just over the threshold. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” was playing at full volume, and some people were dancing. “Wait,” Harrison said, taking Amy’s coat. “Isn’t that your parents dancing under the mistletoe?”
Amy looked to where he pointed just as her father laid a big kiss on her mother, bending her over backward. “Do they have to do that in public?” she protested. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s true they may be back together. But no one knows for sure, including them.”
“That kiss would say they know for sure. But thanks. My new rule of not interfering won’t allow me to inquire directly, but I was dying to know.” Just then, Barb and Bob kissed again.
“Oh my God,” Amy said.
“H? Is that you?” a woman shouted. Suddenly Hillary appeared, pushing through the crowd toward them. She had little Christmas lights flashing in her hair.
“Hillary,” Harrison said. “Do you live here now?”
“Very funny, H. Carol invited me to stay for the holidays!”
He was chatting with Hillary when he heard a woman say loudly, “You are kidding me.” He turned; a woman wearing a sequined dress had hold of Amy’s arm. The woman was gorgeous.
Amy grinned at him. “Harrison, this is my best friend, Julie Kleinhoff. Also known as the one who lent me the house.”
“Well, well, well,” Julie said, swaying slightly. “Look at you, sir.”
“Umm…”
“You two must be in love,” she added. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Okay,” Amy said, and put her hands on Julie’s shoulders. “There is another poinsettia cocktail at the bar with your name on it. Tell them to make it a virgin.” She turned her around.
“It won’t work, Amy!” Julie tossed over her shoulder, but obediently stumbled on.
Amy smiled sheepishly at Harrison. “I warned you.”
“Oh, I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for,” he assured her. “Would you like to dance, Ms. Casey?”
“I think I would,” Amy said, and slipped her hand into his. Harrison cut a path to the so-called dance floor, dominated by a large, dazzling Christmas tree. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was playing.
“H! We weren’t expecting you!” Melissa was upon them now, wearing an apron painted like a sexy elf. “You’re just in time.”
“For what?” Amy asked warily.
“The Bossy Posse has a little something planned,” Melissa said. “Good to see you, H! Why did I think you were golfing somewhere?” she asked as she sailed past.
Harrison took Amy in his arms and began to dance. “This is nuts.”
“It’s only getting started,” Amy pointed out.
“What do you think the Posse has planned?”
“TikTok video?” Amy guessed.
“Jewel heist?” Harrison said.
“Surgery?”
They laughed.
And then they danced. It was the most magical thing to dance with someone he loved in the midst of chaos.
If anyone was curious about him and Amy, they kept it to themselves, so they kept dancing.
And when they needed to quench their thirst, they had a few drinks.
They ate a few sweets. And they, along with everyone else, crowded around to watch the risqué performance of the Bossy Posse doing their rendition of “Santa Baby,” with the reluctant help of a couple of men in the crowd.
It was all recorded for posterity and TikTok.
It was a blast.
That night, Harrison slept on a couch in Amy’s living room while Kevin bunked with Ethan.
On Christmas morning, the entire family gathered, Amy’s parents arriving at eight, her ex arriving at a quarter past and staring hard at Harrison as he passed him on the way to the kitchen.
Kevin stumbled into the kitchen at ten to nine.
By then, Ethan was about to come out of his skin, he was so eager to open his presents.
Amy decreed it was time, and they gathered in the den.
The boys wasted no time tearing into their gifts, oohing and aahing at things they’d been given.
Harrison had come with gifts for everyone, all purchased at the airport in Miami at the last minute.
Well, except for Ryan, who he’d not expected to be here—but everyone else.
Perfume for Barb. A silver tee marker for Bob.
A fishing hat for Kevin. Over-the-ear headphones for the boys.
“Wow!” Jonah said. “These are awesome.” He immediately stuffed them onto his head.
“Oh my God, H. You didn’t need to get us anything,” Barb said. “We’re just so glad you’re here. You’re practically family now.”
Harrison looked at her, suspecting it was a joke.
But her smile was warm. So was Bob’s. He could feel himself smiling inside.
He could feel the warmth in the idea that he could be a part of the group.
“I have something for you, too,” he said to Amy, and pulled out an oddly wrapped gift.
Amy laughed. “Is it a kettlebell? Did Hillary make you give this to me?”
He laughed.
Amy examined the gift, then unwrapped it to reveal a snow globe. Inside was a rural setting, with a decorated Christmas tree and a couple on ice skates in the middle of the lake. Snow swirled around them as they went round and round.
“It’s not our lake, but as close as I could get,” he said.
She held it up and looked at it, a fond smile on her lips. She slowly lowered it. “I love it,” she said. “It’s the best Christmas present. I have something for you, too.” She reached under the tree and pulled out a package that looked like a twelve-inch square, wrapped in plain brown paper.
“For me?” he asked as she handed it to him. “But how?”
“Just open it.”
He could tell it was a painting, and slowly unwrapped it, a little afraid he was going to have to hang a Bossy Posse painting in his condo somewhere.
But to his delight, it was something else.
It was the run-down cabin he and Amy had stayed in.
He would recognize it anywhere. She’d gotten every detail right—the missing slat in the stairs, the crumbling chimney.
And there on the porch was Duchess, curled up to sleep.
Her eyes were sparkling. “It reminds me of the time we spent at the lake. You had one, and I wanted one.”
“Then you have to keep it,” he said instantly, but she was shaking her head.
“I can paint another one. I’m an artist, remember?” she said, grinning. “Also, I didn’t get the chimney quite right, and I want my painting to have the chimney right.” She leaned over to look at it again.
“It is exactly as I remember it,” he said.
“It’s perfect. Thank you.” He leaned over, caught her chin, and kissed her in front of everyone.
He heard her ex gasp loudly then mutter under his breath, her kids shout Eewee, and her brother advise them to get a room.
Duchess was barking somewhere, probably at a wall.
Amy laughed against his mouth then turned a glorious smile to her family. “Mind your business,” she said to them, and laughed.
Later that evening, when Harrison was lying on the couch, waiting for the boys and Kevin to go to bed so he could slip into Amy’s room—she’d sent him a text of herself naked under the sheets, followed by a text regretting it and asking him to please delete—he decided this was the best Christmas he’d ever had.
It wasn’t his family, it was a found family. But it worked the same and, in some ways, even better.
And then he decided then and there that every Christmas after this would be even better.
He realized, as he lay there, listening to Duchess wandering around and bumping into things, that maybe he had finally decided what was next for him.