Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Two
Ruby
Christmas Eve Dinner
The house is loud. Warm. Full. Every surface in the kitchen is covered in bowls, casseroles, pies, and half-open containers while people move around each other in practiced chaos.
Someone’s laughing in the living room. Emily’s telling Jake to stop stealing rolls before dinner. Squirt is snorting hopefully beneath the table like he thinks someone’s going to accidentally drop half the meal.
For the first time in a long time, the noise doesn’t make me tense. It feels like home. I’m reaching for the cranberry sauce when the front door opens again.
And instead of dread tightening my chest, I look up. Expecting. Waiting.
The front door opens, and Dad steps inside, bringing a blast of cold air with him. “Finally,” I call. “I was about to let Ben eat your share.”
“That’s completely uncalled for.” He stomps the snow from his boots while grasping the bill of his cap and dragging it off his head. With his free hand, he grasps the edge of the door.
I frown. “Did you forget something?”
“Nope.” The door opens wider. And Dr. Hannah Carter steps inside.
I stare. She’s wearing jeans and a winter coat instead of her office wear, her dark hair loose around her shoulders, and she’s carrying a pie.
More importantly, Dad’s hand settles at the small of her back as she steps around him.
Oh. Oh. Oh, my…. My heart skips a beat. It’s not that I didn’t question things, but Dad has never brought someone to a family event.
Bella notices approximately half a second after I do. Her eyes go huge. “Wow.”
“Wow is right.”
He gives me an innocent look. “Wow what?”
“You brought Dr. Carter to Christmas dinner.”
“Hannah,” she corrects, smiling.
I look at her. Then at Dad, who has his hand resting comfortably against her back. “You’re dating my veterinarian.”
Dad sighs. “She's not your veterinarian.”
“She takes care of my pigs.”
“And mine.”
“That makes this worse.” It’s not that I don’t want Dad to be happy. I do. He deserves it. But Hannah is younger than I expected. Which means…. My dad is….
My entire face is hot. Okay, not going to go there. Because…. Right. I’m not going to go there.
Hannah laughs as she hands me the pie. “I told him we should probably warn you.”
“Thank you. Someone here has good judgment.”
Dad takes off his coat. “You would've made it weird.”
“I am making it weird.”
“I noticed.”
Xavier appears beside me, clearly fighting a smile.
“How long?” I demand. Dad and Hannah exchange a look. An actual look. My mouth falls open. “Oh, my God. It's been a while.”
“Define a while,” Dad says.
“Long enough for that look.” Hannah's cheeks turn pink. Dad grins. I groan and cover my face. “My father is dating my mentor.”
“You’re being dramatic.” Dad removes Hannah’s coat and tucks it over his arm.
I drop my hands. “I’m pregnant. It’s allowed.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Pretty sure that’s not how that works.”
Xavier's arm slips around my waist. “I wouldn’t argue with her.”
“Smart man,” Hannah says.
I point at her. “I’m still processing you.”
She laughs and hugs me. “Merry Christmas, Ruby.”
Despite myself, I hug her back, being careful not to smash the pie into her sweater. “Merry Christmas.”
When she pulls away, Dad takes the pie from my hands and carries it toward the kitchen as if bringing my veterinarian to Christmas dinner were normal.
I look at Xavier. “Did you know?” His expression gives him away. My eyes narrow. “You knew.”
“Your dad told me.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“It wasn’t my secret.” He kisses my forehead. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
“You’re all terrible.”
Bella calls from the kitchen, “I personally think this is the best Christmas ever.”
“You would.”
The front door opens again before I can interrogate anyone further. Xavier glances toward the entryway, and his whole face softens. “Dad.”
Mr. Cole steps inside, brushing snow from his coat before stomping his boots lightly against the mat. Cold air rushes through the house before the door shuts again.
“Well, look at this place,” he says, glancing around the room before walking toward the kitchen where Xavier was prepping to cut the ham. “You two did good.”
“Mostly Xavier. Without him, I’d have each wall painted a different color of white.” I wrinkle my nose. “That is if the walls were still standing.”
I’m glad to have something less earthshattering to focus on than Dad and Hannah sleeping together because no way do her flushed cheeks mean anything other than they’ve been intimate—a lot.
I glance behind him, almost expecting the door to open again. No one else enters. At least he’s not dropping a new girlfriend on us tonight.
“As usual, you don’t give yourself enough credit.” Mr. Cole stops beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Merry Christmas, Ruby.”
Heat floods my face as I blush like a teenager. “Thank you, Mr. Cole.”
Xavier chuckles beside me while collecting the carving knives. “Careful,” he tells his dad. “You’re making her nervous.”
His dad smirks. “Good.” He leans over and kisses me on the cheek. “And we’re way past Mr. Cole. You’re the mother of my future grandchildren.”
“Right.” My cheeks brighten even more at the added attention.
I expect Xavier to flinch at the mention of grandchildren, but all he does is look at me with his usual mixture of wonder and a healthy dose of lust.
Oh my God. He’s got to stop that. I shudder and jerk my attention away from him, returning it to his father. “Thank you.” I pause for a brief second and say, “Daniel.”
He claps Xavier on the shoulder before joining the rest of the group as they discuss the upcoming football playoffs.
The room settles after that. People find chairs, pass dishes, and argue over who forgot the serving spoons.
The old farmhouse table Xavier refinished barely fits everyone, but we make it work. Emily sits beside Jake with Grace sleeping peacefully in a carrier near her chair.
Bella and Dominic are arguing about who burned the green beans. Ben keeps getting up every thirty seconds to refill drinks like he’s personally hosting a five-star restaurant.
Laughter rolls easily around the room. Someone brings up Dominic getting tackled into a snowbank earlier. Jake laughs hard enough he nearly chokes on his drink.
I look around the table. At the people. The noise. The warmth. And something quiet settles deep inside my chest. No fear. No waiting for something bad to happen. Just… fullness. Good memories replacing the disastrous ones.
Xavier’s knee presses against mine beneath the table. His arm slides around the back of my chair before settling across my shoulders. My hand drifts to my stomach beneath the table. His hand finds mine there.
Jake clears his throat. “I should probably give everybody an update.”
The mood shifts. Subtle. But there. It’s tighter, with an edge of wariness.
Jake’s expression grows more serious as he glances briefly toward me. “Lindsey’s court date got finalized. Attempted murder charges are moving forward.”
“Good thing.” Dad’s face is set like granite as he fists the fork in his hand.
Silence settles heavier across the table. Everything flashes through my mind—broken glass. Pills scattered across the floor. The knife. The gun.
My heart rate kicks up. Sweat pools in my armpits. Old instinct. Old fear. I don’t know that those feelings and reactions will ever go away. I hope so, but if they don’t, I’ll persevere. I’m not letting her win.
Just like I’m not avoiding the situation. When the court date arrives, I’ll be here ready to testify.
Xavier’s thumb brushes against my shoulder. Grounding me before the panic can fully settle in. I lean into him knowing he’ll keep me safe.
Hannah lays her palm on Dad’s forearm, and a fraction of the edge eases from his features. They feel right together. Like their own unit. Good. He deserves that.
Emily clears her throat. “Okay,” she says firmly. “That’s enough court talk for Christmas Eve.”
The tension breaks almost instantly. Everyone looks relieved.
Bella points her fork toward me. “So.” Her eyes brighten. “January classes.”
I blink. “Oh, right.” I mentally shake off the muck of anxiety. “Yes, classes start in January.”
“To our future vet tech.” Emily lifts her glass of water, along with everyone else.
The girls insisted on a dry Christmas dinner even though I assured them that I didn’t mind if they drank in front of me. They refused. And so did the rest of our guests.
Warmth spreads through my chest so quickly it catches me off guard. An upcoming career. An attentive and loving boyfriend. Amazing friends. Family. A baby in the summer.
It’s all real. My future is solid. Not fragile. Not temporary. And these people are here to celebrate it with me.
“Thank you. I start in three weeks.”
“What classes first?” Bella asks.
“Animal anatomy,” I answer. “And clinical basics.”
Xavier presses a kiss against my temple, and I sigh as I lean against him.
Everything’s perfect. If you’d asked me two months ago if that was possible, I would’ve said no. Now, it feels like there’s no other option.