Ethan
The living room still looks like Santa’s workshop exploded, but now it’s twice as loud. Everyone’s gathered around the giant makeshift table we dragged into the center of the room, bowls of numbered tiles in front of us and a pile of ridiculous one-dollar gifts in the middle.
Dex insisted on wrapping each prize in an absurd amount of duct tape, so every package looks like it survived a tornado.
Jace grabs the karaoke microphone from earlier and flicks it on. It squeals. He clears his throat dramatically.
“RAFFLE TIME!” he announces like a rodeo MC, drawing out every syllable. “Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up your jingle bells, ’cause we’re about to YEEHAW into the Christmas spirit!”
Mia squeals beside Summer, already bouncing in her tiny snowflake pajamas.
God, that kid’s smile could power the whole ranch.
Grace jingles the bingo cage with dramatic flair while simultaneously snapping photos of everyone with her phone. “Winner gets first pick from the Crap Mountain!” she declares.
Penny throws a wadded napkin at her. “It’s art.”
“It’s trash,” Jude mutters, but even he’s smirking as he crosses his arms.
I can’t stop watching Summer.
Jace holds the mic to his mouth like he’s announcing bulls out of the chute.
“FIRST NUMBER OF THE NIGHT…GIVE IT UP FOR… SEEEEVENNN!”
Grace groans. “Jace, I swear…”
“That’s how they do it at the rodeo,” he insists.
Mia turns to Summer. “Do I have it, Mommy?”
Summer checks her card and nods.
Mia punches the air. “I have it! I have it!”
Summer helps her dab the square, and the two of them bump shoulders, giggling.
My chest tightens.
Yeah. I want this forever.
Jace wins the first round, of course he does, and tears into the prize. Duct tape flies everywhere.
“It’s a tiara!” he yells triumphantly, placing it on his head without flinching. “FINALLY, SOMEONE GETS MY ROYAL WORTH.”
Grace nearly drops her phone laughing.
Cas and Penny win next, earning a pair of sparkly Christmas-themed sunglasses shaped like Santa’s butt. Penny wears them proudly; Cas pretends he doesn’t love her for it but he absolutely does. Grace takes ten photos of them, cackling through all of it.
Summer snorts so hard she covers her mouth with both hands. I swear I fall even harder right there.
Grace and Mama win matching novelty socks with “If You Can Read This, Bring Me Cookies” written across the soles. Mama slips hers on immediately, stretching her legs across Dad’s lap as he chuckles.
Jace leans toward the mic.
“Next number… oh, this is a spicy one… SIXTY-NIIIINE!”
The room groans.
Jude wins a whoopee cushion and, of course, hands it straight to Mia.
Bad idea.
She tests it on everyone’s lap until Dex ends up flinging himself off the couch like he sat on a grenade.
The room is chaos. Pure, loud, perfect chaos.
And then I win a prize. I peel through Dex’s apocalypse-level duct tape and pull out…
“Christmas toilet paper rolls?” I deadpan.
The whole room erupts. Grace snaps a picture.
“It fits your personality,” Dex calls out.
“Thanks, bro.”
Grace wins a reindeer hat that lights up and plays a Christmas song. She puts it on and starts bobbing her head to the tune like she’s in a music video.
Summer unwraps the gift, lifts the shirt, and freezes.
“It says… ‘I kissed Santa and he liked it.’” her voice breaks into a disbelieving laugh.
She looks straight at me, cheeks blazing.
Jace loses it.
“ETHAN, YOU DOG!”
Summer covers her face, laughing into her palms, but when she peeks at me, those eyes are sparkling with something that hits me low and hot.
I drag my thumb slowly across my bottom lip, just to tease.
“Pretty sure he’d more than like it.”
Her breath catches. She kicks me under the table, but the smile she’s fighting is pure temptation.
And I’m a goner.
She’s relaxed. Happy. Safe.
Safe.
That word hits me hard.
I want to keep her like this. I want Mia to always feel this loved, this included. I want them to wake up here every Christmas Eve for the rest of their lives.
I don’t know how I’m going to do it yet.
But I promise myself, right there as she leans into my shoulder and laughs at Jace using the mic to call the next number like a man possessed, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them here.
With me.
Happy.
Home.