Chapter Twelve – Lilibeth
Lilibeth
I stood in the middle of my living room, surveying my surroundings.
I had another month to finish packing so I could leave my cute little rental house.
I really didn’t need to be working on it this morning.
The bigger problem was where I’d go next.
If I couldn’t find a place to rent soon, I’d either have to turn the upstairs of my store into an apartment or move in with my mom and dad.
Neither was an option I was looking forward to.
Of course, there was always their tiny little garage apartment, worst case.
With a glance at my watch, I let out a gasp. “Crap!”
The Wilde family had invited my parents and me to spend Christmas Day at their place.
It was nearly ten in the morning, and I was due to pick up my parents in thirty minutes.
That meant I had just twenty to shower and dress.
I stepped into my bathroom, took one look at myself…
and frowned. Leaning closer to the mirror, I studied the dark circles under my eyes.
I hadn’t been sleeping well. I knew it was partly from the stress of having to move.
And partly from lying in bed each night, thinking of a certain Wilde family member…
My new phone buzzed on the counter, and I picked it up to see that my mother had texted.
Mom: Merry Christmas! Your father and I are ready to go and decided we’d like to drive ourselves. That way, if we want to leave earlier, you don’t have to go if you’re not ready.
I rolled my eyes at the phone. I adored my parents, but from the moment they found out I’d spent a couple days alone with Caden, they’d been trying to play matchmaker.
I appreciated their wanting me to be happy, and I couldn’t be upset about their motives, but if they were hoping for more between Caden and me, they were going to be disappointed.
Me: Sounds good. I lost track of time and I’m getting dressed now.
Mom: I hope you’re not packing on Christmas Day.
Me: Sadly, I was. See you soon. And Merry Christmas to you and Dad! Love you both.
Relieved that I didn’t have to rush now, I stripped out of my clothes and jumped into the shower.
I spent way too long picking out an outfit and ended up settling on black leggings and a Christmas sweater dress.
I paired it with my brown ankle boots and wore my hair back in a pony.
Just a bit of mascara, blush, and lip color, and I was ready to go.
As I took a last glance in my full-length mirror, I attempted to convince myself that I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. Rolling my eyes, I let out a soft laugh and grabbed my jacket and purse because of course I was trying to impress someone.
When I finally arrived at the ranch not long before noon, I typed in the gate code they’d given us and drove down the long driveway to Ladd and Vivianne’s house. There was a plethora of cars and trucks already parked. I spotted my parents’ vehicle and parked next to it.
I grabbed my things and made a quick dash to the porch and up the steps. The door opened before I could even knock. Emeline stood before me, a smile on her face.
“I was worried you weren’t coming when your parents showed up without you.” She pulled me into the house and hugged me.
“Why wouldn’t I come?”
Shrugging, she took my coat and purse and hung them up. “The whole thing with Caden.”
“Emeline, I told you already. Caden and I are adults, and everything’s fine between us.”
“I know, I know! I was still worried. You’re just in time, though.”
“In time for what?”
She wrapped her arm around mine and led me in the direction of all the voices. When we stepped into the living room, I glanced around.
The entire Wilde family was here, except for one of Emeline’s uncles.
My parents were seated on the sofa, chatting with Nellie and Gus Wilde, Emeline’s grandparents.
Levi’s parents, Sam and Oliver Tucker, had also been invited.
Behind the sofa stood a small circle of men—all Wildes, and all too handsome for their own good.
Caden and Gatlin were speaking to their father, Ladd.
They seemed to be having a deep discussion.
It was the first time I’d seen Caden since the days we’d spent together.
I forced myself to look away so I wasn’t caught staring.
“Vivianne,” I said, as I made my way over to her. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”
Emeline’s mother stood, pulled me into a tight hug, then pushed me out to arm’s length. She gave me a once-over—and her brows drew down ever so slightly.
“How are you doing? Are you feeling okay?”
My hand instantly went to my stomach, which had been feeling unsettled this morning. I wasn’t sure if it was nerves about seeing Caden or if I was actually coming down with something. “I’m feeling wonderful.”
She smiled finally. “That’s good. And the store’s doing well?”
“Yes! We were so busy these last few weeks leading up to Christmas. Moreen was such a huge help, and the two seasonal girls I hired have been great.”
“I heard you hired Sammy from the orphanage. That was so kind of you to do that.”
“She’s amazing. I’ve actually decided to keep her on to work the shop on Saturdays and Sundays. It’ll give both Moreen and me a much-needed break. I don’t even remember the last time I had a full weekend off.”
Vivianne grinned. “That’s wonderful. I’m glad to hear the store is doing so well.”
There was a tapping sound against glass, and everyone turned toward Emeline, Levi, and Rhett, Levi’s six-year-old son.
“We have a bit of an announcement to make,” Emeline said, as she beamed at everyone.
Vivianne took my hand in hers. “Oh dear. Here we go!”
“What’s happening?” I whispered.
“The best news!” Vivianne replied, adding a wink.
Once all eyes were on Emeline and Levi, they exchanged smiles.
She nodded, and Levi cleared his throat as he motioned for Katie and Jimmy to join the three of them. My hand flew to my mouth, and I couldn’t help the smile from stretching across my face. I knew what was about to happen.
“Emeline and I have both talked it over with our families, and of course with Rhett, and we’ve decided to start the process of adopting Katie and Jimmy.”
A few surprised gasps filled the air, before someone yelled out congratulations. Soon, everyone was surrounding the little family of five.
I felt tears prick the back of my eyes and quickly blinked them away. Emeline was beaming with happiness, and for a hot second, I was jealous of the love she’d found. Then I felt guilty for feeling that way.
“You okay?”
The deep voice beside me sent a prickle of awareness through my core. I glanced over my shoulder at Caden, who was studying me.
I nodded. “I am. I’m so happy for them.”
He smiled. “Did you know?”
Shaking my head, I let out a breath. “I had a feeling something was going on, but I didn’t press Emeline for any information. How exciting.”
“My sister’s never looked happier.”
“You don’t think she’s taking on too much? An instant family of five?”
He shook his head as he watched his sister. “Look at her. I think this is something she’s always longed for, and particularly with Levi.”
“A family?” I asked.
Caden’s gaze returned to me. “I can remember when she was around six or seven, my mother made me go to her room to play with her. I had to sit at this tiny little table, with all her dolls and stuffed animals around it. We were having afternoon tea.”
I smiled at the image. “I would’ve loved to have seen that.”
He chuckled. “She used to pretend she was the mommy to all of them, and I was their favorite uncle. She told me once that she had two dreams. One was to ride a horse every single day for the rest of her life, and the other was to have a big family with lots of kids.”
I quickly wiped a tear away. “And both dreams came true.”
His head tilted slightly as he regarded me. “What are your dreams, Lili?”
The use of his nickname for me made my entire body warm. I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, the store was a dream.”
“Did you used to play tea and have all of your dolls and animals sitting at a table?”
Laughing, I replied, “I think every little girl did at one point growing up.”
“Not me!” Ensley stated, as she walked over to join us.
Caden laughed. “You had all of your horses and that barn Dad built for you. If I remember, you wanted to be a vet for the longest time.”
“Blame Emily Elizabeth from Clifford the Big Red Dog for that. She wanted to be a vet, and so did I.”
“Remember when you asked Santa one year for a Clifford dog? You were so pissed when you opened your present and found a stuffed Clifford. You set it back in the box, looked at Mom, and asked if Santa was real, because you did not ask for a stuffed dog.”
“You didn’t,” I said with a giggle.
Ensley grinned. “How do you remember all of this stuff?”
Caden shrugged.
Looking at me, Ensley said, “I was so mad. I remember wanting to take that stuffed dog and chuck it out the window. Mom obviously realized I was pissed, because she quickly told me I had one more gift. Then they brought me outside, and Uncle Jason was holding the most beautiful Suffolk Punch I’d ever seen. ”
“Suffolk Punch?” I asked. I wasn’t quite up to speed on all things horses, but since becoming friends with Emeline and Ensley, I was slowly learning.
“It’s a small draft horse that originated in Suffolk, England. Their coats are always chestnut.”
I smiled. “So you did get your Clifford, just not as a dog.”
“I did. I loved that horse so much. Rode him every day until he got too old. You just missed meeting him, Lilibeth. He died last year.”
“I’m so sorry, Ensley.”
She smiled softly. “It’s okay. He had a beautiful life. Was spoiled and loved so very much. He was with me through some dark times in my life.”
Caden put his arm around his sister and hugged her. “He was a great horse.”
“What did you name him?” I asked.
Ensley looked at me like I’d just asked the most ridiculous question. “Duh! Clifford!”
I laughed. “Of course. How silly of me.”