Page 3 of Christmas In Love

“Vacuum water? You can do that?” Abby ask.

“Yup. Where do these towels go?” He tried for an escape.

Brooke pointed aimlessly toward the kitchen. “Linen closet.”

“That’s helpful.”

“Well, if you’d visited once in the last two years, you’d know where that was, wouldn’t you?” Okay. They were jumping right into his failures. Awesome.

“Oh, give him a break, Brooke, he was here for Easter. For the afternoon. Here, Cade, I’ll take them for you.” Abby snatched the towels from his arms and spun on her heel.

Cade followed. She was generally the safer sister to be around.

“Don’t mind Brooke, we all know why you don’t join the family get-togethers often.” Abby glanced at him as they walked down the hall.

“And that is?”

She gave him a sad smile but didn’t say anything.

“Hey—why do you think I don’t come to family events?” Cade demanded.

“Oh, thank you, Abby.” Mom pocketed her phone as Cade and Abby stepped into the kitchen. Abby continued through a door beside the wall of cabinets at the back of the room, not even acknowledging Cade’s glare at her back. Why did people always offer unsolicited commentary, but not answer the follow-up questions? He couldn’t demand a response because his mom turned to him.

“I’m so sorry, Cade, this isn’t at all how we wanted to welcome you home.”

It wasn’t home, and probably never would be, but Cade wasn’t going to disagree with his own mother. “It’s fine, mom. Do you need me to go grab that vacuum?”

“No, Carol’s husband is going to bring it over and help your dad clean things up. Would you like something to eat? We were halfway through dinner when one of the kids came running up, yelling about the new swimming pool.” Mom sighed, but she had a bit of a smile on her face as she did.

“Sure. Thanks, mom.”

“Of course, honey.” She smiled at him, but then her eyes widened. “Oh! Cade! Oh, no!”Cade looked around frantically, expecting a stampeding elephant with the panic suddenly on her face.

“Your room! Oh, no, your room,” she groaned, pressing a hand against her forehead.

“Not following, Mom…”

She looked up at him with big, sorrowful eyes.

“The room we set up for you was in the basement. It’s under two inches of water now.”

Chapter 2

Natalie

“I’mgladyou’reenjoyingyourself, Mom.”

“I am honey, and you could be too. If you’d just get out there more. Grow your hair back out, maybe try that personal trainer I suggested.”

Natalie squeezed her eyes shut. “I like my hair.”

“Well, the personal trainer, then. I tell you, Paul has done wonders for my physique. And you can’t ever erase a first impression—you have to take care of your appearance. I was just telling Darla—”

“Sorry, Mom, the inn’s phone is ringing, gotta go.”

“Okay, sweetheart, but think about what I said!”

“Uh-huh. Love you.”

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