Page 40 of Worth the Rush
I sigh. “I think you know, Ivy.”
“It was really sweet for your mom to invite me to your family Christmas, but very unnecessary. I’ll be just fine here,” she tells me.
“Do I need to remind you how fun unnecessary things can be?” I ask, and her cheeks pink slightly. “I have no doubt you’ll be fine, but how will it look if I show up without you at Christmas or if Noah sees you here without me?” I hedge. “I just really want to make sure I look like the boyfriend you deserve,” I say with my hand pressed over my heart. She crosses her arms over her chest and leans into her doorway. Poppingher hip out. A hip I’ve seen bare, one I want to sink my fingers into again. Ivy’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
“What’s that look?” she asks.
I tell her the truth. “I’ll give you one guess, and it has to do with how we met.”
Her slightly pink cheeks turn rosy, and I smile. She’s so incredibly beautiful.
“Now, are you ready to go? My family will be expecting us,” I say sweetly. She bites her lip. “It won’t be so bad. You’ll get a good home-cooked meal, my family will probably dote on you, and Hazel will probably want you to hold her the whole time, or at least when she doesn’t want me holding her.” I wink. “What’s the worst that could happen?” I thought I would have to beg on her front porch for longer, but she surprises me, yet again, when she speaks.
“Fine. I don’t have anything to bring though. Shouldn’t I bring something?” she asks nervously, and it’s adorable.
“No, my mom will have everything we need. The only other person who will bring anything is Winnie, and that’s because she refuses not to bring baked goods everywhere she goes.”
“Let me grab my coat then.”
“Perfect. I’ll wait here for you. Just in case you get the urge to run,” I tell her, blocking the doorway with a smile.
“If I remember correctly, and I usually do, you were the one with the urge to run off the next morning.” I hear her call from the other room. I’m surprised she brought it up. Since our night together, it seems she wants to avoid talking about it at all costs. Ivy walks back into the room, and I feel my heart rate tick up. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. Her long hair is tucked into her full-length tan coat. It matches the cream pants and sweater she’s wearing underneath. She likes wearing the same shade a lot.
When she walks outside, I grip her elbow gently, halting her steps. I slide both my hands up her arms to her neck, and her breath hitches. I lean in, and her eyes widen for a moment before closing. Does she think I’m going to kiss her? Would she let me? I reach under her collar and pull the hair out from inside her coat. Her eyes pop back open, and I can see it in them. She wants me to kiss her, but she’s going to have to learn to start asking for the things she wants rather than expecting me to read her mind.
I pull my hands back and smile at her slight pout. I’ve felt those pouty lips on mine, on my skin. I want to feel them again. “If you want something, Ivy, just ask me,” I say, working to keep my voice even.
“Nope.” She shakes her head, sending a curtain of dark-red hair over her shoulder. “I’m good. I don’t want anything.” She stonewalls me.So fucking stubborn.
“Alright. Well, if you change your mind. I’m open to any and all requests,” I state, then lead the way to my still-running truck and open her door so she can get inside where it’s warm. It will smell like her by the time I get in the driver's seat. Her scent had only just faded from our shopping trip. I want it to always smell like her. I want a lot of things that I probably shouldn’t when it comes to her. Things she may not be ready to give. For now, I’ll take what she’ll give me and deal with the fallout later.
Christmas at the Holloway house is—everything you’ve ever seen on TV and more. From the moment I walked in the door, I felt welcome. Mary told me how wonderful it is that I was able to join them today. Tom nodded his agreement and placed a firm but gentle hand on my shoulder in greeting. Winnie hugged me with more force than I would have expected from such a small person. Colt winked at me, and that made Alder shoot him a dirty look. I liked that a little more than I should. Then, when I was flushed from attention and my heart was filling to the brim, Hazel squealed my name and lifted her tiny arms in the air for me to pick her up, and the organ in my chest burst, unable to contain the affection.
And that was just the first five minutes I was here. Alder carried in the few presents I bought and sat them by the large tree in the living area. I was promptly swept into the kitchen by Florence, or Baby Lo, as far as anyone in their family is concerned. She sat me on a barstool at the island, madetwo mimosas, and handed me one before joining me. Mr. Holloway walks by on his way to the deck with tongs and a meat thermometer. He clicks the tongs, and I smile when I notice he’s wearing an apron. A very funny but inappropriate apron. I slap a hand over my mouth to try and cover my giggle, but it’s no use. I lose it, and a snort comes out. Oh my god, I just snorted.
“What’s so funny, princess?” Alder asks from the arched entrance to the living room. A few heads whip back and forth between us at the use of the nickname he’s given me. I blush, and if I had to guess, it’s somewhere between tomato and strawberry red. I shake my head, refusing to say anything else.
“Share with the class,” he encourages me, and I roll my eyes.
“That’s a very interesting apron your dad has on.” And the whole kitchen erupts with laughter. I smile, but I’m a bit confused. Mary walks over and leans against the island beside me.
“I’m sorry, dear. I think we forget sometimes that not everyone is in on the joke. One year, I think it may have been Father’s Day, Alder bought Tom an apron, it said ‘It’s All Fun And Games Until Someone Burns Their Wiener,’” she says, and I choke on my laughter. “From then on, Mr. Holloway has received at least one a year, and each year, they get worse and worse, depending on who's giving them to him.” She eyes Alder as she says this. “I hope you don’t find it offensive,” she adds, and I shake my head.
“No, not at all. It’s just…the arrow pointing down…er…really caught…me off guard.” I try to get out through my laughter. She throws her head back, and I can see exactly where Alder gets his laugh from. Mary has a phenomenal laugh. I’m laughing so hard that tears are starting to gather in my eyes. I glance over again and meet those familiar ice-blue ones. They’re squinted, sexy crinkles in full effect, smiling back at me. I’m really glad I came. I’m really glad Alder came to get me.
As laughter dies down but doesn’t stop, there’s a flutter of activity in the kitchen. I almost feel bad for not helping, but then Florence nudges me with her elbow.
“I don’t cook,” she whispers conspiratorially.
“I don’t either,” I whisper back, and she laughs lightly.
“Perfect. I have a drinking buddy,” she says, holding up her glass, and I tap mine against it. The sound is just a quiet clink, but I feel it deep down. Like the clink of our glasses slipped through the carefully constructed walls I keep up, hitting me in the chest, and now I don’t know how I’ll ever go back. I smile, hoping it’s not watery, and take a small sip of my drink. Not only do I need to watch my sugar, I also haven’t been drinking since the night I got to town, not wanting to use it as a crutch as I have in the past.
“Can you tell me where the bathroom is?” I ask.
“If you go out the way we came in here and then go to the left, it’s the door at the very end of the hallway,” she tells me, pointing to the entrance we came through.
“Thanks, I’ll be right back,” I say, slipping off the barstool. I walk out into the living room and see all the guys, with the exception of Knox who’s making something in the kitchen. They’re talking about Rhett’s hockey season and playing with Hazel, who keeps holding up a play phone to each of their ears. The sight makes me chuckle, but it’s a sound tinged with sadness. A little bit of grief creeps through. I make it to the third door down the hall, spotting a snowboarding poster out ofthe corner of my eye, and I stop in the doorway. This must have been Alder’s room.
