Page 43 of Stolen Holidays
“Stopwiththefuckingleg bouncing already. You’re shaking the damn table.” Mason, the prickly fucker, glowers at me. He’s still super pissed at me for allowing Emery to help me plan my Christmas surprise.
Allow.I internally scoff. If Emery heard half of what he’s said behind her back, she’d kick his ass. You don’t allow a woman like Emery to do anything. She does it because she wants to. And in this case, she offered to help because she loves planning weddings. She loves her job and bringing events to life. The wedding stuff might be her side gig, but I hope someday she makes the switch full time. Everything she plans is gold.
“Fuck off. Mom and Dad are on their way.” I rub my sweaty hands over my slacks. It’s in the low forties, but I can’t stop sweating. I’m nervous as hell about tonight.
We are outside by the picnic tables, getting ready to have dinner around the firepit. Some well-placed patio heaters surround us so that we can enjoy the sunset despite the chilly weather. The owners have done a wonderful job to make the stay feel homey and special with holiday-themed activities, like tonight’s light show.
“So? It’s just Mom and Dad.” Mason shrugs and takes a sip of his beer.
I’ve been keeping this surprise close to the vest, in case Diana backed out. My stomach twists nervously into a knot. I hope Callie isn’t mad at me for convincing her mom to join us.
“So, they have one of Callie’s presents with them,” I admit.
Cam blows out a breath. “Damn, dude, another gift? You’re spoiling her.”
I grin at my brother. “Aren’t you doing the same with Talia?”
“Yes. But keep your voice down. She gets all pissy at me for buying her shit.” Cam looks over his shoulder as if he might get caught.
Jace barks a laugh. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“Because she’s exactly like the rest of the women in our lives: difficult.” Cam huffs. He takes a huge bite of his pulled pork sandwich.
“Speak for yourself. My wife’s an angel.” Mason leans back and stares across the hearth at Emery, where she’s sitting with Callie, Rylann, and Talia. The four of them are laughing and chatting away.
“She’d have to be to deal with your devilish ass,” Cam teases.
“Ha-ha,” Mason grunts, not amused by Cameron’s humor.
“Rylann loves presents. She just prefers the sentimental kind, is all.” Jace shifts Riah to his other leg as she claps and babbles, shoving meat and vegetables into her mouth.
“Like kids,” Cam jokes.
We all crack up, even Jace.
“Not this year. Ry’s making me wait.” The gleam in his eye has me thinking my big brother has something else in mind.
Cam mumbles under his breath. “I don’t blame her.”
Jace points his fork at Cameron. “Just you wait. Becoming a father is one of life’s greatest joys. You’ll hold that little boy or girl in your arms, and you’ll be so full of love you’ll feel like your chest is gonna burst. It’s amazing.”
Listening to Jace describe fatherhood makes my chest ache. Now that Callie is mine, I can’t wait to start a family with her. We already have the house, and in three days, we’ll be married. All we need to do is add a couple of kids to the mix, and we’ll be living the dream.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to find the text I’ve been waiting for.
Mom: We are ten minutes away. We would have been there sooner, but your father has been driving like an old man.
Eli: We’ll meet you out front. Make sure Diana steps out last.
Mom: You got it. Callie is going to be so surprised.
Eli: I hope so. How’s Diana?
Mom: She is very excited. We’ve had a wonderful time chatting. She is just as lovely as her daughter.
Eli: Great. I’ll see you soon.
I shove my phone in my pocket, push my chair away from the table, and stand. “That was Mom. They’ll be here in a few minutes. I’m going to get Callie and meet them out front.”
