A Companion for Christmas by Lee Tobin McClain

Author:Lee Tobin McClain
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-07-10T18:19:00+00:00

* * *

After dinner, they all sat in the living room watching a movie. The adults claimed the couch while the kids and dogs lounged on the floor.

Alec had intended to leave right after dinner, but Kelly no longer seemed in a hurry to go. She laughed at the comedy on TV and chatted with Jodi and Cameron. She seemed to be enjoying herself.

He and Kelly sat side by side, and Alec desperately wanted to put his arm around Kelly the way Cameron was cuddling up with Jodi. But he restrained himself.

Cameron had taken him aside and asked him whether he’d told Kelly the truth about Zinnia. Then he’d scolded Alec for keeping such a secret from a woman who didn’t deserve deception.

They’d talked a little about the obligation Alec had to Chelsea, his promise to her, the reasons she didn’t want her identity as Zinnia’s mother known. “It’s not like you’re any great shakes in the reputation department,” Cam had told him bluntly. “There are plenty of people who judge our family harshly. Does that mean we shouldn’t parent kids? Because I’ve got news for you: it’s too late.”

Alec had stuck to his plan and his promise, but after a lot of discussion, he’d agreed with Cameron that talking to the pastor about the situation would be a good idea. He’d promised to do so after Christmas.

The kids started dozing off, all clustered on the floor in front of the tree. When the movie ended, the four adults turned down the volume and chatted quietly. Eventually, Jodi and Cam went into the kitchen.

“Are you glad you came?” Alec asked Kelly. She hadn’t scooted away from him on the couch, for which he was glad.

“It’s been fun.” She looked at the kids and smiled. “Your brother and Jodi are nice.” She let out a wistful sigh.

Alec could have done the same. He felt wistful, too, thinking how much he’d enjoyed this evening and how much he’d like to have another like it.

And he could, for sure, if he and Zinnia stayed in Holiday Point. He and Zinnia could visit his brother often. Zinnia could have a real relationship with her cousins, and Alec and Cameron could spend time together, raise their kids together, deal with their parents together.

What he couldn’t do was bring Kelly along all the time, not if he wasn’t in a relationship with her.

He needed to stop thinking about what couldn’t happen. He found a holiday music station on the TV, and they chatted about their favorite Christmas songs. Kelly shared some of her family’s holiday traditions: going caroling with another family, making advent calendars, eating lasagna on Christmas Eve. “It sounds nice,” he said.

“It was.” She paused. “Jodi said you and Cameron didn’t have too many traditions growing up.”

“Unless you count our parents drinking too much and getting into fights,” he said mildly. “That was a given, every holiday.”

“Did you kids get presents?” she asked.

He shrugged. “We did, sometimes, but they mostly came from charity groups. You know, the ones that have a tag that says ‘Boy, Age 10’ on it.

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