Chapter Sixteen
Emily
I watched as Nina hugged her uncle and called out to her grandmother as she entered the kitchen. Blake shrugged at me, and I smiled and shrugged back. I knew it couldn’t be easy for a teenager to welcome her teacher into her home, on a holiday, nonetheless, and I was more than well aware that I was a complete stranger to the Gaston family.
“Is that my granddaughter I hear stomping through my kitchen?” Blake’s father called, as he emerged from the basement.
“Gramps, I don’t stomp!” Nina laughed, as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. “Merry Christmas, Gramps!”
“Merry Christmas, Punkin Pie!” her grandfather said, as he hugged her tightly. When Nina let go and stepped back, he looked over her shoulder and caught sight of me. “Well, who do we have here?”
“Dad, this is Emily Fowler,” Blake said, stepping closer to me as his father walked across the room. “Emily, this is my father, Alan Gaston.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Gaston,” I said, offering my hand.
“It’s Dr. Gaston,” Nina muttered, as she shot me a look that bordered on nasty.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous; degrees are degrees,” Blake’s father said, shaking my hand as he leaned forward and added, “Thermometers have degrees, and you know where we stick those. Please, call me Alan.”
“Merry Christmas, Alan,” I said, looking nervously at Blake, who smiled and nodded reassuringly. I smiled back and said, “Thank you for letting me join you for dinner.”
“It’s our pleasure, Emily,” Alan said, as Brian emerged from the kitchen carrying several cold bottles of beer. He gave one to his father and offered the others to Blake and I. “What brings you to our table this evening? Were you not able to make it home to your family today?”
I inhaled sharply and tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t make everyone in the room look at me with pity. The words caught in my throat, and I felt the lump rising as tears began to well up.
“Emily lost her house in a fire this morning, Dad,” Blake quickly offered. “I thought she’d be better off having dinner with us than hanging out in a hotel room alone today.”
“Oh my goodness, what a terrible thing to have happen on Christmas day!” Alan exclaimed. “I’m glad my son brought you here. We’ll feed you well!”
“Thank you,” I nodded. I swallowed hard and then said, “It’s wonderful to be around such a warm and happy family today. It makes it feel a little more festive.”
“Dinner is served!” Ellie cheerfully announced, as she placed a steaming bowl of mashed potatoes on the table before returning to get the turkey.
I hung back as the family headed to the table until Blake smiled and gestured for me to take the chair next to him. Nina sat across the table from me and pointedly avoided looking at me as everyone took their seats. Alan reached out and took his sons’ hands, and soon we were all holding hands as Alan said a blessing.
“We’re so happy that we could have our whole family here for this wonderful celebration and this delicious meal,” he began. Blake’s hand was warm in mine, and I felt a tingle of electricity pass between us. I knew he felt it too when he squeezed my hand as his father continued, “We’re thankful that Emily could join us today even though the reason is not cause for celebration. We’re thankful for all that we have and all that we enjoy, but mostly we’re thankful for our loving family and the opportunity to spend time together. Amen.”
“Amen,” we said in unison.
“Does anyone want to add anything else?” Alan asked, looking around the table. His eyes rested on me, and I nodded almost imperceptibly. “Emily, go ahead.”
“I just wanted to say that I’m very grateful for Blake and his crew,” I began. “They didn’t save my house, but they did save Howard, and Blake’s generosity in bringing me here to your beautiful home is something I’m truly grateful for. So, thank you.”
“We’re glad you could be here with us, dear,” Ellie said, as she squeezed my other hand and smiled warmly. I had to fight back the tears that threatened to flow yet again. Blake’s family was so kind and generous, not at all like my family, and this was not at all like holidays at my family’s house. I cringed as I thought about what my family would be doing right now, and about the stiff way they would be waiting for dinner to be served. I returned Ellie’s smile as Brian grabbed the bowl of potatoes and said, “Let’s eat! I’m starving!”
After dinner, we all helped clear the table as Ellie and Nina stored the leftovers in brightly colored Tupperware containers. Alan brushed the crumbs off the tablecloth before setting a small, rectangular box down on the table.
“All right, who is going to take on the best domino player east of the Mississippi?” he bellowed. Groaned protests came from the kitchen as I gave Alan a confused look. He leaned closer and whispered, “They’re just jealous of my natural talent and ability.”
“Talent and ability, Dad?” Blake called. “It’s more like stubborn refusal to admit that you’ve been defeated!”
“I’ve never lost!” Alan protested.
“Says who?” Ellie, Brian, and Nina called in unison.
“You are all just jealous,” he grumbled with a smile, as he began to lay out domino tiles on the table. “But seriously, who's going to play?”
“C’mon, Dad,” Blake said, peeking around the corner. “You know we’re all in and we’ll play the winner.”
“I’ll start with Emily!” Alan declared. He explained the rules to me, and by the time the rest of the family emerged from the kitchen holding pies and plates, Alan had already beaten me twice. I laughed and held up my hands as I ceded my seat to Brian, who rubbed his hands together and cackled loudly before pulling his tiles.
Nina watched me warily out of the corner of her eye at first, but as the games progressed and she saw that I had no intention of coming between her and her father, she relaxed and let down her guard a little. Alan teamed us up against Blake and Ellie, and we won the first round. Blake grinned as I high-fived my partner and did a little victory chair dance.
We were all yawning and rubbing our eyes when Blake suggested it was time to head home. I hugged his parents and thanked them for a lovely meal and their kind hospitality. Ellie hugged me a little longer and tighter before saying, “You’re welcome, dear. It was such a pleasure having you here today; I’m glad you came.”
When we got to Blake’s truck, I headed for the back, but Nina intercepted me and said, “Nah, you sit up front.” I climbed in without protest, and we rode home in a vaguely uncomfortable silence. Blake hummed along to the radio until Nina said, “Dad, please. Enough with the Christmas music.”
“It’s still Christmas day, and you know the rule, Punkin,” Blake said.
“Dad…” Nina warned. Blake stopped humming, but his smile remained.
At the house, Nina disappeared into her room before I could say anything I’d rehearsed in my head on the car ride home. I shrugged it off and waited on the couch for Blake to say goodnight to his daughter. When he appeared again, he was carrying a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.
“What on earth?” I said, laughing.
“I’ve got a liquor cabinet hidden in the back so that teenagers can’t find it,” he grinned, as he handed me a glass and poured a finger of amber liquid into it. “To Christmas.”
“To Christmas,” I said, with a wistful smile. “Thank you for making this not the worst holiday ever.”
“Your house burning down and your cat being in the hospital isn’t the worst Christmas ever?” Blake said, surprised.
“Not even close,” I replied grimly. “Thank you for sharing your family with me. They’re really lovely people.”
“I think they liked you, too,” he smiled, as he clinked his glass against mine and then raised it to his lips. We sat quietly staring at the tree lights as we let the warmth of the whiskey slide down our throats. It was Blake who broke the silence. “I’m not sure how to say this, but I want to see you again. I mean, not just because we had sex earlier.”
“Shhhh,” I said, casting a nervous glance towards Nina’s room.
“What? Oh, she’s not going to get worked up about it,” he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the thought.
“Are you kidding me?” I replied, with a surprised look. “She’s pissed as hell that you brought her History teacher to the family holiday. If she thinks we’re sleeping together, she’s going to lose it.”
“She’s not going to lose it,” Blake said, shaking his head. “Well, maybe just a little. Fine, you can sleep in my room, and I’ll take the couch tonight…but it’s really such a pity.”
His warm brown eyes followed a path from my face down my body, and I felt the familiar tingling of nerve endings that had been woken from a long slumber.
“Don’t do that!” I whispered in a scolding tone. “You’re going to get us both in trouble!”
“I never thought I’d be sneaking around in my own home, hiding from my teenage daughter,” Blake whispered, as he bent to kiss me softly. When I returned the kiss, he whispered, “I always kind of thought it would be the other way around.”