Chapter 22

Allison

Despite the fact that I was pissed off at David, it didn’t stop me from dreaming about him all night. I wished he’d called Sierra and told her he wasn’t coming like he’d promised, but he never had, and I hadn’t quite had the heart to tell her.

I woke up early while Sierra was still in bed and headed to the bathroom to soak in a hot bath. I hadn’t intended on taking a long time in the tub, but the lingering thoughts from my dream had me lying back and stroking myself. I loved those quiet moments when I had a chance to daydream, and as I thought about him kissing me hard and deeply between my thighs, I worked my fingers against my aching, swollen bud, which brought me over the edge and back twice before I forced myself to behave.

It was just that I’d wanted him so badly, and it had been days since we’d been together. I needed to see him and talk to him. I’d hoped that the next time we had sex wouldn’t be years apart from the last, but by the way things were looking, it was going to happen that way again.

He hadn’t even bothered to call me back, and I had to wonder if it was just his brother keeping him away. Perhaps an old girlfriend had wanted to see him? The holidays brought out all sorts, and being a man of such money and power, he was bound to have some better offers.

I got out of the tub even more upset with him and went to get myself ready for a day of cooking, eating, and cleaning at my mother’s house.

I decided to wear jeans and put my hair up, hoping to be comfortable. I didn’t have anyone to impress and had resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t see David until Monday.

I woke Sierra up and started on breakfast as we watched the parade on TV. “I don’t know why we couldn’t go this year,” she said with a huff.

“Because we’d be late for dinner.” I had taken her once three years ago when my father was marching in the parade, but since his retirement, he was no longer involved. She hadn’t forgotten it. “You can watch it on TV with Grandpa.”

“Okay, but could I have a peppermint stick this time?”

“Yes. You can.” I let out a long sigh. The year before, I hadn’t let her have the peppermint stick because it would have spoiled her dinner, but apparently, she still hadn’t forgiven me for it.

“I’m taking Mystery with me, too. And she wants to sit on the table next to my plate.”

“Why would she want to do that?” I held my breath, thinking of David. I hadn’t told her yet, still hoping he was going to call, but she didn’t even mention him.

“She can eat all of my cranberry sauce.”

“Makes sense. Finish your waffles, and then go put on the clothes I laid out. I want you to wear your heaviest coat, too. It’s supposed to be much colder tonight, and I’m sure we’ll still be over there after dark.”

“Can I wear my pink hat and scarf, too?” She nibbled her waffle and gave me a bored look. She was still tired.

“Sure.”

Sierra finished her food and retreated to her room to get ready. I turned to gather my things, knowing it wouldn’t be long before we left, and that was when Sierra let out a blood-curdling scream that had me sprinting to her bedroom.

She turned and looked at me, her mouth still wide open, and big, fat tears in her eyes.

“What’s the matter, honey?” I knelt down in front of her, but she shook her head and closed her eyes.

“I left my bag at Daddy’s.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

“Well, you can get it another time.”

“My hat and scarf were in it, along with Mystery. She’ll starve if I don’t feed her, and she’s scared and alone.”

“She’ll be fine, honey. She’ll think she’s hibernating for the winter. It will be okay.”

“Could you call Daddy and ask him if we can come get her?”

I would have rather take a steak knife to my eyeball than call my ex on a holiday, but I knew he was supposed to be headed our way to see Cindy’s mother.

“Please, Mama.”

Knowing David was already going to break her heart, I knew I couldn’t ignore her pleas for Mystery. She loved that bear and carried it around with her constantly. The only reason she hadn’t noticed it missing is she’d fallen asleep, and I’d carried her from the car to the bed.

“Fine. Let me call, but you ask, okay? He’ll most likely do it for you.” I didn’t want to hear him bitching or say no just to spite me.

Sierra called. For some reason, she’d caught him in a good mood, and he agreed to bring her bag over to my mother’s house. By the time we were in the car, Sierra was in a much better mood.

“Are we going to play games after dinner?” she asked.

It had been a holiday tradition to play a few games of cards with her and then have dessert. After, we’d all go up to the attic to take down the Christmas decorations.

“We might.” I hated to make promises and then have no one want to play them with her.

“Are we going to put up the tree?” She was ticking off questions like she’d written a list.

“I’m sure we will.” Any minute, I expected her to bring up David and ask if he was going to play or help us with the tree, but she didn’t.

We got to my parents’ house just after nine. My mother and I spent the next several hours in the kitchen, making more food than we’d be able to eat in a week, while Sierra and my father got a head start on the Christmas decorations in the attic.

“Do you think David will want cranberry sauce, too?” my mother asked. “I hate to make it if it’s just me and your father eating it again this year.”

“He’s not going to come. He’s busy with Blaine upstate, and he’s not going to be done in time.” My clipped and bitter tone made my feelings about that apparent.

“You two aren’t fighting, are you?” She slung a dishrag over her shoulder and took a knife from the block.

“No, ma’am. There’s nothing to fight about. I know he needs to help his brother, but what really ticks me off is that he was supposed to call Sierra and he didn’t.”

“Well, maybe he got held up, honey. It’s bound to happen. Is there something wrong with Blaine?”

“No, not wrong per se, but he did get into a little trouble. I can’t really talk about it because of my job, but he got a DUI, and now he’s seeking treatment.” I remembered what he’d told me I could say and what I couldn’t. Even though it was my mom, I didn’t want her to repeat it to him and have him think I was running my mouth.

“Sounds like it’s serious. At least he’s there for his family.”

“I know, and when he said he wouldn’t make it, I understood. I really did. But then he said he’d talk to Sierra to tell her he wasn’t coming, and I really hoped he wouldn’t let her down.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t if he could help it. He’s probably just got his hands full.” She finished chopping vegetables and arranged them on a small tray.

“Yeah, but I’m going to have to tell her before dinner. I’m waiting as long as possible. You should have seen her fall apart over her bear he bought her. If that’s any indication of how she’s going to flip out, then I’d rather not deal with it anytime soon.”

A loud noise came from above us. “Your father is going to fall through the upstairs ceiling if he’s not careful, and probably take Sierra down with him.”

“I better go and check on things.” My father was like a big kid, so I left Mom to tend to the food while I climbed the stairs and opened the door to the attic steps. “Everything okay up here?”

“Grandpa knocked over a whole stack of boxes,” Sierra said, laughing.

“Yeah. Let’s not tell your mother, though. I think some of them had her ornaments.” Dad had opened a few of the boxes to check them. “Nope, looks like we’re good. This was all the outdoor lights.”

I remembered when Dad and David had a competition to see who could put up more lights, and Dad had won.

“Are you putting any outside this year?” I asked.

“That depends. Maybe the DeVants want to go head to head again.” He chuckled, and I turned to see if Sierra had heard him. She was busy looking through a box, and I wasn’t sure if she’d learned their last name anyway.

I cleared my throat. “I don’t know about that. They’re probably scared from the last time. Dinner shouldn’t be too much longer. You two might want to come down and get yourselves cleaned up.”

There was a bit of dust on the boxes and in the air. I hoped my allergies would survive the assault, but if I had to miss work for being sick, it would be about right. It seemed there were always some cosmic forces keeping us apart, so why not a little dust?

Sierra hurried down out of the attic, and I helped my father restack some of the fallen boxes. I didn’t want him throwing out his back. We headed down together, and when we got back downstairs, my father peeked into the kitchen and walked over to the stove to peek inside the foil, where Mom had left the turkey.

“Get out of that!” she said without even looking.

He chuckled. “I swear, never marry a school teacher. She’s got eyes in the back of her head.”

She hadn’t taught in ages, but I’d heard the joke every year when he’d get caught doing the same thing.

“Do you really, Grandma?” Sierra’s eyes were wide, and she stared at the back of my mother’s head.

“I’ll never tell.” She gave Sierra a wink.

“It’s a figure of speech, honey,” I said. “It doesn’t mean she really does. We’ve talked about other things that are the same way, right?”

“Yes, Mama. Like when you and Katrina were talking, and she said that David was hot. She didn’t really mean he had a fever. She meant that he’s really good-looking, right?”

My father belted out a laugh, and my mother covered her mouth and shook her head. “She doesn’t miss a beat, does she?”

“It’s not polite to tell other people’s conversations,” I said.

“Sorry, Mama.” She gave a shy grin and shrugged.

My mother cleared her throat and gestured to Sierra. I knew that look. She wanted me to go ahead and tell Sierra about David. And even though I wanted to, it was going to be tough. I didn’t want her to stop seeing him as that hero figure in her life. The one who’d not only saved the day with Career Day but who had come to Thanksgiving dinner just like he’d promised.

“Dinner is almost ready, Sierra,” I said instead. “You should go upstairs and get cleaned up like I asked.”

“Come on, kid. Let’s go wash our hands.” My father took her hand and led her down the hall to the guest bathroom where my mother didn’t like anyone using the sink or her decorative soaps and towels, but she didn’t say a word. She was too busy giving me a hard look.

“You need to tell her when she gets back, dear. It’s not right to make her sit down and wonder where he is. Besides, if she’s going to be upset, we don’t want to spoil her dinner.”

I knew she was right. I heard Sierra run down the stairs and past the kitchen, and I let out a long breath, preparing myself for the worst.

“Honey, we need to talk.” I caught her opening the door, but before I could stop her, she ran outside. “Sierra!”

“He’s here, Mama! He’s here!”

I rushed out to see David’s shiny, black Cobra sitting in the driveway. He got out with a big grin on his face.

“There’s my two favorite girls,” he said as he held out his arms.

My heart melted.