While everyone enjoyed the delicious roast chicken dinner, Landon stood and cleared his throat. “ ’Tis the season you look forward to all year long.” He unfurled a scroll of paper. “Sign-ups to work at the Christmas tree farm!”
A chorus of groans and boos followed his announcement.
“Now, now. You can’t fool me. I know you all love working at the farm every year, so don’t be shy. Sign up now and sign up often. Boys, I need you cutting trees and dragging them to cars. Ladies, I need you selling cider, hot chocolate and donuts and collecting money. You know the drill.”
“What if I want to cut the trees rather than dole out cider?” Charley asked.
“Whatever you want to do is fine with me, stud,” Landon replied, “as long as you sign up for something. I need everyone to take at least three shifts over the next few weekends. Max, you’re exempted this year due to the baby watch.”
“Thanks. I’ll fill in when I can.”
“That’s so not fair,” Lucas said. “Why does he get to be exempt? I need to have a baby.”
“Please for the love of God and the sake of the imaginary child, do not do that,” Lincoln said, making everyone laugh. Pointing to Landon, he said, “And don’t you either.”
Scowling at his father, Landon sent the sign-up sheet around the table with a pen.
Ella signed up to spend three Saturday afternoons working the hot chocolate stand, which was secretly one of her favorite things to do this time of year. She absolutely loved the Christmas season in the store and at the farm, so while the others grumbled, she happily put her name on the list.
“I’ll take a few shifts,” Gavin said. “I’m rather good at cutting down trees.”
“That’s the attitude I’m looking for,” Landon said. “And he’s not even required to work.”
“Suck-up,” Hunter grumbled.
“Total suck-up,” Will said.
Gavin laughed at their good-natured teasing.
Ella smiled at Gavin and then watched him sign up for the same days she had picked. She had purposely avoided Thanksgiving weekend in the hope that she could talk him into going to his friend’s wedding.
“I can’t work any Saturdays in December,” Charley said. “I’m in training.”
“Oh thank God!” Colton said. “Someone is finally house-training her.” The others howled with laughter.
“Very funny, but I’ll have you know I’m in training to run a marathon.”
“You are not,” Ella said.
“Yes, I am.”
“You haven’t run since high school.”
“I’ve been wanting to get back into it, so I joined a club and we do distance runs on Saturdays. We did six miles yesterday.”
“I think that’s wonderful, Charley,” Elmer said. “Good for you.”
“Thanks, Gramps.”
“We’ve got plenty of Sundays you can take,” Landon said to Charley.
“Let me see that sign-up sheet,” Elmer said. “I can still cut trees with you whippersnappers.”
“Gramps,” Landon said, glancing at Molly. “You don’t have to.”
“Don’t give me that nonsense,” Elmer said. “I’ve been cutting Christmas trees since before you were a glimmer on the horizon.”
“Still,” Landon said, “we’ve got plenty of guys to do the heavy lifting. I could use someone to play Santa, if you’re up for that.”
“I’d rather cut trees. Let Linc play Santa. He loves that gig.”
“Mom,” Landon said. “Do something about him.”
“What would you have me do? Tell my father he’s too old to be cutting Christmas trees? I think I’ll pass on that.”
Her sister Hannah laughed. “Don’t blame you, sis.”
“I raised smart girls,” Elmer said with a smile for his daughters. “They know not to cross their dear old dad.”
“I’ll take a couple of shifts,” Grayson said, surprising them all.
“You don’t have to, Gray,” Landon said. “It’s a pain for you, living in Boston and everything.”
“I’m hoping to spend more time up here in the next few months, so I’m happy to help out.”
“I won’t say no to that,” Landon said. “Give the man the form. It’s the hap-happiest time of the year!”
“Speaking of the happiest time of the year,” Ella said, “don’t anyone forget the staff retreat next Friday night.”
More grumbling followed her announcement.
“Why do you guys still complain when we do this every year before the holiday shopping season begins in earnest?” Ella asked.
“Because,” Lucas said, “you make us give up a Friday night to hang out with the ladies from the store. Not that I don’t like the ladies from the store, but they’re not exactly my target audience.”
“We have some new young ladies working the floor,” Ella said. “You might be pleasantly surprised.”
“New young ladies in Butler?” Landon asked, perking up. “How do we not know about this development?”
Max got up from the table, plate in hand. “I need to get back to Burlington.” He leaned over to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Thanks for dinner, Mom.”
“Of course, sweetheart. Keep us posted?”
“I will. See you all later.”
“Bye, Max,” the others said.
After the storm door closed behind him, everyone looked to Molly.
“What’s going on with him, Mom?” Colton asked. “He’s gone completely silent on me at work on the mountain. I don’t know what to do with him.”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think he and Chloe have broken up, and they’re going to have to make some tough decisions after the baby arrives.”
“Oh damn,” Hunter said. “That’s a tough one.”
“I know I don’t have to tell you all that he’s going to need our support in the next few weeks. Will, I’d like you to try to talk to him if you would. He’s always turned to you in times of trouble, and maybe he’d find it easier to talk to you.”
“Sure, Mom. I’ll do what I can.”
“No matter what happens, we need to make sure he knows he’s not alone in this.”
“Of course he’s not alone,” Charley said. “When have any of us had the good fortune of being alone with a difficult situation?”
Her cheeky question made the others laugh.
Molly served two kinds of pie for dessert, and then everyone pitched in to help clean up. Well, the boys pretended to pitch in, ensuring they were more trouble than they were worth so that Molly would shoo them from the kitchen the way she did every week.
“We need to get their gig,” Charley said when it was down to her, Molly, Ella, their sister Hannah and their aunt Hannah in the kitchen.
“Seriously,” Ella said. “They’ve got it made.”
“I don’t know if I’d rather come back in my next life as a man or a well-kept dog,” Molly said. “Not sure which has it better.”
“A man,” the women said in chorus.
After almost everyone had cleared out after dinner, leaving only Elmer, Molly’s sister Hannah and her son Grayson, Lincoln invited Elmer and Gray to have a drink in his study so Molly could have some time with her sister.
“That’s where he keeps the good stuff,” Elmer said to his grandson.
“Well, let’s go then.”
“Bourbon?” Linc asked after he stoked the fire in the hearth.
“You know I won’t say no to that,” Elmer said.
“Me either,” Gray said.
“Still feels funny to be pouring bourbon for kids we raised,” Lincoln said to his father-in-law.
“That it does,” Elmer replied. “Wait until you’re pouring for the second generation of kids you raised.”
“I’m still trying to get my head around becoming a grandfather any day now.” Lincoln delivered drinks to both men and then went back for his before joining them in the seating area in front of the fire.
“Here’s to becoming a grandfather,” Elmer said, raising his glass to Grayson, his oldest grandchild. “One of the best days of my life.”
“Thanks, Gramps.” Grayson raised his glass to his grandfather. “I only beat Hunter and Hannah by a month.”
“Got in right under the wire. That was such a happy time for Sarah and me—three grandbabies in one month. And now, I’m gonna be a great-grandfather thanks to my youngest grandchild. How’s that for funny?”
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Grayson said, swirling the bourbon around in his glass.
Lincoln took note of the pensive expression on his nephew’s face. “Something on your mind, son?” He’d taken a special interest in Grayson and his siblings after their father left. Elmer had, too. They’d done what they could to fill a void that could never really be filled.
“I’ve been considering some life changes,” Grayson said.
“What kind of changes?” Elmer asked.
“I worked for years to make partner in the firm,” Grayson said.
“And you know how proud we are of that,” Elmer said.
“He never misses a chance to tell people that you’re a partner in a big Boston law firm,” Lincoln added.
Grayson smiled at his grandfather. “Means a lot that you guys are proud. Thanks for that.”
“You’ve earned everything the old-fashioned way,” Elmer said. “Through hard work and determination. I admire that greatly.”
“Which makes it that much harder to tell you I’m thinking about leaving the firm.”
“How come?” Lincoln asked. “Thought you loved that place.”
“I do. I did. It’s just . . . Ever since I made partner, I seem to have lost my drive or something. I feel like I’m going through the motions. And one thing hasn’t changed—all I do is work. Nonstop. Then I turned thirty-six last week, and one of my colleagues made a joke about how thirty-six is the ‘this side of forty rather than that side of thirty’ birthday. He was kidding, but it struck home. I’m going to be forty in four short years. I’m spending my entire adult life in an office, slaving away doing stuff I don’t even care about most of the time.”
“So what would you rather be doing?” Lincoln asked.
“That’s just it. I’m not sure. I only know I don’t want to be where I am anymore.”
“Have you thought about coming home and hanging out a shingle?” Elmer asked.
“It’s crossed my mind.”
“You won’t make bank like you do in Boston, but there’s a genuine need here for a lawyer,” Lincoln said. “Closest one is over in St. Johnsbury. Butler could use its own general counsel, if you ask me.”
“I’ve been sort of toying with that idea. Mom also told me the town will soon be taking applications for town solicitor. I wouldn’t mind doing that and working with Mom, too.” Hannah Coleman had been the Butler town clerk for more than thirty years.
“That’d be a nice steady gig on top of the other work you’d be sure to get,” Elmer said. “You’d bring the family business account home with you, of course.”
“Yeah,” Gray said. “I’ve always made it clear that account is mine whether I’m with the firm or not. They know that.”
“We’ve got a lot going on with the acquisition of the new acreage up on the mountain and the new website about to go live, and now there’s rumblings of a catalog and distribution center,” Lincoln said. “We’ll keep you busy.”
“Who’s rumbling about a catalog and distribution center?” Elmer asked.
“I’m going to be after the first of the year,” Lincoln said with a cheeky grin.
Elmer chuckled. “Can’t wait to see what the kids have to say to that.”
“I got them to buy into the website, didn’t I?”
“With a lot of help from your new daughter-in-law.” For Grayson’s benefit, Elmer added, “It’s mighty hard to say no to Cameron when she’s got a big idea.”
“I’m hoping she’ll be on my side with the catalog,” Lincoln said. “If she’s all for it, Will would be, too.”
“You guys are a couple of old schemers,” Grayson said, laughing at their back-and-forth.
“You have no idea,” Lincoln said with a smile for his father-in-law.
“No idea at all,” Elmer said. “But it sure will be nice to have you back in town, Gray.”
“It’ll be good to be home.”
Hannah came to the door looking for her son. “What’re you guys feeding my boy?”
“Bourbon and bullshit,” Lincoln said, making the other men laugh.
“You ready to go, Mom?”
“Whenever you are.”
“Some of us have to work tomorrow,” Hannah said, “and you’ve got a long ride back to Boston.”
“Yeah,” Gray said, seeming depressed by the idea of that long ride. “I do.”
Lincoln and Elmer stood to hug them both.
Elmer patted his grandson’s face. “Keep us posted.”
“I will. Thanks for this. It helped.”
“We’re always right here.”
“Thanks, Gramps. I’ll see you all soon.”
“We’ll be here,” Lincoln said.
They kissed Hannah good night and then returned to their spots in front of the fire.
“That boy is in pain,” Elmer said.
“I thought the same thing.”
“There’s more to this than unhappiness at work.”
“Wasn’t he seeing someone for a while there?” Elmer asked.
“I thought so. I’ll see what Hunter knows. They’re tight.”
“We’re going to want to keep an eye on our Grayson.”
“You read my mind.”
Driving back to Ella’s place, Gavin thought about her family and how they were always fun to be around. The joking, the good-natured teasing, the obvious love they had for each other combined to give Gavin a sense of well-being that had been sorely lacking in his life of late. There was something about the Abbotts. You couldn’t help but be sucked in by them, in the best possible way.
“Thanks for signing up to help at the tree farm,” Ella said. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know I didn’t. It sounds fun, though, and you’ll be there, so it can’t be all bad.”
She smiled, but he couldn’t help but notice she seemed troubled by something.
“Everything okay?”
“Sure,” she said. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. You seem . . . off . . . since we left your parents’ place.”
She had no reply to that, which set his nerves on edge. What could’ve happened in the time they spent with her family? He supposed she’d tell him if she wanted to. It amazed him to realize how badly he wanted to be privy to her thoughts. Was she happy? Was she worried? Did she regret taking him to dinner? Had someone warned her away from him? That wouldn’t surprise him. It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve to come with a warning label attached to him—may be hazardous to your health and emotional well-being.
As he pulled up to Ella’s house and parked behind her car, it occurred to him that having his truck here all night would be equivalent to telling the town of Butler they were sleeping together. “I’m going to run home for a minute, but I’ll be right back. If you still want me.”
“Yes, I still want you. Hurry back.”
He leaned over to kiss her. “I will.” Gavin waited until she was inside before he pulled out of her driveway and headed home. Once there, he packed a bag with a change of clothes and his toothbrush and was heading for the door when the house phone rang. He took the call from his mother.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey. How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
“Busy with the inn, but we’re enjoying it.”
Running the inn that Hannah had opened for war widows had given his parents a new purpose that they’d badly needed. “Glad to hear it’s going well.”
“Dad and I were saying tonight it’s been weeks since the three of us had dinner. Want to come tomorrow night? I’ll make ribs for you.”
“Mmm, ribs.” Even though he’d just eaten a huge meal, his mouth watered at the thought of his mother’s ribs. “You know how to get my attention.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Could I bring a friend?”
His question was met with dead silence on the other end of the line.
“Mom?”
“A female friend?” The hope he heard in her voice was like a punch to the gut, making him realize how little reason he’d given her to be hopeful where he was concerned.
“Yes, a female friend.”
“Of course you can bring her. Anyone we know?”
“You know her.”
“That’s it? That’s all I’m getting?”
“Until tomorrow.”
“Gavin, come on! You can’t leave me hanging for twenty-four hours.”
“It’ll be here before you know it,” he said, smiling. He’d smiled more today than he had in years.
“This is just mean.”
That made him laugh. “Patience, Mother.”
“Is this . . . Is it something serious?”
“Could be. It’s new, so don’t get too excited just yet.”
“I’m already excited that you like her enough to bring her here.”
“I like her a lot. I have for a long time.”
“Gavin Michael Guthrie! You are torturing your mother!”
His dad chimed in from the extension. “Hey, Gav, why are you torturing your mother?”
“Because I asked to bring a friend to dinner tomorrow, and she needs to know right now who it is.”
“So do I,” his dad said, making Gavin laugh.
“See you guys tomorrow! Gotta run.”
“Gavin!”
“Love you.” He hung up laughing, which was another thing he’d done a lot of today. It felt good to have something to laugh and smile about again. It felt good to give his parents something to look forward to. It felt good to be around Ella, to be able to touch her and kiss her and not have to pretend any longer that he wasn’t crazy about her.
In particular, it felt good to not be so twisted up in knots of grief and rage as he’d been so much of the time lately. The downward spiral had come on quickly following the one-two punch of Homer dying followed by Hannah’s remarriage. He’d been doing fine. He would’ve said he’d gotten “over” his brother’s death, if that were even possible. His life was orderly, if a bit boring. He worked long hours and made sure to see a lot of his parents. If every day was a lot like the day before, that was fine.
Then Homer died. Gavin could still remember the absolute devastation of hearing that his brother’s beloved companion was gone. As ridiculous as it might seem to some, it had been like losing Caleb all over again. The three of them had been constant companions in college and whenever Caleb was home on leave from the army. His brother had been absolutely crazy about the mutt he’d found by the side of the road, and the mutt had been equally crazy about Caleb.
The funeral Hannah had held for Homer had been perfect and poignant and yet another reminder that his brother was gone forever. Saying good-bye to Homer had been like saying good-bye to Caleb again, and Gavin had found the entire day to be unbearable—except for the brief respite he’d found with Ella on the porch swing. Talking to her and sharing his pain with her had somehow made it easier than it would’ve been otherwise.
Around the time Homer died, Gavin had found out that Hannah and Nolan were dating. He’d reacted badly to that news and still regretted the way he’d treated two people he loved. After all they’d been through, Hannah was like a sister to him, and Nolan had been a close friend to him and Caleb since they first landed in Butler in middle school. Hannah and Nolan had deserved better than what they’d gotten from him, and he considered himself extremely fortunate that they’d both accepted his apologies.
Their wedding day, however, had been far more difficult than Gavin had expected it to be. Seeing Caleb’s Hannah marry someone else, even a man he and his brother loved and respected, had been excruciating for him. He’d kissed Ella that day, and then totally screwed it up by pushing her away. The downward spiral that followed had come upon him fast and furious, erasing years of progress.
Yeah, he’d been batting a thousand lately. And now, despite all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Ella had given him this amazing opportunity to spend time with her, to see if what had been simmering between them for years might now turn into something lasting.
He had the worst fear that if he screwed things up with her, any chance he had to be truly happy would be lost forever. Not to mention the toll it would take on her if their fledgling relationship turned into another disaster. He couldn’t let that happen.
With his backpack on his shoulder, he locked up his house and headed across the yard to the big steel building where he kept the trucks and equipment for his logging company. He punched in the code that deactivated the alarm system and opened one of the big doors. Inside, he walked past the trucks with the Guthrie Logging name on the doors to the back corner of the big building.
Gavin pulled the tarp off his vintage Harley and wheeled it outside, closing the door behind him and resetting the alarm. Sitting astride the powerful bike, Gavin strapped on the helmet he wouldn’t have bothered with before his brother was killed and his parents were left with only him. Now he didn’t take chances with his safety the way he had before.
Before. And after. His life was divided neatly into two halves.
He fired up the bike and headed back to town, eager to be with Ella, to experience the sense of calm that came over him whenever she was close by. Navigating the winding roads between his home on the northern end of Butler and hers closer to town, Gavin knew a rare moment of excitement and anticipation.
He thought about what she’d told him earlier about wanting a big family. In the last few years, he’d been so focused on building his business that he hadn’t spent much time thinking about getting married or having a family. But now that he’d decided to take this chance with her, neither of those things seemed out of reach.
They were a long way from big decisions, but the fact that those things were even possible filled him with another emotion that had been in short supply recently—hope. He had something to look forward to. He had a reason to get up in the morning that didn’t revolve around his work. He had someone who cared about him—probably more than she should, not that he was complaining. He had someone counting on him for more than a paycheck in the case of his employees and an occasional visit in the case of his parents.
He pulled into Ella’s driveway and parked the bike in front of her car where it couldn’t be easily seen from the street. Bringing his helmet with him, he went up the stairs to her apartment and knocked on the door.
When the door opened, his mind went blank and his mouth went dry at the sight of her in a slinky sexy robe, her long dark hair shining like always. Behind her, the apartment was aglow with light from candles and the fireplace.
She reached for his free hand. “Come in.”
Struck dumb by the sight of her, he followed her inside, dropping his helmet and backpack inside the door.
“Are you okay?” she asked, gazing up at him with her heart in her eyes. She always looked at him that way, and he hoped she always would. He hoped he never gave her a reason to look at him any other way but with love and affection in her gaze.
“You look . . . God, Ella, you’re beautiful.”
“You should see yourself in that leather jacket with the bike helmet tucked under your arm. H-O-T. I didn’t even know you had a motorcycle.”
“I didn’t want to leave the truck with the Guthrie Logging logo on the side in your driveway overnight. We don’t need everyone talking about us until we’re ready for them to talk.”
She unzipped his coat and slid her arms around his waist inside the coat. “Thank you for thinking of that.”
Gavin returned her embrace, the sense of relief at being back in her arms profound. He was further relieved that whatever seemed to be bothering her earlier had apparently passed. “No problem.”
“Will you take me for a ride on the bike sometime?”
“Any time you want. It looks nice in here.”
“I was afraid it was too much. I blew out all the candles, and then I relit them. I was about to blow them out again when I heard you coming up the stairs.”
Unable to resist for another minute, he leaned in to kiss her. “It’s not too much. It’s just right.”
Ella tugged on his jacket. “Take this off. Come get comfortable.”
Gavin did as directed and then followed her to the sofa. “You build a good fire.”
“We were trained at an early age.”
“That was one of the first things we learned how to do when we moved here.”
“You want a beer or some of your ice cream or anything?”
He shook his head. “There is one thing I want . . .”
“What’s that?” Her cheeks were flushed with color, her lips parted and her eyes bright with happiness. At least he hoped it was that. He wanted to make her happy.
Leaning in again, he kissed her. “More of this.”
Her arms came around him, drawing him closer to her.
Gavin went willingly, feeling like a starving man who’d finally found sustenance after a long, difficult journey. She was so soft and fragrant and responsive. He’d noticed that the first time he kissed her—the way she’d leaned into him, participating fully like now when her tongue rubbed up against his.
He flattened his hand over her belly and then tugged playfully on the tie to her robe. “What’s under here?”
Breathless from the kiss, Ella said, “Why don’t you untie it and find out?”
He glanced at her, seeming to gauge whether she was serious.
She was serious. Dead serious.
Gavin tugged at the silk tie, which gave easily. The robe fell open to reveal the matching silk nightgown she wore underneath. “Wow.”