I stiffen, bracing myself for a fight with my brother. His words piss me off, making my heart rate spike. “Dad isn’t going near her.”
“No. Probably not.” He shrugs, and his nonchalant attitude has me taking a deep breath because he’s done this before. The whole acting like nothing is wrong, but really, he’s pointing out everything that is. “Until he comes here himself with his little group of buddies and threatens your family in there.”
I still, my mind slowly processing his words and realize what he’s saying.
For weeks, I’ve been able to just go along with everything. The pure joy of being with Felicity again, of thinking about being a dad, kept me busy enough, occupied enough, that I never really thought about anything other than what was happening right then in the moment.
But the way he phrases it…Your family in there.
He was fucking right. And it pisses me off.
However, I need to put my pride aside. I need to get a handle on the situation before Felicity has to be involved.
Fuck. I want her nowhere near my old man. He is poison, and she is fresh mountain air.
“Fine.” I hear the door starting to open behind me, and turn, smiling at Felicity when she beams up at me.
She sees Mitch and rushes over to hug him, and I watch in astonishment as he happily returns her hug, almost…smiling at her. Haven’t seen that in a while.
I keep myself beside her, watching even more intently for threats surrounding us, and frown at my brother. When he’s done talking to Felicity, I nod at him.
We walk away, Felicity oblivious to the turmoil that is boiling inside of me, and that’s the way I want to keep it.
32
felicity
Nothing beats Christmas.
The snow on the ground, the carols playing on the record player in the corner, the laughter and conversation the family is having around me, the warm mug of cocoa in my hand. It is a magical day.
Jax and I had woken early this morning, like we were two little kids excited to open presents. We spent a couple of hours together this morning basking in the joy the day brought.
Last night, we attended the church’s Christmas Eve service, and there was something so peacefully majestic about it that I wanted to bottle the feeling up and take it with me wherever I went.
After our little breakfast this morning, after he showed me the beautiful handcrafted crib he special ordered from one of the locals in town—and after I cried big fat baby tears—we’d headed to my folks’ house where we celebrated with a nice lunch spread and gifts. Jax even got my parents gifts without telling me: my dad, a brand-new fishing pole and my mom, a gadget for herclassroom that told the times around the world that he thought she would love to have so she could impress her students.
It was safe to say that my parents put whatever reservations they had behind them and were fully embracing having Jax in our lives again.
That was the best present I could have hoped for.
Now, we are at the ranch enjoying warm beverages after a delicious dinner and watching the little kids opening presents.
Didi Cash, Jax’s mom, is holding an unopened gift on her lap, and her gaze keeps hitting mine before bouncing away, as if she is nervous.
Over Thanksgiving, she expressed her concerns over Jax being with me again, over me being pregnant with another person’s baby, and I had to hold in my emotions at the conversation.
When we were in high school, Didi was so kind to me. I kind of chalked up her worries to me having hurt even her feelings when I left Jax behind, to her being worried for her children. Something I’ve only had a half percent of a taste of.
Finally, after some of the chaos from the kids opening presents dies down, Didi makes her way across the living room to where Jax and I are sitting. I smile at her, and she gives me a tentative one back before handing me the gift.
“For me?” I ask in shock, taking the gift in one hand before handing my mug to Jax. He takes it and sits up, looking at the gift and to his mother.
“Yes,” she smiles prettily, and it hits me again how beautiful the woman is. She doesn’t seem to age. She just has this natural pretty glow about her. “I know last time I saw you, it wasn’t the most pleasant.”
I smile softly, feeling Jax tense beside me. I never told him about his mom’s conversation with me because I didn’t feel heneeded more things to worry about. “It’s all right. I get it, Mrs. Cash.”
Her eyes flutter, and she says, “Please. Call me Didi. You always have.”
