She rolls her eyes. “You can thank your boyfriend. He dropped it off to me at work this week and told me to wear it.”
At that moment, Brock comes back into the kitchen. “Hey, Aunt Caroline.”
She’s not his aunt by blood, but she might as well be. She hugs him. “Oh, poor kid. You too, huh? Ryker must really have it bad if he’s making all of us wear these.”
She pulls at Brock’s sweatshirt like it’s offended her in some way. Brock laughs. “At least I just have to wear it here this time. Last time, I had to wear one to the Christmas tree farm and?—”
Before he can complain any more, I point at him. “And you got a girl’s number wearing a Christmas sweater, so I think you’ll be okay.”
Caroline gasps. “Awwwww, you got a girl’s number? Who is it? Tell me all about her.”
Brock holds his hands up. “Forget it. I’m outta here. Let me know when dinner is ready.”
He walks out of the room, and I turn back to the stove. Everything is ready; I’m just waiting on Ryker to get back.
I hear him and his dad come through the front door, and because I’m ridiculous and I missed him the forty-five minutes he’s been gone, I walk out into the living room. Walter comes up to me, pointing at his Christmas sweater. “What do you think? My son got it for me.”
I literally have to hold back tears. “He did, did he? Well, Walter, you look amazing.”
I hug him, and when he releases me, Ryker comes up to me as he’s pulling his Christmas sweater down over his T-shirt. He envelops me in a huge hug and whispers to me, “I love you, Izzy.”
I let out a sigh of relief. I don’t know what I thought, but I was prepared for him to come to his senses and decide he was leaving and going back to Texas. I wouldn’t blame him if he did with the way I pushed him away.
I put a hand to his chest. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to carve the ham.”
He claps his hands together. “I’d love to.”
Ryker kisses me and walks into the kitchen. I look at the other three. “We’re eating in five minutes. Brock, can you show Walter to the dining room?”
“Sure thing. Come on, Mr. Kirby.”
“Walter, son. You can call me Walter.”
“Caroline, you wanna pour the wine?”
After I’ve given out jobs, I meet Ryker in the kitchen, and he’s already starting on the ham. I start making trips, putting things on the buffet table, and when Ryker brings in the ham, we all sit down.
After a prayer, everyone starts piling food on their plates. For a few minutes, all you can hear is the sound of forks scraping plates. Once everyone seems to get their bellies full, the talking starts.
“I wish Grandma was here,” Brock says.
I nod. “Me too. We’ll call her later.”
Caroline takes a bite of ham. “Is she still on that cruise?”
I laugh. “She is. She was worried about being away too long, but her friends wanted to extend their vacation, and I told her she should. She deserves it.”
Ryker looks at me, and I’m not sure what to make of the look. Sympathy, pride, I’m not sure.
He scoots back from the table. “Oh, I forgot something in the car. I’ll be right back.”
He is gone and back in an instant, and he’s carrying a small pie dish. He sets it down beside me and unwraps it.
I gasp. “Is that chocolate chess pie?”
He nods. “It’s Gladys’ chocolate chess pie. I ran into her at the liquor store. She wanted us to have it.”
I put my hand to my chest. “Oh, she’s so sweet. I had asked her if she wanted to join us, but she said she was going to her kids’ house.”
