Page 100 of All for Love

KODY

Everyone was acting like nothing had happened, but for now, I was willing to let that go. Mercedes was obviously fragile, moving like a frightened deer as she walked to the bar cart to get a drink. Her voice had been too many octaves too high when she’d said Merry Christmas to everyone, but I didn’t blame her.

They weren’t being extremely welcoming today. No one got up to greet her, not even her own mother, and they went back to their murmured conversation immediately after.

The sofa I was on wasn’t part of their cluster, but I’d chosen it for precisely that reason. I was here in an attempt to make things right with the family, but that didn’t mean I’d signed up for judgment and pretense.

So for now, I was happy right here on my isolated sofa with a cocktail in my hand, but she wouldn’t be. Even though our fight was still fresh, I didn’t want Christmas to be totally ruined for her.

Everyone else? I couldn’t give a damn, but for Mercedes? Well, she deserved a hell of a lot better than a lackluster Christmas soiled by everybody’s narrow-minded opinions and inability to see love when it was right in front of them.

Fuck them for managing to ruin the best thing that has ever happened to me.

We were spared more awkward silence when the hired chef came out of the kitchen and announced that dinner was ready. He grinned at us and swept an arm out toward the dining room. “Please take your seats. We will be ready to begin service shortly.”

I shot up off the sofa and strode to the dining room without checking if anyone was following me. After nodding my thanks at the chef, I waited for Mercedes to catch up but didn’t say anything to her. I just motioned for her to precede me.

We took our assigned seats at opposite sides of the tables, and I snorted as I shook my head. Shit, it’s not like we’re going to start going at it right here on the table if they don’t keep us apart.

I didn’t mention it when the others finally followed us in, though. If Mercedes hadn’t been here, I might have said something, but since I didn’t want to ruin her day by starting an argument, I bit my tongue and took a healthy sip of my drink instead.

My dad was seated at the head of the table with Margaux next to him and Mercedes with her, leaving Kaden, Brooke, and me on my side of the table. Chairs scraped and ice tinkled in glasses while we all got settled in. Just when I thought that this was going to be the quietest, most awkward Christmas Eve dinner in the history of the world, my brother broke the silence.

“We’ve had some wonderful Christmases in this house,” he said to Brooke and Margaux, and then grudgingly looked at Mercedes as well. “When we were kids, we used to spend the entire Christmas Eve day building the biggest snowman we could.”

He cut a quick look at me. “Whose turn would it have been to place the carrot this year?”

I shrugged. “Probably yours.”

My voice lacked the enthusiasm of his, and I saw him fighting the urge to roll his eyes before he forced another smile. “That damn carrot was always an issue. We both wanted to put it on, so Mom made us take turns.”

A fond smile spread on Dad’s lips at the memory. “Eventually, I suggested they each build their own snowman so that it wouldn’t be an issue and they could both give their own creature a nose, but they refused. They said it wasn’t a competition and that they’d rather wait another whole year for their turn than to turn against each other at Christmas, which they would have because they’ve both got the competitive gene.”

It took everything I had not to ask my brother what had happened to that time. This year, he hadn’t given a single crap about turning against me at Christmas. If I’d known, how many extra carrots could I have placed in my life? I could’ve done it every damn year if I’d known we were going to end up here anyway.

I took another big gulp of my drink and sadly it was done. I’d barely had the thought before a server raced in to replace it and then came back out with the appetizers. Kaden continued to share his favorite Christmas memories as if reminiscing could bring back the time when we’d been that close, but he did it without looking at me again at all.

“We also always used to sneak out of bed and lie down flat on the landing to see if we could catch a glimpse of Santa. One year, we even set booby traps in the hopes that we’d catch him.”

“You tried to booby trap Santa?” Brooke said disbelievingly, a soft smile on her lips. She shook her head at my brother. “That’s terrible. What kind of children were you?”

“The determined kind,” I said sharply. “We wanted to see him and he kept evading us, so we took matters into our own hands.”

Kaden pretended not to hear the edge in my tone, choosing instead to keep going on and on about all the fun we’d had together as kids. “He’s right. None of the traps we set would’ve hurt him. We just wanted to know he was here.”

“Of course, I knew exactly what they’d done and their mother and I waited for them to fall asleep right there on the landing before we went and triggered them all. We were covered in colored powders and feathers by the time we were done, but it was worth it in the morning when they realized he’d really been here.”

“We were disappointed,” I said dryly. “Not excited. All that work, and we still didn’t get to see him.”

Kaden’s jaw ticked, but he breathed through the irritation and grinned at Dad. “I would’ve paid good money to see you covered in all that.”

While they spoke, we got started on the appetizers of baked Brie and asparagus in puff pastry and all sorts of other bite-sized deliciousness. I had to give it to the chef. I didn’t even want to be here, but I was glad I’d come for this.

As they were clearing the plates, Brooke cleared her throat and smiled at Margaux. “My mother will be joining us in the morning. Thank you so much for extending the invitation.”

My stepmother nodded stiffly. “Of course, dear. Christmas is a time for family. We wanted to include yours.”

The appetizers were replaced by the main course, and slowly but surely, as we made our way through the roast chicken, lamb, and sides, the people around me started thawing. Dad finally spoke on his own and Kaden got a break from keeping the conversational ball rolling.