Page 75 of All for Love

The properties around Wagner Estate were massive. Going for a walk around the neighborhood to check out Christmas lights was not going to be a quick affair. We would be walking off Christmas Eve dinner and then some if they wanted to look at more properties than just the neighbors.

“You’ll all spend the night,” Mom said, and this time, I stopped her.

“If it’s okay with you, I’ll just come back in the morning.”

“Nonsense.” Mom frowned before she flashed me another bright smile. “It’s Christmas morning, darling. You don’t want to wake up alone. This way, we’ll all be together when we wake up. I’ll have a guest room set up for you. You’ll be more than comfortable, I promise.”

My comfort was what I was worried about. I just didn’t want to spend the night down the hall from Kody without being able to hold him. It seemed like a recipe for disaster if we gave in and shared a bed—even if we didn’t do anything—and a form of torture if we didn’t give in.

Either way, it wouldn’t be fun. Or Christmassy.

“Brooke is going to come too,” Mom said. “She’ll be staying with Kaden, of course, but I’m sure you two girls will still find some time to bond. Maybe some hot cocoa by the fire. We’re very positive about the direction their relationship is moving in. She’s going to be part of the family soon enough. You’ll have a stepsister-in-law when that happens, and we need to make her feel welcome.”

I gulped. The last real conversation I’d had with Brooke had been when she’d warned me away from Kody. Of course, I had broken it off with him after, but now that it was back on, I didn’t want to have to deal with her judgment at the holidays.

In a lot of families, familial judgment and holidays went hand in hand, but it’d never been like that for me. I’d much rather just keep my distance, do what I had to do to get through it, and then head on home while they all played Happy Family together.

“Brooke might appreciate some time with just you guys,” I said, wondering if this approach would be enough to get me out of it. “If you’re right and she will become part of the family soon, I’m sure she’ll want to spend some time getting to know you and Mr. Wagner better. You guys are the parents, after all. I don’t mind getting out of the way to give her some time to bond with you.”

All of which was true. Regardless of everything she’d said to me that night, I still liked her. She and Kaden were good together and my mother was probably right. The next wedding in this family would be theirs, and Brooke deserved a chance to get to know them in a low-pressure environment.

Not around the Thanksgiving-dinner table or at a fancy Christmas party, but over cocoa in front of the fire in her pajamas with my mom. I knew the two of them had spent some time together before the wedding, and I knew they got along well.

Jealousy speared right through me at the thought that my mother was probably going to have another daughter in her life soon, but I could deal. I might not see Kaden and Kody as family at all, but she did, and Brooke, by extension, was going to be family too.

Mom scoffed and waved me off again. “Brooke has spent plenty of time with us. You don’t need to get out of the way, and you’re not going to talk me out of this. Stay the night with us, darling. It’d mean the world.”

I sighed, but Mom didn’t wait for me to answer before she changed the subject. Clearly, as far as she was concerned, Christmas had been dealt with. “Brooke and Kaden make such a lovely couple, don’t you think? I just wish Kody would be more like his brother.”

My heart constricted. “What?”

She shrugged. “It’s true. I realize that just because they’re identical in appearance doesn’t mean their personalities have to be identical as well, and in fact, I celebrate them for their differences, but Kody needs to grow up.”

I frowned deeply, wondering where the hell this was coming from. “What happened?”

Mom sighed and gave her head a little shake. “There’s some tension between Kody and his dad again right now. I just hope the boy comes to his senses before the holidays so they can sort it out.”

I opened my mouth to defend him, but her lips pursed as she gave me a sad smile. “He’s ruined enough things for his father. The least he can do is behave over Christmas.”

Defensiveness rose like a living being inside of me. My eyebrows drew together and my heart hammered against my ribs. “Kody’s just misunderstood, Mom. Maybe it’s not all his fault. Maybe the pressure his father is always putting on him is what has made him so rough around the edges. Have you ever considered that?”

My mom blinked as she paid our bill. “Since when do you care about Kody at all? I thought the two of you couldn’t stand each other.”

Fuck. Fuckity fuck. I need to get out of here. Now. “Let me pay my share. You don’t have to keep paying for our food every time we have a meal together.”

“Oh, please. We had some fries and a cocktail each. I can get this one.” She frowned as she searched my eyes, clearly having noticed that I’d tried to change the topic.

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll get the next one though, okay?” I flashed her a fake smile, pushed my chair back, and walked around the table to hug her goodbye. “I’m sorry to rush out like this, but I just remembered I set an automatic systems update and all this talk about the Wagners made me remember the update itself isn’t quite ready yet. I’d better fix it before I crash the whole system.”

It was an excuse, and I had a feeling my mother knew it, but I walked away anyway, not willing to give her any answers about when I’d started caring about Kody. Or about how much I cared about him these days.

Some things were better left unsaid, and all this was definitely part of that category.

I couldn’t tell her, and since I also didn’t want to lie to her face, it was better just to make up an excuse and walk away.