“Sit here with Nick. Savannah and I have this covered.”
John shakes his head. “Don’t even bother arguing with her. She won’t listen.”
The older woman beams. “I won’t.”
Savannah squeezes my thigh and stands, collecting our small stack of plates.
“Thank you,” I tell her.
She smiles. “Thank you for coming. Truly.”
“What do you do for Christmas?” Rosalie asks as she eyes John, who’s stacking the kids’ plates.
“I’m just going to carry them over for you,” he says with a laugh. “I promise I won’t wash them.”
“Just leave them in the sink. We’ll wash them after. I’ve got dessert ready.” She scurries over to the counter, and a moment later, she returns with a tray of cookies.
Once the dinner dishes have all been piled in the sink and on the counter, Savannah settles back beside me. I tug her chair closer and wrap an arm around her.
“So Christmas,” Rosalie prods again. “Do you spend it with your family?”
“No,” I admit. “My family is actually in Vegas.”
Nick perks up. “Oh, so is Savannah’s.”
I look over at her. “Really? I didn’t know you were from Vegas.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t really…” The words drop off, but I hear the message loud and clear: she doesn’t talk about it.
“Her mother is a piece of work and her father never wanted to be one,” Rosalie says like she’s talking about the weather.
Beside me, Savannah turns crimson.
I reach for her hand beneath the table and squeeze. “Then they’re the ones who are missing out.”
She offers me a soft smile as Rosalie says, “Of course they are. Our Savannah is wonderful. They don’t deserve her.”
Savannah shakes her head. “You’re just saying that because I’ll be here bright and early Christmas morning to cook with you.”
“Our best girl always is,” she says, her expression one of genuine affection. “Right, Nico? Wish our son had married someone as wonderful as her.”
“You love Junior’s wife,” Savannah shoots back, her smile more vibrant now.
Rosalie stands and collects the half-empty tray of cookies. “Yeah, I do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”
Savannah settles her head on my shoulder. “Love you too, Rosie,” she murmurs.
I smile down at her. She’s so pretty like this. So easy to like. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. It almost makes me forget what she said last night. Maybe War and Daniel were right. Maybe Idid bring that on. I told her what I wanted, and she thought she should give it to me. It’s sweet when I think about it like that. And the truth is, the idea of it, of a family with Savannah, doesn’t scare me.
“What about you, Camden?” Nick says.
I give my head a little shake, realizing I’ve been lost in my thoughts. “What about me?”
“What are you doing for Christmas?”
“I, uh, spend Christmas Eve at a friend’s place.”
In the middle of the kitchen, Rosalie turns around, tray in hand. “What about Christmas Day?”
