Just great. Jayce didn’t appear to be so fond of Chance either. At least not at Thanksgiving. Tomorrow he’d see Jocelyn’s twin again. Maybe time would ease some of the tension.
His grandmother was coming to his house in the morning to open gifts with Maverick.
He might have gone overboard with presents, but his son had so little. He wanted to have a Christmas morning he would have liked as a kid.
Cookies out for Santa. The tree lights on in the morning when Maverick woke and ran out to all the gifts that were there.
Next year he hoped to have a fireplace and chimney to help tell the story better. Santa coming into the house that way.
Maverick was too young to understand now and it was just as well.
“I only listen to my brothers to a point,” she said.
“We aren’t wrong,” Gabe said. “Good thing we like you. Even if we didn’t, you’ve been given the golden seal of approval.”
What the hell did that mean?
“Let’s get some food,” Jocelyn said, tugging him to another room.
“What is everyone talking about?” he asked.
“Nothing. They are just talking.”
But he didn’t believe it.
“What do you think of Chance?”Stacy asked Diane and Carolyn hours later.
Her daughter had come and gone and she’d purposely made sure she and Jim came after.
Too many people staring at Jocelyn would make it more awkward.
She knew her daughter was in love with Chance. She saw it. She also knew Jocelyn was afraid to say the words because she didn’t know if they’d be reciprocated.
“They look great together,” Diane said. “Not someone I would have picked for her, but I have to say, she was more open and outgoing around him than she’s been in the past.”
“I know. That’s the daughter I know and love. She’s not reserved around Chance when she has been around other men. He’s good for her.”
“I’m sure she is going to have some explaining to do. I found out that there were a lot of comments made about what we do,” Carolyn said.
“Jocelyn was fully aware that was going to happen. I think deep down she was hoping for a way to break the ice. Not that Grant and Garrett had anything to do with this, but they thought they’d make a good couple.”
“They called it before it happened,” Diane said. “I think that counts. He wanted Chance paired with Jocelyn.”
“It does count,” Stacy said. “And Jocelyn knows anything you guys set your sights on works out.”
“And she wanted to make sure we felt that way?” Carolyn asked. “Isn’t that the sweetest thing, Diane? It tells us how good we are at this.”
“Wehad nothing to do with this,” Diane said, laughing. “But it’s the same thing when the guys are involved.”
“Chance has a lot on his plate, but it’s working,” Stacy said. “She’s there for him when he needs it, and he’s there to prove to her she’s stronger than she ever thought she was.”
A parent couldn’t ask for more than that.
42
SAME PLAYING FIELD
“You’re jumping right into it, aren’t you?” Elise asked.
