I grinned. “Too soon?”
Brenna rolled her eyes. “Be serious.”
“I am.”
She paused again, mulling her words. “I know you don’t want her here, Nathan. I can rent a place.”
An anvil dropped on my chest at the thought of her not being here for the holiday. “You want to spend Christmas apart?”
“No,” Brenna replied hurriedly, turning to face me. “No, of course not. But I don’t want it to be uncomfortable for Molly.” She sighed, reaching to shut off the water. “Do we have to talk about this now?”
Brenna stood abruptly and left the room, punctuating that she didn’t want to talk about it.
But I couldn’t end this conversation with her thinking I was another problem in her life.
Molly had been a point of contention in our past, one we never discussed. Shame burned through me when I thought about how I’d behaved as a kid. I didn’t even know how to begin to apologize for it. I didn’t want to ruin today, but I couldn’t run from our past, shuffling the baggage between us even further from sight.
We had no chance if we kept doing that, and I needed us to have a fighting chance.
I trailed Brenna out of the bathroom. She’d already flopped on the bed, sprawled horizontally, arms flailed wide, hair around her head like a halo. She was so beautiful, this woman I’d loved for half my life. I wanted to devour her all over again.
“I want to have Christmas here, with youandMolly,” I announced.
Brenna pushed herself onto her elbows, lifting her head to meet my gaze, her eyes wide.
“We don’t have to talk about everything right now, but I need you to know I want to have this holiday here with you and your sister. You’ve seen how well I can plan. Let me do this.”
She gave a slight shake of her head. “I don’t want you to feel obligated—”
“Obligated?” The word came out with a choked laugh. “That’s what you think? Brenna, I’m fuckinggratefulto be with you. That you’re giving me a second chance.”
“But Nathan—”
“I’m the guy for you, Brenna Quinn,” I interrupted. “I want to be everything you need, and you need a partner who will make Molly a priority. Let me show you, all right?”
Her pink-stained face lifted, a slight smile forming.
“Besides,” I added, “not celebrating Christmas with you would be misery.”
One finger danced along her bottom lip. “So we’re doing Christmas here then?” she asked. “Our own little family?”
A stab of happiness pierced my chest.Our own little family.
“We’re doing this,” I confirmed.
Brenna’s smile stretched to a full-on grin. “I’m ready for pie and wine now.”
I flopped beside her in bed, gathering her to my body. “Is thatallthat you’re ready for?” She giggled as my lips trailed down her neck. I wanted to bottle that sound, the evidence of the joy I gave her.
“I’m never going to get my pie, am I?” she teased, already breathless from this little bit of contact.
“Eventually,” I said, then seized her mouth.
37
NATHAN
Seven years ago
