Chapter Twenty-Four

Ethan held Skye’s arm as they made their way down the icy driveway to where he’d parked the Escalade. They were headed to Grace and Jack’s for a tree-trimming party. “Thanks,” Skye said when Ethan took the container of food from her hand. She glanced at the pile of snow where her car should have been. “Hey, you guys forgot to shovel me out.”

As soon as Gage and Maddie had arrived home this morning, the two men left to help out the snowed-in residents of Christmas. Skye and Maddie spent the day wrapping presents and cooking for the party.

“We thought it was safer if the egg didn’t hatch until spring.”

“Ha-ha, you’re hilarious.”

He grinned and opened the passenger’s-side door of the Escalade. Once she was settled inside, he handed her the plastic container and kissed her. “You don’t need a car. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

“That’s going to be a little difficult once you’re working,” she said, then cast him a nervous glance. “You are accepting your old job as ADA, aren’t you?” She’d been over the moon when Ethan told her about Jordan’s offer this morning. And not just because it meant he wasn’t going to run for political office again, though, admittedly, the thought had happily crossed her mind. No, she was thrilled that he’d be doing something he loved, something he was passionate about.

“I am. I’m meeting with him tomorrow morning to firm up the details. He said Sam’s e-mailing you a couple of places to look at. They’re downtown.”

After he’d informed Skye of his decision, they’d discussed living arrangements. They’d stay in Denver during the week and Christmas on the weekend. Which suited Skye just fine, until she realized Ethan meant for her to sell her new house on Sugar Plum Lane. He wanted to spend weekends at the ranch. She knew he loved his mother, but what she also knew, even if he wouldn’t admit it, was that the decision probably had more to do with Ethan’s guilt than love.

And that was something Skye didn’t like. For Ethan’s sake, she had to make him see how detrimental to his well-being it was to hold on to his mistaken belief that he’d killed his father.

Given his reaction last night, it wasn’t something to bring up now. So she took up the conversation where they’d left off. “I like my independence, Ethan, and despite what you think of my car, it’s safe.”

“Wait for us,” Lily yelled, as she and Annie ran down the front steps.

“I love those two, but I was hoping we’d have at least ten minutes on our own. Careful!” he called out as they started down the driveway. Then he said to Skye, “We’ll stay for an hour at the Flahertys’. Make an excuse to leave. Tell them you’re not feeling well.”

Skye had to admit that she felt the same as Ethan. They had a lot of lost time to make up for, and she was looking forward to being alone together. “If I say I’m sick, and Dr. McBride’s there, he’ll probably make me go to the hospital. Why don’t we just tell them the truth?”

“What… that I want to ravish my wife? That I want to get her in my bed and not let her out of it for the next week?”

“Geez, Uncle Eth, TMI,” Annie said, opening the back door.

Ethan’s face reddened, and he gave Skye a you-could’ve-warned-me look.

She’d been too busy staring into her husband’s beautiful eyes to notice anything but the way her body reacted to his heated promise. “I didn’t realize she was there,” Skye said, unable to keep the laughter from her voice. She couldn’t remember seeing the unflappable Ethan O’Connor blush before.

“It’s not funny,” he muttered, closing her door and helping Lily inside before rounding the SUV.

“Put the radio on, and we can sing carols,” Lily said, bouncing in the backseat.

“Someone wanna tell me how we got stuck with you two and not your parents?” he said, doing as Lily asked.

“Mommy has to feed Connor. And you better not be grumpy or Santa won’t give you your present tonight. It’s a really good one.”

“Lily.” Annie elbowed her sister.

“What? I’m not going to tell him.”

“Tell me what?” Ethan asked as he pulled onto the road.

He didn’t get his answer. The girls were too busy singing “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” along with the radio.

“I’m glad you think it’s so funny,” he said to Skye. “You know what they’re doing, don’t you? I’ll guarantee it’s not feeding the baby.”

“You’re just jealous,” she said, then joined in with the girls.

“Yeah, I am,” he agreed, then started singing, too.

As they turned onto Sugar Plum Lane, Lily leaned forward, pointing out the window. “Wow, look at the lights.” The residents on the street had gone all out. Every Victorian, except for Skye’s, was lit up with colorful Christmas lights.

“Did you call the Realtor?” Ethan asked, as they passed the yellow Victorian that only a few days ago Skye thought she’d be making her home.

“No, I’ve decided not to sell. I don’t want to hurt Betty Jean’s feelings.”

Ethan didn’t look happy with her answer. “I thought we’d settled this. I’m sure she’d understand.”

“We did, but it doesn’t mean I have to sell the house. I’ve been thinking we’d run Envirochicks out of it. If the street’s commercially zoned, we could have a storefront.”

“You’re going to be in Denver most of the time. Wouldn’t it be better to set up shop there?”

“No, Betty Jean and I already agreed on Christmas.”

“As long as you don’t think it’s going to be too much for you. I don’t want you running yourself ragged. You’re going to be busy once the baby comes, you know.”

“I know. But I have you to help out. It’s not like I’m raising the baby on my own, right?”

“Okay, you made your point, cupcake. We’ll work it out.” He pulled behind Nell’s truck in front of Jack and Grace’s purple Victorian. They’d decorated the house, trees, and shrubs all in white lights. Paper luminaries lit up the path to the front porch. “Girls, be careful. It’s slippery out there,” he warned Lily and Annie, as they got out of the SUV.

They ignored him, racing each other to the house. Ethan came around to Skye’s side and helped her out of the SUV. He took the container from her and set it on the seat.

“What are—” At the feel of his hot, greedy mouth on hers, she forgot what she was going to ask. She curled her fingers in his jacket, holding on when her knees went weak.

“Get a room,” a deep male voice said. Skye opened her eyes to see Sawyer Anderson laughing as he walked by with a stunning brunette on his arm.

Ethan rested his forehead against hers, his breath a rough rasp. “He’s right. We should just skip the party and go home.”

“We can’t. Grace has been planning the party for weeks.” Skye grabbed the container of sugar cookies. “Besides, we have all night to make up for lost time.”

“It’s going to take a lot more than one night,” he said, pressing the Lock button on his keys and taking her hand.

She looked up at him. The Christmas lights cast his face in an ethereal glow. There were times, like now, when she looked at him and couldn’t believe this amazing man was her husband. And how close she’d come to losing him. “Good thing we have forever then.”

* * *

An hour later, the party was in full swing. The Flahertys’ house was overflowing with friends and neighbors. In the living room, Skye looked up from where she sat, by the fire with Grace and Maddie, to see Ethan laughing with Gage, Sawyer, and Jack.

“Now that is some serious eye candy,” Maddie said, following her gaze. “I wonder if we could get them to pose for a Christmas calendar. It would sell like hotcakes.”

“Your brain never stops, does it?” Skye laughed, feeling happier than she had in weeks. It was good to be back in Christmas with her friends. Admittedly, her happiness probably had more to do with the man looking at her from across the room. She smiled at her husband who winked and mouthed Fifteen minutes.

“No way,” Maddie said, catching their exchange. “You can’t leave, not until Santa comes. And the kids are expecting you to read the Sugar Plum Cake Fairy story.”

“Sorry, I think I’m a little too big to fit in the costume.”

“Nell altered it,” Grace said with a smile. “But you can just wear the crown if you don’t feel like getting changed. I like your sweater, by the way.”

Skye wore cream corduroy leggings with a lilac sweater. “Thanks, Betty Jean had it made for me. It’s a new type of acrylic that we’re going to use in our sweaters. It looks like cashmere, doesn’t it?”

Maddie rubbed her arm. “Feels like it, too. I’m proud of you, you know. And I’m very glad you’re setting up shop in Christmas. Ethan will be, too. It’ll be great for the local economy.”

“I’m not sure how happy he is, since we’re going to be living in Denver.”

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Maddie patted Skye’s knee and stood up. “I think he might have a change of heart before the night is out.”

“What are you up to?” Skye asked.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.” She tugged Skye to her feet. “Come on, ladies. Let’s help the kids decorate the tree.”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Grace? We might make a mess of your tree,” Skye said.

“Don’t worry about it. With little Jack around, I have a feeling we’ll be redecorating it every other day or so.” Grace gestured to the adorable, dark-haired little boy who was the spitting image of his gorgeous father. Little Jack ran around the Christmas tree with two toddlers chasing after him.

Maddie and Skye organized the kids with Annie’s help, and Grace handed out ornaments with Lily. Once they began decorating the tree, Nell and her friends called out instructions. Skye was reaching up to put a gold ball on one of the upper branches when warm hands settled on either side of her waist. “Need some help, cupcake?”

“Keep doing that,” she said when he nuzzled her neck, “and I’m going to drop this ball.”

“Can’t have that,” he said, putting his hand over hers to hook the ball on the branch. He lowered his voice. “I figure ten more minutes, and we’re good to go.”

“More like half an hour. After we finish the tree, I have to read the Cake Fairy story to the kids. But don’t worry—I’ll read fast.”

Liz, who’d been showing baby Connor the Christmas tree lights, turned to her son. “You can’t leave.” Ethan’s mother had been doing her best to avoid Skye. She’d barely said ten words to her all night. Obviously, while Ethan had forgiven her, it was going to take Liz O’Connor some time to do the same.

“Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas,” Santa said as he arrived in the living room with a large red velvet sack slung over his shoulder. The kids jumped up and down, converging on the realistic-looking Santa. With his full belly and white beard, there was no way this was Gage.

“It’s Calder Dane,” Maddie whispered as if reading Skye’s thoughts. Rumor had it the older man and Nell McBride had a romantic history. Considering how Nell’s cheeks pinked when she glanced at Santa, Skye thought the rumors might well be true.

Jack pulled up a chair beside the tree, and Santa took a seat. The children gathered on the floor at his feet.

“Aw, they’re so cute,” Skye said, looking at the bright anticipation on their faces.

“You’re pretty cute, too. Wanna sit on my knee?” Ethan asked, drawing her onto the couch beneath the front bay window.

“Behave,” she said, nudging him with her elbow.

By the time Santa had given the last of the children a present, Skye was more than ready to leave. Ethan had been doing his best to drive her crazy with his subtle touches and caresses. “Cut it out,” she whispered. “We have an audience.” And they did. Everyone had turned to them with smiles on their faces.

“Ho ho ho,” Santa said, digging in the bottom of his sack. He pulled out a brightly wrapped present. “Ethan O’Connor, I hear you’ve been a very good boy this year. Get up here, son.”

Friends and neighbors clapped when Ethan got up from the couch and walked over to Santa. “I’m not sitting on your knee,” he said, looking somewhat bewildered. He opened the present and held up a key at the same time Nell and her friends unraveled a sign that said, “Mayor Ethan O’Connor for State Senate, 2018.”

Skye’s pulse quickened as her mind raced through the implications. Surely he’d put a stop to this. But one look at his expression as he took in the cheering crowd told her she was wrong.

“Ethan,” Maddie said, “the town council voted, and we want you take over as mayor.”

“You can’t say no, and we’re all backing you for another run at the state senate,” Nell McBride told him.

“Here.” His mother handed him a cell phone. “It’s Claudia. She and Richard are already working on your campaign, and Nell has started a fund-raising committee in town. This time, darling, nothing will get in the way of you winning.”

Nothing meaning me, Skye thought, a heavy weight bearing down on her chest. She wanted to tell them that he didn’t want this, that it wasn’t his dream but his father’s. To leave him alone and let him get on with his life.

Instead she got up from the couch. No one noticed as she retrieved her jacket from the overstuffed hall closet, shoved her feet into her boots, and left the house. They were too busy listening to Ethan on the phone, making plans for the next election.

Hands shoved in her pockets, head bowed, Skye didn’t know how long she’d been walking when a vehicle crunched in the snow beside her. She heard a window go down, then a familiar male voice said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

She stopped, turning to look at him. “Did you tell them that you didn’t want to be mayor, Ethan? That running for the state senate wasn’t your dream but your father’s? Because if you didn’t, I don’t think we have anything to talk about.” She started walking.

He cursed and a door slammed. Seconds later, he caught her by the arm and turned her to face him. “What did you want me to do?”

“Tell them the truth.”

“Are you sure this is about me and not about you?”

“Of course it’s about you. It’s always been about you, don’t you get that? You loved your job as ADA, and now you’re going to give up that opportunity to make everyone else happy. Again. You can’t keep doing this, Ethan. You have to tell them the truth.”

“You were there. You saw how excited they were, how much they wanted this.”

“They want it because they love you and they think it’s what you want. All you have to do is be honest with them. If you can’t…”

“If I can’t, what? Are you going to leave me again?”

“No, but if anyone asks me how I feel about it, I’m not going to lie. I’m going to tell them the truth.”

“It’s not your truth to tell, Skye. It’s mine.”

“You’re right, it is. And I hope you do tell them, Ethan, because take it from me, it’s not easy pretending to be someone you’re not. Just so you know, I won’t make that mistake again. If you take another run at the senate, I’ll support you, but it’ll be me, environmental animal rights activist Skylar Davis—not Kendall, and not another Claudia clone. So if you’re going to do this, you better be sure it’s me you want by your side.” She shook off his hand and headed for the SUV. “You’d probably have a better chance of winning if you have Claudia by your side.”

“She’s already offered her services—but you were there, you know that,” he said as he got in the Escalade.

“I meant as your wife, Ethan. And I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have to twist her arm.” She looked out the window at the Christmas lights. He didn’t respond, didn’t start the engine, and she glanced at him.

“How can you say that? You know much I love you, so how the hell can you even say something like that?”