Page 24 of Whisk Me Away
"As long as nothing pulls me away, I'll be there," I reassured him.
I spent the next few hours wandering the streets, talking with the town folks, and counting the minutes until I could head home and crash into bed. As much as I loved Christmas Eve, it was exhausting, and by the time the night was coming to a close, I was over it. Thankfully, the rest of the night went off without a hitch, which allowed me to get to bed at a decent hour.
Maybe I would finally be on time to Gram's house on Christmas morning.
Pushing my way through Gram’s front door, I took in the savory smells of ham baking mixed with the hint of sweet, crisp apple pie. Gram’s famous apple crumble pie was one of my favorite parts of Christmas lunch. She had been making the same meal for years, and I didn’t think any of us would ever dream of asking her to switch it up. Gram knew how to cook and whatever she made was always a crowd favorite.
We laugh every year when her chili wins the cook-off at our annual Summer Soirée. The whole town knows she’s the best cook around, and I’m just glad she’s my Gram, so I get her cooking every week.
“Merry Christmas,” I called as I stalked into the living room to find my entire family enjoying the breakfast spread while lounging on the couches. I grab a double chocolate muffin before flopping on the sofa beside Brooks.
“Is that you, Brant?” Gram called from the kitchen.
I peered around the room, taking in the smirking faces staring back at me. Thanks to the water heater in my house going out, I was ten minutes late. I fiddled with it as long as possible before giving up and rushing through a very cold shower.
“Yeah, it’s me, Gram!” I hollered back.
“You’re late! Again,” Gram scolded from the kitchen.
Brock snickered, and my dad coughed, hoping to cover his laugh. I shot them both daggers before answering Gram.
“Sorry Gram! My hot water heater went out, and I didn’t love the idea of a cold shower,” I replied, my tone dripping with honey. I knew how to work Gram when I needed to.
“You could have showered here,” her voice was significantly closer and quieter, alerting me she was standing behind the couch.
I turned my head to the side and flashed her my best smile, “I’ll remember that for next time, Gram. Thanks.”
Gram bent down and pinched my cheek between her thumb and first finger before patting both my cheeks with her hands.
We spent the next few hours talking and laughing. We ate lunch and I helped Gram clean everything up before dropping a kiss on her cheek. I moved to Mom and placed a kiss on her cheek as well.
“You headed to the station?” Mom asked, pulling me in for a hug.
“Yeah,” I gave her a nod before turning to hug Dad.
“You be careful. I can bring you a dinner plate later if you’d like,” Mom was always worried about taking care of us boys. To me, that was a sign of a good mom, and I was beyond thankful for her.
“Thanks, Mom, I’d appreciate that!” I gave her a smile, heading to the door. “Have a good rest of the day, guys. Love y’all.”
I walked out of the house and climbed into my SUV. The drive to the station was quick and uneventful. I hoped I wouldn’t need to call any of my guys in today. I wanted them to be able to enjoy their time off with their families. I didn’t mind coming in each year and spending my holiday here. I spent a few hours with my family in the morning, and being here was better than sitting at home alone.
For the first time in a very long time, I actually longed for someone to spend the holidays with. That realization shocked me to my core. If I was being honest, there was someone specific I wanted to spend these holidays with. No matter how much I told myself to, I couldn’t seem to ignore a certain breathtaking blonde.
As if my thoughts conjured her, I watched her push through the station doors, looking from left to right. She probably wondered where everyone was. This was the only day of the year that the station was empty. I stood from the comfy leather chair behind my desk and leaned into the door frame of my office.
“Can I help you, Peach?”
Her head snapped in my direction. I watched as the pink hue danced up her neck and settled on her cheeks. The way she blushed reminded me of a peach, both in color and sweetness.
“Uh, hi. I, um, figured you’d be working today and wanted to bring you something,” she fiddled with the hem of her shirt with her freehand. “Oh! And merry Christmas!”
The shy way her eyes dart everywhere but my face pulled me in. I pushed off the door frame and stalked toward her. At my movement, her eyes popped up to mine. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, worrying it like she was nervous about what my reaction would be.
I stopped before her, close enough to smell the hints of vanilla that always seemed to cling to her.
“Whatcha got there?” I asked without taking my eyes off hers.
“Um… I tried a new recipe this week and still haven’t decided whether to add it to the rotation. I thought maybe…I could get your opinion?” She said quietly with a shrug of her shoulders.