Page 34 of Havoc's Fox

“Promise.”

“Because it’s my Christmas present, you know. That you’re here,” Bam persisted.

“I know, Dad. I’m not leaving this afternoon.”

“Okay.” He hesitated, then added. “Have some wine or something.”

“I’m having bourbon. On the rocks,” Analise said.

“I just don’t want you to get sick again.”

“I wasn’t sick, Daddy. I was hungover. And I’m not going to do that again. I have no reason to be upset this time. If I cared enough to be upset, then we’d have a problem. But I don’t. So, there isn’t a problem.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Bam finally conceded.

“And that would be why they want you to distract me,” Havoc said, pulling his attention from the bedroom down the hall to himself. All eyes in the living room turned toward him.

“You make her drink?” Addie asked.

“Apparently. A long time ago, but it’s not a problem anymore because she no longer cares,” Havoc said conversationally. He got up and went into the kitchen. He reached for one of the bottles of bourbon to pour himself a drink.

“Can I have something to drink, too, Daddy?” Harley asked, skipping toward him from the living room.

He looked at her happily coming toward him, set the bottle back where it was and scooped her up. “Let’s go get you some of the punch on the table in there,” he said.

“Okay.”

“I got her. Come over here, baby girl,” Maverik said, already ladling some of the sherbet punch into a cup for her.

Havoc put Harley down in the living room so she could go get her punch from Maverik.

In Analise’s bedroom, her phone rang, causing Havoc to turn his attention toward the hallway none of them could see down.

“Hi, Beau,” her voice said, softening when she spoke into the phone. “Oh, well, Merry Christmas to you, too. Tell them all I said, hello and miss them, too.”

“Who’s Beau?” Maverik asked, handing Harley her cup.

“Her boyfriend, I think,” Janie said.

“Who’s that?” they heard Bam ask.

“Will you just go back in the living room?” Everly asked impatiently.

“Her boyfriend,” Emmalyn said.

“You have a boyfriend?” Bam asked. “Who is he? What does he do?”

“Mom!” Analise exclaimed once more.

“Leave her alone and be glad she’s moved on from all the pain,” Everly snapped, shoving Bam through the door and into the hallway.

A soft snarl escaped Havoc.

Addie looked at him with her brows raised in question, which let him know that others heard it. He cut it off quickly.