Gone Country (33 page)

Gavin bailed off the stool and checked the pan. The potato pieces on the bottom had built a dark crust, but it wasn’t ruined, thank God, because he’d never hear the end of it.

Sierra wandered in and wrinkled her nose. “Dad, are you burning supper?”

“No.”

Her gaze moved between him and Rielle. “So what’s going on?”

“Ree and I were just discussing the Arizona trip.”

“You’re not yelling at each other so I assume everything is worked out?”

“Yes. Rielle is coming with us.”

Sierra grinned. “That’s awesome. Two whole weeks in the desert?”

He shook his head. “Just one week. You’ll fly back the following week. No way to get around you missing a couple of days of school.”

“Darn.” She paused. “Wait. You’re letting me fly back from Phoenix by myself?”

“It’s a direct flight.”

She pumped her fist. “Now I can put that fake ID to good use and get snockered on the plane.”

Rielle laughed. “Snockered? Since when do teens use that term for being drunk?”

“Since my dad doesn’t like the term
shitfaced
.”

“What word would he prefer?” Rielle asked.

“Illegal underage drinking,” he and Sierra finished simultaneously.

Sierra snagged the barstool next to Rielle and sifted through the pile of catalogues. “Cool. Are you choosing things for your Christmas wish list?”

“I don’t have a Christmas wish list.”

Sierra gasped dramatically. “Seriously? Why not?”

Rielle shrugged. “It’s only been Rory and me, except for when my parents were alive but they didn’t celebrate Christmas, so there’s been no need for a list. I knew what Rory wanted and I was happy with whatever she gave me.”

“Well, it’s different now, because we’re here. I’m giving you a gift so I’ll need ideas. And I know Dad will buy you something, so you’d better give him some guidelines or you’ll find a new pickup or something in the driveway on Christmas morning.”

Rielle aimed a laser-sharp gaze at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Gavin leaned across the counter and flashed his teeth at her. “Try me.”

When her eyes widened he knew she’d remembered their earlier conversation.

Oh, Little Miss I-Make-My-Own-Way wanted to argue. She’d point out that Christmas wasn’t about the presents,
blah blah blah
. Bull crap. This was the only time of year he could buy her anything he wanted and she’d have no choice but to suck it up and accept it with a smile.

“Stop smirking at me, Gavin Daniels. I’ll make a damn list. But you get to pick
one
thing from it, understand?”

“Of course. Sierra, sweetheart, why don’t you show Rielle how to make a wish list, since you’re an expert.”

“You know it.”

As he watched Rielle and Sierra laughing together, oohing and aahing over the catalogues Sierra had dragged over, he had a sense of rightness that he was exactly where he needed to be.

Gavin finally understood why Christmas was referred to as the holiday season—parties, school and family events started at Thanksgiving and stretched through Christmas. Living in Arizona, with the temperatures in the seventies, wreaths, holiday decorations and twinkling lights hung from cacti, Santa sporting a pair of board shorts and fake Christmas trees, he’d never felt that holiday spirit for a day, let alone for an entire month.

But in Wyoming, things were a lot different. First of all, every household in the McKay family had some type of holiday get together at their place. He didn’t feel like he’d missed out on longstanding family traditions when Quinn told him that most of these family holiday gatherings had just started in the last few years.

So far he and Sierra had spent time with every one of his cousins and their wives and children. Cider and cookies at Cord and AJ’s, which was also a celebration of the birth of their daughter, Avery. All six of Cam and Domini’s kids put on a holiday play at their house, followed by a feast of Ukrainian treats, most of which were eaten by their rowdy brood.

Since Carter and Macie lived out of town, they combined forces with Carolyn and Carson at their place for a cookie decorating party. Kade and Skylar opted to hold their shindig at the Sky Blue plant, along with Kane and Ginger, and Colt and India. While the adults gorged on appetizers, Keely spearheaded a Christmas ornament craft session for the kids. She’d enlisted Sierra’s help, and Gavin was delighted to see his daughter having fun with glitter, glue and pinecones and the ten billion McKay offspring.

Brandt and Jessie, Tell and Georgia and Dalton hosted a Rocky Mountain oyster feed at the fire pit in Brandt and Jessie’s backyard. At Colby and Channing’s place, Colby hitched up the team of Morgans to a hay wagon. Carson, Cal and Charlie loaded up the kids for a redneck sleigh ride across snow covered pastures. Gavin wondered if Sierra would think it was lame and refuse to go, since she was the oldest kid by several years, but she’d surprised him once again. In fact, Charlie had told him that Sierra was the one who’d started the Christmas carol sing-along and handed out hot chocolate.

Vi and Charlie assisted Quinn and Libby with their annual fruitcake throwing contest. Which was such a weird tradition Gavin had to ask Ben about it. Evidently the first year Quinn and Libby had Adam, Libby had tried out a new fruitcake recipe that was so bad Quinn wouldn’t eat it. They had a big fight and in a rare fit of anger, Libby had thrown the fruitcake at her husband. He’d taunted her, saying she had terrible aim, so she challenged him to see how far he could throw the dense fruitcake. The story spread through the McKay family and the following year everyone brought fruitcake and joined in the contest.

Ben and Ainsley had an adults only cocktail party. No one was surprised that Keely volunteered her babysitting services for all the McKay offspring that night. But everyone
was
shocked when Jack announced her pregnancy.

As much fun as Gavin had at the festivities the past few weeks, getting to know his family a little better, something was missing.

Rielle.

He’d invited her to the first McKay family event since everyone in the gossipy McKay family knew they were in a relationship. But Rielle had demurred. Her reasons were sound; she’d be an intrusion in Gavin and Sierra’s family time. It made sense, but he still missed her.

Sometimes he felt theirs was a relationship borne out of their odd living arrangement. Rielle kept that dividing line in place, doing her own thing. She’d decorated her part of the house by herself. He and Sierra put up an enormous Christmas tree and added decorations from years past, plus new ones they’d found at the community bazaar.

But other times, when he and Rielle were alone, there was no her space or his space, just their space.

“Dad, come taste this,” Sierra yelled from the kitchen.

Vi had come over to make candy with Sierra. His relationship with Vi had returned to how it’d been before their fight. But now Vi cleared every purchase and activity with him before she mentioned it to Sierra, which wasn’t a snarky way to poke at him, but it gave Vi an excuse to call him up and chat whenever she wanted. Strange that he didn’t mind.

Upon entering the kitchen, he saw globs of brown on wax paper, a pan of peanut brittle and chocolate balls topped with fancy red and green icing. “What am I trying?”

“Gram’s caramels. They’re the best thing ever.” Sierra held a square up to his lips. “Try it.”

He opened his mouth. Buttery vanilla goodness melted on his tongue. “Okay. Wow. Those
are
incredible.” He shook his finger at Vi. “And you’re taking them all home because I will sit down in front of the game and eat the entire batch.”

“I’ll save some for Christmas dinner.” She wiped a section of the counter. “You’re still planning on coming over?”

“Of course. I wish you’d let us bring something.”

Vi looked him in the eye. “Having you both there with us and the rest of our family is more than enough.”

Our family. She didn’t push, but she clearly stated, at every opportunity, that they were family.

“You haven’t said what you and Sierra are doing on Christmas Eve.”

“We haven’t decided. Although I’ll bet Little Miss will try and convince me to open presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas morning.”

Vi frowned. “You don’t have a tradition?”

“No. Sierra’s been with her mom the last five Christmases. She spends part of Christmas Eve with me. Then I drop her off at Ellen’s that night.”

“Dad, we’re doing the same thing we always do. Drinking eggnog, cooking a batch of chili and watching
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
.” Sierra grinned. “Then maybe we’ll open up a present or ten.”

“Don’t you have plans with Rielle and Rory?” Vi asked.

Gavin shook his head.

She paused. “I’m sorry. I find that strange.”

Me too.

“Speaking of Rielle…let’s get this mess cleaned up so she won’t have a fit that we destroyed her kitchen,” Vi said.

That rubbed Gavin the wrong way. “Maybe it seems like Rielle’s kitchen, but I do own this house. So technically it’s
my
kitchen.”

Silence.

“Well, I’m glad you cleared that up,” Rory said walking past him, overloaded with grocery bags.

Shit. “Here, let me help you.”

“I’ve got it. Just let me know when I can come back into
your
kitchen and put everything away,” she retorted.

“Rory. That’s uncalled for,” Rielle said behind him. Then she too walked past with bags, and she too refused his help. “And Gavin is right. This is his place.” She smiled at Vi and Sierra. “But I do appreciate having a clean spot to work in.”

“We were just finishing up,” Vi said.

“No rush. I’ll put the stuff in the refrigerator. Rory and I planned to have a glass of wine first anyway.”

Then they were gone.

Sierra mumbled, “Merry freakin’ Christmas,” and started to load the dishwasher, humming Christmas tunes.

Gavin leaned against the counter where Vi was dividing all the goodies into Christmas tins. “Like I said, Gavin, I find this situation strange.”

“Yeah, well, it is what it is.”

“You
are
in a serious relationship with Rielle?”

He nodded. Yes, they were taking things slow. Normally he’d be fine with that; after all, they had their own lives and interests. But Gavin had almost an obsessive need to define what was growing between them.

The hit and miss nights they spent in each other’s beds caused some annoyance, even when he understood she had to be up at the crack of dawn three mornings a week.

Rielle got along well with Sierra. She didn’t comment on his parenting practices and she never inserted herself into the time he spent with his daughter. Most men would consider it an ideal relationship: smoking hot sex whenever he wanted, a woman who made no demands of a commitment, and her complete disinterest in the fact he had money. But he wanted more.

“This is what she wants,” he said softly.

Vi’s eyes took on a defiant gleam. “What about what
you
want?”

Such a…defensive and motherly thing to say. “It’s complicated. Rielle and I…we’ve both done our own thing. It’s been her and Rory for so long neither of them knows any other way to be. It’s sort of the same for Sierra and me.”

“But you’re adapting. You’ve embraced all the McKay craziness more than I ever thought you would.”

She rubbed his arm in such a loving manner, he nearly hugged her. He missed the easy rapport he’d had with his mother. Her sweetness and generosity. Vi was nothing like her…and yet she was.

“What are you thinking about that’s put such a melancholy look in your eyes?” Vi asked.

Gavin hedged. “How much I’m looking forward to having Christmas dinner with the crazy McKays.”

That answer pleased her. “We’ll eat around two. And open presents afterward.”

His smile froze. “Presents?”

“A little untraditional, I know, but Quinn and Libby want to spend Christmas morning with their children. Chase and Ava are staying in Kane’s trailer, and for the life of me I can’t figure that one out. Ben and Ainsley are feeding cattle so Quinn can be home with his family. So we open our gifts to each other late.”

He was so screwed. He’d bought a gift for Vi and Charlie, but no one else.

After he carried Vi’s boxes out to the car, he returned to the kitchen just as Sierra started the dishwasher.

She looked up at him and smirked. “So, you forgot to buy presents for your brothers, huh?”

“Dammit. I didn’t know there was a mandatory present thing.”

“Dad. It’s Christmas. Presents are always part of that. Which means you also need to buy gifts for their wives. Oh, and their kids.” She flat out laughed at his panicked expression. “Don’t worry. I’m a shopping expert, remember? We’ll get you loaded up in no time.”

“Do you have all of your shopping done?”

“Of course.”

How? He hardly ever let her drive anywhere—even after she’d passed her driver’s test two weeks ago. “I’ll get my coat. And if we can really get this done in one night, I’ll even let you drive.”