Cuddling into all those soft, warm curves was my favorite way to wake up. I hadn’t been lying when I said I reached for her every night. She was as ingrained in me as surely as my DNA. I wasn’t sure how she’d sneaked in, but I knew no one could ever replace her.

  I closed the door softly, then hit the stairs running. I stopped in at the CTF and checked on inventory. It was barely mid-December and we had shot past our projections. I was fairly sure we’d be sold out of trees well before Christmas Eve.

  Jim and Mary were both in the barn when I arrived.

  “You’re out early.” Jim pulled a cap over his head. “I figured you’d be cozied up with Rachel on this cold morning.”

  I shook my head. “We’re that obvious, huh?”

  “Just a tad.” Mary peeked around him. “I think it’s wonderful.”

  Jim pulled her forward and slung an arm around her. “My wife is a romantic.”

  “You guys are the cutest.”

  I just hoped that we stayed “the cutest” after all was said and done.

  “I have to go back to the city early. I just wanted to check in before I left.”

  “Oh.” Jim shrugged. “We’ll be fine. The flow of customers is starting to slow a bit. Two of our guys had friends looking for holiday money, so we have some extra help.”

  “That’s great. I hate to leave you in the lurch.”

  “Nah. You aren’t usually here every weekend anyway.”

  “But we’re not usually this busy.”

  “True. Rachel’s got us all running. Is she coming in?”

  “I’m sure she will be. I just made sure she…ah, didn’t get up early.” I didn’t know why it was so awkward to talk about us as an us. Maybe because I knew I had to man up at home too. I cleared my throat. “Why don’t we go over inventory before I head out?”

  Jim dropped a kiss on Mary’s head. “Catch you later.”

  Luckily, Jim wasn’t as into romance as Mary was, so we were able to just go through our usual morning checklist. The current crop of trees was mostly down to household sizes. The big trees were already gone save for a few of the scragglier ones.

  Less than an hour later, I was back in my truck. I’d figured we would sell out by next weekend, but I wasn’t sure we’d even last that long. It was a good thing, but it also reminded me that my time in Turnbull was dwindling by the minute.

  Not only did I need to speak to my grandfather about the future of my family, but I would need to think about how I’d intertwine Rachel into my actual life. There was no way this was going to be a part-time relationship.

  I needed her far too much.

  A rude text from Ransom got me moving again. I parked my truck at the orchard and got Rachel’s Bronco back to my cabin for her. She could drive my truck, but it was just easier to get her back in her own vehicle.

  My sideview mirrors would appreciate it as well.

  When I rolled in, Ransom’s SUV was waiting for me. So much for a little goodbye time with Rachel. I sighed and trudged my way up the drive.

  The only problem with a private drive meant I was responsible for the plowing. Jim had told me he’d plow me out during his rounds this morning. I’d prefer that Rachel was safe out here while I was gone.

  God, I was in way deeper than I’d owned up to her.

  I opened the door to the smell of bacon. Ransom was manning the stove with Rachel perched on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. She was happily stabbing at something on her plate while she laughed at something he’d said.

  Was I in the twilight zone?

  She turned as I closed the door. “Hey. Nice of you to leave me a note.”

  I stomped my boots on the mat, then narrowly missed stomping on her rapidly growing kitten. “Sorry, Gary.”

  Gary was sprawled on the foyer floor, his tail twitching as he stared at me. Either I was going to get attacked at the laces, or he was going to pass out. I never knew which.

  I stepped over him without losing a limb. “Sorry. I was trying to let you sleep.”

  She speared a tomato on her plate. “Note.”

  “I was coming right back.” I walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder. “I got your truck.”

  “Forgiven.” She held up her fork to me, dangling a tomato glazed in some sort of sauce.

  I leaned in and took it from her fork, my eyebrows lifting. “Wow.”

  “I know. I didn’t know Ransom could cook.”

  I chewed and swallowed. “I didn’t either,” I said as I sat down.

  Ransom was manning the stove, a white towel tucked in his front pocket. “Well, you weren’t here, so I’m taking care of your girl.”

  “My… Did I miss something?”

  Ransom turned with a plate in hand. It contained the same tomatoes artfully arranged beside an egg white omelet stuffed with vegetables and cheese. He set down the plate in front of me. “Stop looking at me like that.”

  “When did you learn to cook?”

  “Not like you ever asked.” He went back to the stove and flipped something. “Eat.”

  I picked up a fork and cut into the eggs. They smelled amazing. Rachel was happily eating, so I did the same. “I don’t know what spices are in here, but this is delicious.” I dug in for more.

  Ransom glanced over his shoulder with a wordless smirk. He made himself a plate and came over to eat from the kitchen side of the counter. His plate had more tomatoes and a smaller omelet. “Rach tells me you spilled your guts.” He cut off a corner and popped it in his mouth.

  “Is that so?”

  Rachel shrugged.

  “Gotta say, didn’t think you’d man up.”

  “Thanks.” I ate some of the tomatoes. “You’ve been giving me shit for weeks.”

  “I’ve been giving you shit since we were eleven. Since when have you ever listened?”

  I hunched over my plate, but it was honestly too good to stop eating—even if I was pissed. Not at Ransom, but at myself for taking so damn long to get my head out of my ass.

  Rachel leaned into me. “Do you want to do it alone?”

  I turned to bury my nose in her neck. The fact that she’d offered loosened the tight muscles along my shoulders. I had to do this regardless of my status with Rachel after this. Knowing she wanted to believe in me was more important than winning the girl in the end. Even if it would kill me to let her go. “I need to.”

  She sighed and shifted back to her stool. “Then you go do what you need to, then we’ll…I don’t know.”

  I grinned at her. “You don’t know something?”

  “I don’t know a lot of things, pal. I’m going to the farm.” She hopped off her stool. “Thanks for bringing my Bronco back.”

  When she started to walk away, I snagged her hand and pulled her in for a lingering kiss. I might have to rein myself in when it came to taking her to bed, but I didn’t want her to forget what we were.

  What we could be.

  She hummed against my mouth before finally stepping back. Then she glanced over to Ransom. “Oh, shut up.”

  Ransom gave her his I’m-a-badass-soldier-and-can-kill-you-three-hundred-different-ways look.

  She couldn’t have cared less. Unimpressed, she rolled her eyes then grabbed her huge bag off the floor. “Thanks for breakfast, badass.”

  Ransom gave her a rare full grin. “See ya, Rach.”

  I watched her go, then turned to him. “What did you say to her?”

  “What?” He stabbed at a tomato. “Didn’t you tell her all the things last night?”

  “I don’t trust this goodwill breakfast.”

  “I thought I was the one who didn’t trust anyone?” He stacked our empty plates and put them in the dishwasher.

  “Where were you last night?”

  “Keeping tabs on me?” He tossed his towel over his shoulder.

  “Usually, that’s your job actually.”

  “I figured you’d be playing naked Twister with Rachel. I didn’t need to watch that.” He closed the dishwasher. “I helped cut some trees for today and headed to my place. I was done.”

  It definitely wasn’t out of the ordinary for Ransom to disappear. He wasn’t as much of a hardass about keeping tabs on me when I was in Turnbull.

  “Did you get us a flight plan?”

  Ransom returned to the sink to clean the pan. “Yeah, we’ve got a slot in an hour.”

  “Good. I want to get this done.”

  He set the pan in the drainer. “The real deal this time?” He leaned against the counter as he dried his hands. “Telling the old man and Helena?”

  “Yeah. In an easier world, I’d be happy with Helena.”

  “Fuck easy. Look at what it did to Mags and Reid.”

  My eyebrows shot up. Ransom rarely mentioned their names, never mind that time in our lives. “It’s not the same.”

  “Isn’t it though? I mean everything between them was easy. Perfectly lined up and ready for the front of Page Six. My parents, Reid’s parents—everyone loved how they fell into line.” His blue eyes fired. “Every day, my dad made sure to tell everyone how perfect they were and Mags was slowly dying inside. That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “I didn’t know all that.”

  “Yeah, well, it was more of a hindsight kind of thing. I knew it was too much, but Mags always made it look effortless. And now we can’t even find her.”

  I looked down at my hands. They were gripping the counter and I hadn’t even realized. “She still hasn’t checked in?”

  “I get a postcard here and there, so I know she’s alive. Last I heard, she was in Madrid.”

  “I’m sorry, man.”

  “It is what it is. I’ll tell you right now, don’t make the same mistake.”

  “There’s something between Helena and Reid.”

  “Did you ever wonder if she would be good for him?”

  I frowned. All this questioning my preconceived notions was giving me a headache. “Not really.”

  “We don’t know the full story—and we probably never will.” Ransom released a long breath. “Reid used to be a good man. He can be again, if he wants to.” He frowned. “If he has reason to.”

  “What did you put in those omelets, man?”

  Ransom threw the towel at me. “I’m looking out for you, just like I always do.”

  I tossed it on the counter. “I do appreciate it, even if I’m an asshole sometimes.”

  “We have fully entered chick flick territory. Can we get out of here now?”

  “God, yes.” I moved away from the counter and gave into impulse. Ransom could make fun of me later and I wouldn’t even argue. This needed to be said. “I appreciate you, you know. I always make it seem like you’re just annoying me, which you are, but I also realize you’ve been the one by my side through all my many mistakes. That matters.”

  Ransom braced his hands behind him on the sink. “I have been and I will be, even if you prance down the aisle with the cocoa princess.”

  Right now, any kind of aisle seemed in the distant future. “Sure will be, because if I’m prancing down that aisle, guess who will be at my side?”

  “Damn straight.” He walked to the doorway and spoke over his shoulder. “As if anyone else could put up with you.”

  I grinned and followed him out. Family came in all shapes and sizes, and I was grateful for all of mine, even the grumpy variety.

  Especially the grumpy variety.

  Chapter 28

  Clay

  The Tower

  The flight into the city was uneventful. The snow had cleared the night before, leaving clear skies and the kind of blinding sun that often follows a storm. It was a Sunday, but as usual, Winslow Industries was still bustling with people.

  There was no five day workday in the tech industry, especially on the gaming development floors. They worked hard and played even harder in that department. To be truthful, I often stopped by unannounced just to see what it was like to be so invested in a project.

  It had been a damn long time since I’d been involved with anything like that. And for the most part, I didn’t mind. Being the masthead for my company was something I’d been molded for since before I went to college. It was probably why I enjoyed the Christmas Tree Farm so much. The simplicity of the business allowed me to be very hands-on, where my actual company didn’t allow for a lot of that. There was a hierarchy that had been established a damn long time ago. And while I was the public face, my grandfather was the heart of the company.

  He didn’t care about much of the day-to-day goings-on. The legacy of our name was what he concerned himself with the most. With legacy came family and as far as he was concerned, I was falling down on the job. Notably, when it came to having a heir.

  And now I had to tell him not only was I not going to marry the affluent and perfect Helena Danbury, but I was also unsure of my future with the woman I actually loved.

  It was going to be a fun conversation.

  I’d tagged my grandfather for a meeting while I was in the air. He’d informed me he was in the tower.

  Lucas Winslow happily cultivated his eccentric persona. If he wanted a tower in the company he built, he got a tower. He mostly just liked to look over his version of a kingdom.

  I stopped into my office first. It was quiet and dark—almost empty for all I’d been there lately. Thanks to video conferencing, I didn’t actually have to be in the office most days.

  I tried not to let my mind go wild there. I could literally run my company from anywhere—including a small town in Central New York.

  “What took you so long?”

  I jumped at Ransom’s voice in the dark. “Lights on,” I snapped. Pot lights immediately came on at sixty percent brightness along the perimeter of my office. The smart home technology had been one of the additions I’d made when I’d taken over the company. I was still working on ways to make it functional for an office without creating any breaches in security.

  Ransom poked holes in most of my plans. The snarky ruiner of all things was also sitting on my couch like a creeper.

  “Why are you sitting in the dark?”

  “I came right up after I checked out the lobby. What the hell were you doing?”

  I shrugged. “Just checking a few of the departments.”

  “Feeling guilty?” He spread his arms along the back of the couch.

  “Hardly.”

  “Ahh. Procrastinating.”

  “No.” I sighed. “Maybe.”

  “Just go do it. The old man isn’t a shithead like my father. You’ll be fine.”

  I wasn’t too worried about telling him. I just hated to disappoint the man who was more like my father than my grandfather.

  “I’ll be back.”

  “Want me to hold your hand?” Ransom called out.

  I flipped him off as I headed back through the double doors of my office to the far elevator that went to the tower. I punched in my code and the doors opened. I stepped into the plush, over the top elevator.

  The scent of my mint and my grandfather’s spicy aftershave lingered in the air as I shot up to the tower office. As the door opened, a Christmas standard floated out to meet me. At least he was in a good mood.

  “Grandfather?”

  “Back here.”

  There wasn’t anywhere to hide in a large circular room, but I finally spotted him along the windows. He had a photo album out and a bourbon on the table. The sun was already setting, leaving fiery streaks behind his broad shoulders.

  “What’s with the trip down memory lane?” I asked as I made a drink for myself before sitting near him.

  “When you called me to meet, I had a feeling.” He tapped an empty page. “This would be the perfect spot for a wedding photo.”

  I sighed. “About that.”

  He looked up at me, his eyes dark like mine. His hair was gray now and he kept it military short, but we both had a bit of curl. He had far more smile lines and crinkles at his eyes than I did. Not so much because of age, but that he generally enjoyed life a lot more than I ever did.

  “I can’t marry Helena.”

  He sighed. “After the party a few weeks ago, I was so sure you were coming around.” He gave me a sad smile. “I even started calling in favors for a venue.”

  I reached over to him and gripped his arm. “I don’t love her.”

  “You could.”

  I sat back, the glass cupped in both my hands now. “Not like she deserves.”

  “So noble. I don’t know where you get it from. Certainly not your father.” He set the album aside now that the prop wasn’t going to work. He was a wily old man, but he didn’t beat a dead horse.

  “Father’s idea of nobility is deep in a library tome where he’s reading about it in the 1500s.”

  My grandfather just grunted. Before I could open my mouth again, he shook his head. “I do want you to further the Winslow name, Clay, but mostly, I don’t want you to be a lonely old man like me.”

  “You could have someone in your life in a fingersnap.”

  He rattled the ice in his glass. “No one could live up to my Bethany.”

  “She’s been gone for twenty years, Grandfather. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you moved on.”

  He took a sip. “I’m too old for that. But just promise me you won’t take forever. I want to enjoy my grandbabies before I’m in a nursing home.”

  “Like you’d be in a nursing home.”

  “Hook the old senile man up to a drip and leave me in a corner.”

  “Please.” I laughed. “Your sharper than most executives I know.”

  “That’s not saying much.” He pointed at me with his glass. “I appreciate that you aren’t going to stick me in a home.”

  “Nah. I’ll find you a hot caregiver.”

  He gave a belly laugh. “I appreciate that too.”

  My laughter slid away. “There’s a woman.”

  “What? And you didn’t tell me that first?” He put his glass down and turned toward me. “What’s her name? Does she come from a good family? When do I meet her?”

  “Whoa, whoa.” I shook my head. I worried about telling him Helena wasn’t my future, but I should have been more cautious about his exuberance for a future Winslow bride. “Things are still a little…” Hell, I wasn’t going to lie. “I love her, Grandpa.”