“Hey Charlie, how’s my favorite girl? You excited for Christmas?” She blabs on and on about all the things she wants Santa to bring and all her plans for us during my visit. Her big brother, Maverick, wanders down the hall, eyes fixed on the tablet in his hands, tapping like mad against the screen.
My free hand snags it from his grip. “Hey! I was in the middle of a fight.” Mav looks up to see who’s interrupted his very important battle. “You’re in trouble. Dad’s looking for you.” His I-know-something-you-don’t-know grin makes me miss him even more.
“Hush. Where’s he at, anyway?” The garage door closing answers my question. I set Charlie on her feet, patting her butt to send her on her way with Mav.
“Hey, big brother. What’s this I hear about me being in trouble?” I joke as Damion walks into the kitchen, but the scowl on his face tells me he isn’t in the mood.
“You want to tell me why I had to hear from Robert that you brought some guy home for Christmas?” he asks, closing in to give me a big welcome home hug. “And that the guy is your boyfriend who not even Natalie has heard about. What the hell, Clara?” His look of concern forms a pit in my stomach.
“I didn’t think it would be a big deal. We always have more than enough food. He can stay with me in my room. Plus, he didn’t have anywhere else to go. I couldn’t leave him on campus alone for the holidays.”
“Over my dead body will he be staying in your room with you in my house.”
“Damion, I’m twenty-one. When are you going to stop fathering me and just act like an older brother?” I puff out a frustrated sigh.
“Oh boy, not this conversation again.” Natalie’s sweet singsongy voice enters the room, cutting the tension. She pulls me in for a hug. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do missy, but I can’t wait to hear about it.” She pulls back, giving me a wink.
“Damion, it’s fine. Clara can bring home whomever she wants. This is her house too, or have you forgotten?” she gently chides her husband.
“They’re not sharing a room. That’s where I draw the line. He can stay on the pull-out in the office.” He gives us both a pointed look and I know this is the battle’s best outcome. I nod my agreement.
“So, where is he? I want to meet him.” Natalie dances around the kitchen putting the groceries away. She flips on the speaker in the corner, Michael Bublé croonsIt’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,I smile.
“His name is Preston, and he’s sleeping in my room.” Damion narrows his gaze in my direction. “Chill, big brother, we had to leave campus super early this morning to outrun the storm and he drove the entire way.” Glancing out the kitchen window, I take a beat, watching the big white flakes fall peacefully before coating the ground. It’s beautiful.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Loud footfalls clomp down the stairs, pulling me back from my winter reverie. I hear Natalie audibly gasp at the sight of Preston in all his hulking glory stepping into the room. Way to play it cool sis, I laugh to myself. “I thought you ditched me when I woke up alone. But then there was a tiny human sitting on the bed staring at me, and she kind of looks like you.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. That would be my daughter Charlie, Clara’s niece. I don’t know how she got up there all by herself.” Natalie starts to rush out of the kitchen to check, but Preston stops her. “I brought her down with me. Plopped her in front of the TV in the other room with a little boy.”
“Thank you. I’m Natalie, Clara’s sister-in-law. This is my husband, Damion, Clara’s older, overbearing brother. This is your official warning.” Preston grins at her joke. He holds his hand out for Damion to shake; I’m relieved to see him take it.
“So, Preston, how do you know Clara?” The inquisition has officially begun.
“We met through tutoring. She’s helping prep me to pass Classic Literature. English classes really aren’t my strong suit.”
“She could do that in her sleep. She’s had her nose in a book most of her life.”
Preston cracks a smile and looks at me. That stupid nickname at the tip of his tongue, I’m sure. “We should really get unpacked and settled in.” Interlocking our fingers, I pull him back the way he just came.
“Clara, office,” Damion calls after us as we speed back up the stairs. “Yeah, I heard you the first time.” I huff back.
“They’re young,” Preston says. It’s the first thing most people comment on. Especially when they see them with the kids.
“Yeah, only four years older than me.” I was going to say us, but I realized I don’t actually know how old he is. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-two, I just had my birthday in October. I’m a junior, but you probably already knew that from my file.” Preston winks at me.
“Yeah, that I knew. You know if we’re going to pull this off we really need to get our story straight,” I tell him.
“What do you mean? You think they’re going to ask a bunch of questions about our relationship?” The air quotes were really an unnecessary additive on his part.
“Oh, I know for a fact they’re going to ask us every single question they can think of. Especially Natalie. We’re extremely close and it’s suspect that I didn’t tell her I was dating, let alone ever even mention you. She’s a big sister and mom wrapped up in one.”
I sit down at the small desk in the corner and fish a notebook from the bottom drawer. Preston falls face-first across my bed. It looks so small with his huge body sprawled across it. Even more ridiculous with the pink lacy comforter bunched up around him.
“Okay, let’s start easy. When did we start dating?”
“How about October fifteenth? It’s also my birthday, so you won’t forget that either.” I jot down his suggestion. Since I don’t care, the fifteenth it is.