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Jesus, this family.

I rush over to him, and he stands up to accept the hug while I cry into his chest.

“Thank you. Thank you so, so much. How can I ever repay you?”

“You don’t have to,” Bobby soothes. “You’re family now, doll. I’ll do anything to help you, same as if you were mine.”

I’m still sobbing when Gavin joins our hug, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

“Thank you, Bobby,” he says, and his voice is thick with emotion. “Your speech was pretty damn awesome.”

All I can hear are Bobby’s words on repeat.

You’re family now, doll.

And that is the very best present of all.

When a phone starts ringing, I notice Savanna frowning at the interruption. Bobby glances at her and shrugs.

“That’s the ringtone for the concierge,” Savanna says. “Someone either must be here or they sent us a package.”

As far as I know, we aren’t expecting any other guests for the holidays. Savanna dashes to the kitchen to answer the phone, and I can make out her side of the conversation over the Christmas music.

“Hi, Derek… No, it’s okay, not your fault… Wait, he’shere? Um. Hold on, please.”

She returns to the room holding a cell phone and looking even more confused.

“Bobby?”

“Yeah, princess?”

The endearment makes me smile because I never thought the king of players had it in him to become such a tender, one-woman man.

“Bryce Church is here.”

“Here as in New Jersey?”

“Here as in the lobby.”

“Oh. Uh. Should I go down?” Bobby asks. “I had no idea he was coming. Sorry, everyone.”

“Let him come up,” Mr. Henderson says. “It’s the holidays. The more, the merrier. We have lots of food.”

“I agree. If he’s here instead of with his own family, there must be a reason. We always have space at our table,” Mrs. Henderson adds.

Bryce is a mega country star, but he also grew up with us. It was during his Super Bowl performance that Bobby proposed to Savanna in the most romantic moveever.

“He’s been having a rough time lately,” Bobby says. He glances at Gavin. “Maybe the three of us can go to my office for a drink and then join everyone else?”

Gavin nods and leans down to kiss me before following after Bobby.

“You can send him up,” Savanna says into the phone. “Thanks, Derek.”

Everyone carries on eating, and Savanna stares at each of us in turn.

“You know this istheBryce Church, right?” she asks. “Like… the guy who performs all over the world and has legions of fans?”

I shrug. “Yeah. He asked Victory out in high school, but she was all about Cade.”

“I changed his diapers,” Mrs. Henderson adds.

“He was never much good with a football,” Mr. Henderson notes. “Good thing he picked up a microphone.”

“Well, I’ll just fangirl by myself then,” Savanna replies, with a laugh.

I might not be mooning over Bryce’s jean-clad butt shaking on stage, but I am wondering what sent him to Bobby’s doorstep unannounced on Christmas Eve.