Page 41 of Finding Home (Willow Valley #1)

FORTY-ONE

CHLOE

T he way Everett and Lila fit seamlessly into our Christmas traditions is everything.

Everett and I were able to convince Mrs. Simpson to join my family for the holiday instead of doing all that work when she’s still recovering.

She only agreed once we said she could come over early and help Mom with food.

I know Mom won’t let her do much, though, which eased my worry.

Mom picks up Mrs. Simpson on Christmas Eve, and they work on prepping some of the food for Christmas Day.

Everett, Lila, and I arrive for games before Mom insists on pictures in front of the tree.

We do individual family photos, Grayson and Hannah together, then Everett, Lila, and me, and then Mrs. Simpson joins us.

We get a picture of Mom, Dad, Grayson, and me before I set a timer on the camera and get one of all of us.

I swipe through all the pictures, my heart full as we have the whole family together for the first time in years, and so glad we have new additions.

Hannah drags us all outside to make a snowman, which turns into snow angels and then a snowball fight.

Lila, Hannah, and I team up against Everett and Grayson until they decide to chase us and we all end up in the snow laughing.

I sneak up on Grayson and shove snow down the back of his shirt before I tear my way to the house, barely making it inside to escape his payback.

Mom would kill him if he brought handfuls of snow inside.

I know I’m not in the clear, he’s home for a few more days before they head back to the city, but I stick my tongue out at him through the sliding glass door.

He narrows his eyes, and I know I’ll eventually be in for it.

We all sit down for a charcuterie-style dinner full of finger foods and snacks as a Christmas movie plays and we all curl up. Lila settles on my lap with a bowl of popcorn and M&M’s my mom made her.

Mom insisted on us spending the night, so we get Lila settled on an air mattress in the sun room and Mrs. Simpson in the spare room while Everett and I head to my childhood room.

I open the door, and Everett follows in behind me as I flop on the bed, completely exhausted from the day’s activities.

Between making snowmen and snow angels, playing games, and pictures, I’m completely worn out.

Everett’s silent, and I open an eye to see him staring at the walls and walking around the room. I push up on my elbows and continue to watch him.

“Having fun?” I ask.

He turns and looks at me, a smile pulling at his lips. “I’m enjoying getting insight into young Chloe.”

I look around my room, trying to see it from his point of view.

I have old movie posters from middle school I never took down even as I entered high school and university.

There’s an entire bookshelf full of stacks of my YA vampire romance books that I would stay up all night reading.

Pictures with my friends are all over the place.

Everett starts looking at the cork board above my old desk, moving some of the things pinned that are hiding others.

In the bottom corner, he moves a picture of Grayson and me at his high school graduation that I used to cover the ultrasound picture he had given me after they came home and told us Rebecca was pregnant.

I never had the heart to throw it out. I still can’t.

He silently covers the ultrasound with the picture before he moves over to bookshelf, pulling one of the books off the shelf and reading the back.

“Do you still read this stuff?” he asks, no judgment in his voice.

“I read more adult versions, but I mainly stick to romance.”

He nods and slips the book back on the shelf.

He moves to stand in front of me and offers me his hand, pulling me up before helping me out of my shirt and bra and then my leggings and panties before he helps me into one of his T-shirts that I’ve claimed as my new sleep shirt.

He told me to raid his closet if I wanted an oversize shirt, so I don’t feel bad about it.

I climb into the double bed I’m not sure is going to fit Everett and me very well, but he slips in behind me, pulling me close to his chest.

“I’m excited to watch Lila open her presents in the morning,” I say, and I feel him smile against my temple.

“I’m so glad we get to spend Christmas with you,” he says, kissing my temple. “When we moved to Willow Valley, I had no idea what our Christmas was going to look like, but this all surpasses anything I could have thought it could be.”

He pushes himself up and hovers over me as I roll back and look up at him. He tucks my hair behind my ear, and I see it in his eyes before the words leave his lips, and I’m already crying.

“I love you, Chloe Maxwell. It wasn’t planned, but I’m so fucking in love with you I’m not sure how I’d breath if I didn’t have you anymore.”

I smile through my tears as I whisper back, “I love you, Everett. I love you and your adorable little girl and the life we’re sharing.

When you walked into Incahoots all those months ago, I never thought we’d be right here, but it feels like fate.

Like no matter what, the universe would have found a way to bring us together. ”

His smile is bright as he kisses the tip of my nose.

“I feel the same way. It may have taken me time to realize it, but you, North, are my north star. My guiding light home. I never truly felt like anywhere felt like home until you. I wasn’t looking for a place, but a person, a feeling. I found that with you.”

I’m not slightly crying or pretty crying right now.

I’m chest heaving, ugly crying as I curl into Everett’s chest and he holds me, placing soft kisses where he can.

For a man who speaks mainly in grunts, at least to other people, and isn’t a big emotional person, he just reached into my chest and wrapped himself around my heart in a way that taking him out would remove part of myself.

Everett spends the night holding me and whispering soft “I love yous” and “I’m heres” as he kisses my hair and temple. I fall asleep in his arms an emotional wreck but knowing there’s no better gift I could have asked for than those words from Everett.