Page 55 of Loving Trent (Love in the Bootheel #5)

Thirty-Four

HARLEY

This Christmas has been the best ever. Even if I did wake up to the sounds of my dads going at it like rabbits.

I wasn’t the only one awake to witness that, but Nana just smiled at me and brushed my hair out of my face.

When Jaxx and Megan—my birth parents—sent me away, I was sure that I would never have a family again.

Not that I genuinely had one before. But then Trent found me and introduced me to my new family.

We are at Nana’s, and I’m nervous about giving the two men, who gave me more love in the last three months than Jaxx’s did my whole life, their last present.

Everyone has opened their presents already. The younger kids are playing with their new toys while the adults clean up the mess. I look down at the pile of presents beside me and wonder how a girl like me got so lucky.

Uncle Parker and Aunt Emilee gave me a complete series of a book that I found on Kindle Unlimited a week ago.

Dad growled that they better not be romance books when I opened them.

Aunt Emilee just rolled her eyes and told him to get over the fact that I was growing up and that, as he knew, sex was very healthy.

The look in her eyes made me think that maybe she heard them as well.

Uncle Levi and Aunt Tiffani bought me a record player and a few vinyl records. Uncle Levi also made me a shelf to put them on.

Uncle Adam and Aunt Carly gifted me two pairs of jeans, four tops, and the sickest pair of Chuck Taylor Converse I’ve ever seen.

I saw all of these when I went shopping with Aunt Carly two weeks ago, but didn’t want Dad and Daddio to spend that much money on clothes.

I knew they wouldn’t blink an eye at the charge to the card they have given me, but I would.

Aunt Sammy and Uncle Zak gave me a couple of certificates. One is to go get my nails and hair done at a local place. There is one for a makeup appointment, where the instructor teaches you all about makeup. The last one is for a day trip to a spa, where all of us girls are going.

Grandpa Sonny’s present confused me. When I opened the little box, it was a ticket to the Winter formal, but the school had to cancel it because of the snow.

He explained that he had contacted all my friends and invited them to a new Winter formal next weekend.

He rented out a place in town and is having it professionally decorated just for us.

I might have gotten excited and texted everyone I knew, inviting them to come along as well.

He just laughed and told me I could invite the whole school if I wanted to.

I got a beautiful necklace and bracelet set from Aunt Jenna and Uncle Leon that I’m terrified of wearing because the stones look very real.

Nana not only gave me Christmas PJs that matched everyone else’s, but she also bought me an easel, canvases, and all the art supplies I need to draw my heart out.

Aunt Betty, Aunt April, Uncle Joey, and Uncle Ryan all gave me money.

Dad and Daddio didn’t disappoint either, and I was so overwhelmed by the time I got to their presents that everything made me tear up.

They bought me clothes, sketch books, a nice leather jacket, new headphones, a mini-fridge, skin care, concert tickets to my favorite band ever, but the biggest present was a new car.

A car that Dad, Uncle Parker, and Uncle Zak worked on building from the ground up.

The same car that happens to be my dream car.

One day, there was a car show in town, and when Dad and I drove by, I saw a 1965 Corvette and fell in love.

I told him I would love to own one and spent weeks learning all about them, but I never thought I’d get one.

But Dad is amazing, and he found one that needed a lot of work that night and bought it for me.

“You ready for this?” Uncle Leon leans over and asks, interrupting my thoughts.

There is a lump in my throat and a tightening in my chest, but I’m not backing down. Standing up, I clear my throat, and everyone stops talking and looks at me. “I have one more gift I’d like to give before we eat… If that’s okay?”

“The floor is yours, sweetie,” Nana says. I look at her, and she winks because she knows what I’m about to do. Of course, I needed validation that she was okay with it. She cried while she held me and told me how much she loved me. Just like she did with Daddio on Thanksgiving.

I take a deep breath and turn toward the only men I want to be my parents. “This is for you two,” I say, holding out the envelope.

Daddio takes it and looks at me with so much love that all my nerves fly away.

I don’t know why I’m scared that they won’t want this because I know how much they love me.

They not only tell me, but they show me every single day.

Daddio slowly opens the big envelope and pulls the stacks of paper from inside.

When Raven came up with this idea, I knew it would be a stretch to get it done quickly, but I needed it to happen.

I owe everything to Uncle Leon, Grandpa Sonny, and Demon.

Daddio gasps, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as tears fill his eyes. Dad chokes on air and starts to cough. The papers fall to the floor as they both rush to stand. Daddio gets to me first and throws his arms around me. “Is this real?” Dad asks as he hugs us both.

“Yes,” I manage to say through tears.

“What is going on?” Dylan asks someone.

“I have no idea,” Uncle Zak answers her.

Daddio pulls back and cups my face. “You want us to adopt you?”

Shocked gasps fill the air from everyone besides the three who knew about this.

“I really do,” I say. “I know you have guardianship over me, but I want to carry your last name.” I look over Daddio’s shoulders at Dad and say, “Both of your last names. I was thinking, Harley Jean Foster-Anderson sounded perfect.”

“Perfect,” Dad says as a tear slides down his face.

“So that’s a yes?” I ask, needing to hear them say it.

“Of course it’s a yes. You’re ours, Harley. We love you so much,” Daddio says, pulling me into him.

We are quickly surrounded by the whole family, who congratulate us and tell us how much they love us.

“Best Christmas ever,” Dad says, and we all agree.