Page 82 of Rise After Fall

“What?” Graham asks.

“We get to start decorating for Christmas!” she exclaims.

All of us men groan.

“Hey, don’t be grinches,” Ansley mumbles.

“Have you seen the size of this house? It’s gonna take us a week to do the outside of this one alone,” Weston claims.

“Yeah, and I have to get the resort Christmas-fied this year,” Langford says.

Isley’s eyebrows rise. “Don’t think that gets you out of anything,” she snaps.

He smiles at her. “Oh, I’m fully aware.”

“Fellas, we’ll get together for breakfast tomorrow and devise a game plan. We’ll tackle one house at a time and be finished by Sunday. Then, all of us can go together to pick out trees,” Graham suggests.

“Yes,” Taeli squeals.

I look over at Zoey’s mother, and she is frowning.

“Are you okay?”

“I just wish we were staying a bit longer. I’d love to help.”

“You should all come back for Christmas,” Leona bellows.

Zoey’s mother’s face lights up, but I watch as Zoey turns pale.

She doesn’t want them here.

“Can we, PJ?” her mother asks.

He smiles at his wife. “We’ll discuss it.”

“I think it’s a great idea, PJ. I, for one, could see spending the holidays here in Balsam Ridge,” Tobias states.

Zoey stands, takes her mug, and walks to the other side of the deck.

I follow her.

Zoey

“Hey, you okay?” Morris asks.

“Yeah, I’m great. Your family really is something else. So warm and welcoming. I appreciate you guys making Mom feel so included,” I tell him.

“But …”

I look up at him through my lashes. “But the last thing I want is them coming for Christmas. I’d like to enjoy the time at Misty Mountain and concentrate on the success of the resort and the school without feeling guilty for not being able to devote a hundred percent of my attention to the three of them,” I say.

“Maybe it’ll be just your parents. The two of them can hang out with Mom and Pop while we work,” he says.

I roll my eyes. “You heard Tobias. If they come, he’ll be with them.”

“Doesn’t he have his own family?” he asks.

“Not really. He has a sister, but she and her family live in Switzerland. So, he makes his students and their families his own. And he and my father have been best friends since I was little.”