Chapter 69

CHAPTER 69

SPENCER

I carried Marlow's suitcase to the car, a cold, biting wind whipping through me. She stepped out of the building and stopped, pulling her coat around her. "Brr," she said.

"No, shit," I muttered. "I officially miss summer."

"And we haven't even started with winter." She laughed.

I opened the passenger door and helped her inside my car. "It's a lot warmer in here," she said.

"It better be." I closed the door and jogged around to get into the driver's seat. She was right. The interior of the car was toasty. I shrugged out of my jacket and put it in the backseat. "Ready?"

"I am." She grinned. "I think."

"You're nervous about seeing Rhett?"

"Yes."

"It will be fine," I assured her. "You guys are brother and sister. I'm sure you've been through a lot more than this."

"I don't know," she sighed. "Rhett is pretty serious about holding on to his friends. He's staked his claim on you and doesn't want me messing with you."

"Do I get a say in this?" I joked.

"Apparently not."

"I'll talk to Rhett," I assured her. "I know the two of you guys need to discuss things too, but I want to reassure him you and I are in this for real. It's not a fling. I'm not Dakota. You married Dakota when you were pretty young. You didn't even know who you were at that age. You grew up and he didn't like the person you grew into. I got to know who you are now. Sure, you'll continue to grow and evolve, but you know who you are now, right?"

She nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I do know who I am now," she murmured. "And I like the person I've become."

"And that's what matters," I assured her, reaching over to take her hand. "I like who you've become too. I fell in love with the person you are. I hope I can be the person at your side. I want to be your cheerleader. I have no intention of trying to bully you into staying in the kitchen making me sandwiches all day."

She chuckled and squeezed my hand in return. "You always have a way of making me feel better."

"I'm your man. That's my job." I smiled at her, squeezing back before pulling my hand away to put it on the wheel.

"I am excited to go home," she said. "I loved being home at Christmas. It always feels so—I don't know—Hallmarky."

"Hallmarky?" I laughed. "What is that?"

"It's like cozy and warm, with twinkling lights and hot chocolate and everyone seems to be happy, you know?" she explained, a dreamy smile on her face. "Like being a kid with no worries beyond what you may or may not get under the tree."

"Ah, the magic of Christmas," I said, casting her a sidelong glance as I navigated through traffic. "I can't promise a Hallmark movie scenario, Marlow, but I'll do my best to make it a memorable one."

She laughed softly. "I don't think that will be difficult."

"You think Rhett is going to do something to make it uncomfortable?" I asked.

"He better not," she muttered. "He'll need those crutches again."

"I'm sure your parents will have something to say about his attitude. They're not going to let the two of you snap at each other. They will play mediator and force you guys to kiss and make up."

She groaned. "I hope so."

The ride was quiet for a while, both of us lost in our own thoughts. About halfway to Stone Ridge, it started to lightly snow.

"It's so beautiful!" Marlow exclaimed. "I love it! Now, it feels like Christmas."

The first snowfall of the year always had a certain magical quality to it. I glanced over at Marlow. She was smiling and had a look of wonderment on her face. She was beautiful, more beautiful than any winter wonderland could ever be.

"Are you okay driving in this?" she asked me, looking away from the window to gaze at me with those striking hazel eyes of hers.

"Yeah, I've driven through much worse," I said, keeping my eyes on the road. In fact, I had driven through blizzards before. Light snow like this was nothing. We had grown up in upstate New York. Snow was a part of life.

It was two weeks before Christmas and I was already trying to think about what I wanted to give her. This was the first Christmas I was going to have someone special in my life. I was looking forward to it.

We rolled through the streets of Stone Ridge. It filled me with a mix of nostalgia and anticipation. I wished I had a childhood to go home to but the Graylan family home was pretty close.

I pulled to a stop outside it and got our bags out of the car. The porch was wrapped in Christmas lights and garland. The family wreath hung on the door—the same one I'd knocked off the hook a dozen times every year when I left the house after a visit as a teen. Jodie would always holler after me not to slam her door. The memory made me chuckle.

Metal reindeer wrapped with lights stood in the front yard. Lights hung from the roof. More lights were wrapped around bushes and trees, and light-up candy canes lined the walkway. Lawn ornaments and inflatables were scattered throughout the snow-covered grass. A large nativity scene that was probably older than me was carefully arranged on the lawn as well.

"Are they in the neighborhood decorating battle?" I teased.

"Every year," she said with a shake of her head.

"I can't wait to see this at night." I laughed. "I have a feeling they are contenders."

"My dad's just a little competitive," she joked.

"Ready?" I asked Marlow, giving her a reassuring smile when I noticed her hesitation.

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's go."

We headed inside, where Shoop, sporting a pair of antlers, waddled over to greet us with a cold wet nose but warm cuddles.

"You're here!" Jodie exclaimed, giving us each a hug.

Rhett and Klaus came in from the garage carrying totes.

"Hey, guys," Klaus said. "You're here just in time."

It was the annual tree decorating. I had been a part of this tradition a few times when I was younger. They always welcomed me with open arms. I could smell something good coming from the kitchen. Christmas tunes were playing, shortbread cookies were out on a snowman platter, and the house smelled like cinnamon and pine.

Rhett, still in a boot but able to put weight on his foot now, nodded at me. "Hey," he said.

"Hey, man," I said, nodding.

"Open those totes," Jodie ordered Klaus. "Marlow, take your bags upstairs and then we'll get this tree decorated."

"Alright." Marlow complied cheerfully, taking her luggage from me. I watched as she climbed the wooden staircase.

Soon, we were all taking Jodie's orders decorating the tree. Rhett was hanging a hideous paper ornament he'd made as a kid. I couldn't resist cracking a joke at it. "Hey, Rhett, did a blindfolded preschooler help you make that?"

He glanced over at me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Shut up, Spencer. This is a masterpiece."

Jodie laughed. "It is, isn't it?" She winked at Rhett. "You were always so creative."

Rhett rolled his eyes. I watched as he looked over his shoulder at Marlow, who had just reappeared. She'd taken off her coat, showing off the pretty pink sweater she was wearing. Rhett's gaze softened when he saw her. I knew there was no way the two of them would be locked in a fight for the rest of their days. They had grown up close. Their bond was something I admired. At the end of the day, his doubts about our relationship stemmed from a place of caring.

Marlow joined us by the tree, her eyes lighting up in excitement. She carefully reached into one of the totes and pulled out an old, handmade ornament—a tiny wooden snowman with a chipped carrot nose and a red piece of yarn around its neck as a makeshift scarf.

"Remember this one?" she asked Rhett, holding out the ornament. Her eyes were full of fondness and warmth as she looked at it, the memories of their childhood Christmases coming back powerfully.

Rhett squinted at the ornament for a moment before his face broke into a wide grin. "Yeah, I do! You made that in second grade, didn't you?"

Marlow nodded, placing the tiny snowman onto one of the lower branches where it could be seen. "Yeah, I did."

I knew my mom had tossed all my school projects. I wished I had some of these memories, but again, I didn't have fond memories of my childhood. I continued to help with the decorating. Seeing the Graylan family's interactions made me yearn for those Christmas mornings I had only ever heard of but never experienced.

"Spencer, can you hang this on top, please?" Jodie handed me a golden star, its edges crumpled from years of use. I placed it atop the tree, the final touch to the masterpiece of lights and memories.

Marlow squeezed my hand. "It's beautiful," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

"I agree," I said.

Rhett looked at us, his eyes dropping to where we were holding hands.

"Can we talk?" I said to Rhett.

The room fell quiet. Rhett's smile faded as he nodded. "Sure."

We headed into the kitchen, where mulling spices simmered on the stove. The warm, cozy atmosphere contrasted with the tension I felt. As we stood in the kitchen surrounded by the good smells and the familiarity, I wondered what our home would be like during this time next year and the years to come. What sort of traditions would Marlow and I create? What memories would our children have?

I gave my head a shake, focusing on the present. I was getting just a little ahead of myself.

"Rhett, I need you to understand something," I began, my voice steady. "I'm in love with Marlow. This isn't a crush or a fling. It's the real deal. I know what I want, and I'm not going to screw it up."

Rhett crossed his arms, listening intently.

"I know how much Marlow adores you and looks up to you," I continued. "And I don't want to tarnish that. I need to make things right with you because you're important to her. And for the love of all that is good, never speak to Dakota again. He's a bully and a prick."

Rhett gave me a sheepish smile and held up his right hand, revealing split and bruised knuckles. "Funny story about that. I ran into him at the pool hall last week. He said the wrong thing about my baby sister. You don't have to worry about me bringing him around anymore, man. He's a pig."

I grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. "It's about time you caught on. The doctors are sure that accident didn't give you brain damage, right?"

"Piss off," he muttered, but there was no malice in his tone.

We both chuckled, the tension easing. It felt good to reconnect, to feel like things were starting to get back on track. We rejoined the family in the living room, where Marlow was arranging a nativity scene on the fireplace mantel and laughing with Jodie. Seeing her so happy filled me with a deep sense of contentment.

Jodie looked over at us, a knowing smile on her face. "Everything sorted, boys?"

Rhett and I exchanged a glance before nodding. "Yeah, Mom," Rhett said. "We're good."

As the afternoon wore on, Jodie and Marlow worked in the kitchen preparing trays to hand out to the neighbors. Rhett and I were recruited to help find burnt-out bulbs outside. It was the kind of day that reminded me of why I loved being part of this family.