each pick one. That way we’re each only buying one gift,” Romeo suggested.
Franki narrowed her eyes at him. “One gift? Does this mean you’re not giving me a present, cowboy?”
He winked and shrugged. “Eh, I figure you have me, and that’s the best gift anyone could have, so…Ouch! Crap on a cracker, woman! That stings.”
He rubbed at his arm where his girlfriend had just tugged a few arm hairs free and laughed as she did it.
“I happen to like that idea,” Lacy agreed. “With everything that’s happened around here, I haven’t had much time to tackle my shopping list. It would be great to whittle it down.”
“All in favor?” Romeo asked the bunch. When everyone agreed, he grinned. “Awesome. I’ll grab a notepad.”
It didn’t take him long to write out everyone’s names and put the tags in a bowl. He passed the bowl to Nolan first. Nolan was kicked back in a chair with Todd sleeping on his chest. “Why am I drawing first?”
“Because you’re the only one with empty hands at the moment,” Romeo answered. “Pick one but don’t read it out loud.”
Jeanette watched as Nolan took a slip of paper, read it, and then quickly slid it into his shirt pocket without reacting. She didn’t particularly like surprises, so not knowing who had her name was going to drive her nuts. When the bowl reached her, she pulled out a tag and nearly groaned out loud at the name written on it. She had to physically stop herself from looking in Marilyn’s direction and giving the secret away. She had no idea what to get the older woman.
Hawke let out a whoop when he opened his slip, but he kept his eyes down. Jeanette crossed her fingers that her name wasn’t on his list. She had no idea how she’d react to a gift from him. By the time they’d all selected names, Jeanette was finished with her strand of lights and she quietly passed it to Hawke.
Vin had come back with a drowsy Michael, who was currently smiling up at him adoringly. Jeanette felt a strange kick of desire for Vin with a baby, and she wondered why any man holding an infant seemed to attract her lately. Babies were the absolute last thing she had planned for her life.
“Do you remember the year we all chipped in and bought Sera her chair?” Drannon asked the group
Lauren responded to Drannon with a smile. “She was so excited she even told all the ladies at the PTA meeting the next week about it. I remember hearing her from the church kitchen.”
“Why were you in the church kitchen during a PTA meeting?” Jeanette asked innocently. The temperature in the room changed, and she cringed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
Lauren sighed. “No, its okay. Everyone else knows for the most part. My mom was an angry drunk, and when she went on a bender she’d forget to stock the house with food. Pastor Gillian and his wife Mary always welcomed me to the food in the church pantry if I needed it. Other times I’d stay at Crawley Creek so that I had something to eat, and someone…”
Her words drifted off, and it was clear that talking about her childhood impacted her deeply. Jeanette knew that each of the group had their own reasons for finding their way to Crawley Creek, but she hadn’t realized how deeply even the non-immediate family had been affected.
“Gillian? As in Luke and Mark Gillian?” Jeanette asked, changing the subject.
Hawke jerked his head around, and his eyes narrowed when they met hers. She heard Marilyn responding, explaining the connection between the Gillian brothers and Pastor Gillian and his wife, but she barely absorbed it. She was too caught up in the jealous fire burning in Hawke’s green eyes.
“I didn’t know Abe and Sera were godparents,” Franki interrupted, “Are Luke and Mark their only godsons?”
“Yes. Mary and Sera were very close, almost like sisters. I think if Sera would have adopted any of the boys here, Mary and David would have stepped up to be their godparents, too,” Marilyn
Franki narrowed her eyes at him. “One gift? Does this mean you’re not giving me a present, cowboy?”
He winked and shrugged. “Eh, I figure you have me, and that’s the best gift anyone could have, so…Ouch! Crap on a cracker, woman! That stings.”
He rubbed at his arm where his girlfriend had just tugged a few arm hairs free and laughed as she did it.
“I happen to like that idea,” Lacy agreed. “With everything that’s happened around here, I haven’t had much time to tackle my shopping list. It would be great to whittle it down.”
“All in favor?” Romeo asked the bunch. When everyone agreed, he grinned. “Awesome. I’ll grab a notepad.”
It didn’t take him long to write out everyone’s names and put the tags in a bowl. He passed the bowl to Nolan first. Nolan was kicked back in a chair with Todd sleeping on his chest. “Why am I drawing first?”
“Because you’re the only one with empty hands at the moment,” Romeo answered. “Pick one but don’t read it out loud.”
Jeanette watched as Nolan took a slip of paper, read it, and then quickly slid it into his shirt pocket without reacting. She didn’t particularly like surprises, so not knowing who had her name was going to drive her nuts. When the bowl reached her, she pulled out a tag and nearly groaned out loud at the name written on it. She had to physically stop herself from looking in Marilyn’s direction and giving the secret away. She had no idea what to get the older woman.
Hawke let out a whoop when he opened his slip, but he kept his eyes down. Jeanette crossed her fingers that her name wasn’t on his list. She had no idea how she’d react to a gift from him. By the time they’d all selected names, Jeanette was finished with her strand of lights and she quietly passed it to Hawke.
Vin had come back with a drowsy Michael, who was currently smiling up at him adoringly. Jeanette felt a strange kick of desire for Vin with a baby, and she wondered why any man holding an infant seemed to attract her lately. Babies were the absolute last thing she had planned for her life.
“Do you remember the year we all chipped in and bought Sera her chair?” Drannon asked the group
Lauren responded to Drannon with a smile. “She was so excited she even told all the ladies at the PTA meeting the next week about it. I remember hearing her from the church kitchen.”
“Why were you in the church kitchen during a PTA meeting?” Jeanette asked innocently. The temperature in the room changed, and she cringed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
Lauren sighed. “No, its okay. Everyone else knows for the most part. My mom was an angry drunk, and when she went on a bender she’d forget to stock the house with food. Pastor Gillian and his wife Mary always welcomed me to the food in the church pantry if I needed it. Other times I’d stay at Crawley Creek so that I had something to eat, and someone…”
Her words drifted off, and it was clear that talking about her childhood impacted her deeply. Jeanette knew that each of the group had their own reasons for finding their way to Crawley Creek, but she hadn’t realized how deeply even the non-immediate family had been affected.
“Gillian? As in Luke and Mark Gillian?” Jeanette asked, changing the subject.
Hawke jerked his head around, and his eyes narrowed when they met hers. She heard Marilyn responding, explaining the connection between the Gillian brothers and Pastor Gillian and his wife, but she barely absorbed it. She was too caught up in the jealous fire burning in Hawke’s green eyes.
“I didn’t know Abe and Sera were godparents,” Franki interrupted, “Are Luke and Mark their only godsons?”
“Yes. Mary and Sera were very close, almost like sisters. I think if Sera would have adopted any of the boys here, Mary and David would have stepped up to be their godparents, too,” Marilyn
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