The one I would protect with my life for no other reason than she was made to be mine.
The one I’d fallen in love with before she had even known my name.
If I hadn’t had to get Walter’s fucking gifts off the front lawn and bag them so the lab could dust them for prints, I would have carried her upstairs and showed her how much it meant to me that she gave me that kind of trust.
I didn’t have that kind of time though. We had a boatload of presents left to wrap and a little girl who was dreaming about Christmas morning upstairs.
But what I did have was forever with her.
Whether she knew it now or not, she would soon enough.
I dipped my head low and brushed my lips across hers as I arrogantly said, “I’m always right, Clare. You should probably get used to that.”
She swayed away and gave me the side-eye. “Except for when you’re playing Wheel of Fortune.”
I groaned and slid a hand down to pinch her ass. “Oh, come on. Let it go already.”
She giggled and pressed up on her toes to kiss the base of my neck. “Sorry, but I’m never letting that go. You guessed ‘Winter Woman’ on a superhero puzzle. It’s just sad.”
I had to laugh. It was because it was becoming abundantly clear that my Wheel of Fortune abilities were definitely lacking. “Okay, enough out of you, Vanna White. Let’s finish this Santa gig up so we can actually get some sleep before Tessa wakes up.”
“Maggie, this is Clare. Clare, Maggie.”
Clare removed her arm from around my waist and extended it toward my baby sister.
Maggie looked up at me and grumbled, “This is so not fair.”
I grinned. I’d threatened her with all-out retaliation of the law if she embarrassed me when she came over for Christmas. Just to make sure my point was made, she’d started her Christmas morning with a parking ticket on the windshield of her car.
She clasped Clare’s hand and said, “It’s really nice to meet you, but you have to understand it’s against my religion not to give Heath hell. It’s well deserved though. He shut down my senior prom for over an hour because he thought my dress was too skimpy. My entire prom. He told the principal that drugs had been found on the premises. And refused to give the all clear until I put a sweater on.”
I smiled. That wasn’t even the worst thing I’d done to her. But that was what she got for switching dresses after she’d left the house. My dad was worthless when it came to parenting, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have someone to look after her.
“I didn’t break your date’s legs when I caught him feeling you up in the driveway,” I said. “Consider that my apology.”
“He was kissing me goodnight…on the freaking cheek! That’s hardly feeling me up. And he was pulled over and detained by a state trooper on his way home.”
I beamed with pride at the memory. “Yeah, I had to call in some serious favors for that one.”
Her voice took on that crazy monkey squeal that sent dogs into a tailspin as she shrieked, “He refused to speak to me again!”
I smiled wider. “He was touching you, Mags.”
She growled, clenching her teeth as she turned to Clare. “Heath has a collection of Pokémon cards in the top of his closet at home.”
Clare burst out into laughter.
Son of a bitch. I had known bringing her here was a bad idea, but the rest of the family went to Melanie’s in Augusta for the holiday. And God knows why, but for whatever reason, the two of them weren’t speaking. I was sure it had to do with borrowed lip gloss or something equally as trivial that my sisters found to bicker about. It wasn’t like I could leave Maggie alone at home.
“I collected them when I was a kid!” I defended.
Maggie leaned toward Clare and whispered, “He was in high school.”
I glared at her. “Are you done?”
She batted her eyelashes and smirked. “For now.”
“Well,” Clare started, barely able to speak around her laughter. “It’s very nice to meet you, Maggie. And, if you happen to think of anything else you think I should know about your brother, I’d be thrilled to listen.”
I turned my glower on Clare. “Don’t encourage her.”
Her lips curled up at the corners in a patronizing smile. “Why not? I love getting to know you better. Besides, I find it incredibly sexy that you know which card could beat a Pikachu.”
I cocked my head. “That’s the only Pokémon you know, isn’t it?”
“That’s the only Pokémon seventy-five percent of the population knows. And that percentage goes up to ninety-nine if you only count people who’ve actually gotten laid.” She lowered her voice and teased, “Honey, I didn’t realize I took your virginity.”
“Oh my God! I love her!” Maggie exclaimed, pulling Clare into a hug.
Funny thing—I did, too.
But I kept that to myself and pretended to be annoyed.
I stared up at the ceiling, muttering, “God help me.”