Only Her Smokejumper Firefighter - Cami Checketts Page 0,34

Christmas last even longer.”

“Oh. Okay.” He immediately accepted her explanation. “Ready?”

“Let me change quick.” She grabbed a long dress and ran into the bathroom, quickly washing her face, brushing her teeth, and changing. Fluffing her hair, she put on lip gloss but didn’t dare put on makeup and make the little guy wait too long. When she hurried back out, he was still in her doorway.

He held up his hand. “Let’s go, baby.”

Mavyn laughed and they descended the stairs together. The whole family, including Quill and Cora, were there. The only two missing were Ren and Chase. She wondered what had happened to Chase. Had Quill, and Cora met him yet?

She and Cora ran at each other. She grabbed her best friend in a fierce hug. “You’re here. I had no idea you were coming.”

Cora glanced sweetly back at Quill. “Aster’s pilot is so nice. He volunteered to come and picked us up late last night after he dropped Ren off. He missed Quill’s game, but I didn’t.” She winked and Mavyn could hardly wait for this happy story.

Mavyn had so many questions for Cora, but Dax had a present in hand and was looking at them impatiently. “Any time, girls, any time,” he said.

Everyone laughed.

“Sorry.” Mavyn tucked a curl out of her face. “I didn’t know you were all waiting.”

“We just got here,” Chelsea reassured her. “And you had a pretty rough day yesterday.”

She smiled her thanks. Chelsea didn’t know the whole of it, the lies she’d told to Ren and the anger stewing at Kris. She wished Ren was here, but she feared seeing him again, knowing she’d have to reveal the whole truth or run from him. Both sounded terrifying. Why had she volunteered to stay? She could be safe in San Francisco right now, not stressing how to keep up a façade with Ren’s family and then either reveal the depth of her depravity to Ren or run and hurt him even more. At this point, she was going to hurt him no matter what she did. She hated herself.

Cora hurried back to Quill’s side and Grams patted a spot next to her on the couch for Mavyn to sit. Mavyn felt detached as everyone opened presents. She wanted to stay in the present, but there were too many worries and frustrations stirring in her mind about her past and her future with Ren.

Grams gave her a beautiful scarf and Quill had Avalanche jerseys for her and Cora. Cora’s had his number, twenty-six, and Mavyn’s had Beckett Tanner’s seventy-four. Everyone laughed as Quill said, “What? I’ve got to make sure they’re fans.”

As the presents wound down, Mavyn was ready to go help the adults in the kitchen making breakfast, but Dax said, “Wait! There’s one more for Aunt Mave.”

Everyone smiled at him calling her aunt when most of them probably thought she and Ren had only just met.

Dax hurried to her with the present. It looked like maybe a book or a picture frame. He handed it over and then waited expectantly for her to unwrap it. Was this from Ren? Her heart beat faster wondering what it might be. It was embarrassing to open what might be a personal present in front of his family. She smiled at the little boy and tugged off the Christmas wrapping paper.

A card with her name was on top of a picture frame. She lifted the card off and sucked in a quick breath. “Oh, my, that’s exquisite.”

It was an eight-by-ten oil painting of the Savior. He had a slight smile on His lips and arms wide as if welcoming her home.

Grams had gone still by her side. Dax tilted his head over, looking at the picture upside down, and said, “Oh, that’s cool.” Then he walked away to play with his presents.

Cora and Quill came close and Mavyn lifted the picture so they could see. Quill looked at the picture, then looked at Grams. “One of Mom’s?”

Grams reached over and put her hand over Mavyn’s where it clutched the picture. “Lucy painted that,” she murmured.

“Ren’s mom?” Mavyn guessed, looking to Grams. The older lady’s blue eyes were wide and filled with wonder.

“Yes. She only painted three pictures. She took art classes for years and loved to paint, but she took so much time with each painting that we only have the three finished ones.” She pointed to a portrait of Mary, Martha, and the Savior hanging above her fireplace mantle. It was large, probably twenty by thirty, and