A Seagrove Christmas (South Carolina Sunsets #6) - Rachel Hanna Page 0,27

be arriving any time now, and the house was going to be brimming with people talking, Christmas music playing and busy little hands making the cookies.

When her daughters had been young, this was one of her favorite memories. She hoped it would go off without a hitch and would become a new tradition for Dylan. He definitely needed traditions in his life. Traditions gave him roots.

“When is everybody going to be here?” Dylan asked, feverish with anticipation.

“Should be anytime now. I hope you have exercised your fingers and you’re ready to decorate hundreds of cookies,” she said, fixing the hair on top of his head.

“I’m ready!” he said, running off into the living room. He spent most of his time sitting beside the Christmas tree, trying to keep himself from shaking the presents that Julie had already placed under it. Most of his things hadn’t been wrapped yet and were hidden up in the attic, but he didn’t need to know that.

Dawson, trying to be sly, had her put pennies in several of the gifts just so that when he shook them, he had no idea what was inside. It was a cruel little trick that Dawson said they had done in his family for years.

“Anybody home?” Janine said as she came through the front door with William following behind her. Shortly after, Colleen and Tucker walked into the kitchen.

“Where do you want us to put these cookies?” Colleen asked.

“On the counter, please.”

Over the next few minutes, everybody arrived, stacks of cookies in all different colored plastic containers lined the kitchen counters. Dawson put out all the different colored sprinkles, chocolate chips, and everything else he had bought for decorations.

Janine had bought pre-made sugar cookies from the grocery store, probably knowing her limits as a cook. She was the only person Julie thought could burn water.

Colleen had made different cookie shapes, including candy canes and gingerbread men. They looked a little brown around the edges, but Julie wasn’t about to tell her that.

When Dixie arrived, she had an arm full of fruit cakes, and Carrie was carrying a bowl of sugar cookies she had made. Harry wasn’t there, opting to stay out of the frenzy.

Julie noticed her mother standing off to the side, not saying much. That wasn’t normal for SuAnn, and she wondered where Nick was. She had assumed that he would come.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You just seem a little… down.”

SuAnn shrugged her shoulders. “Probably just tired. I’ve been pretty busy at the bakery.”

“Where’s Nick? I thought he was coming?”

“We had lunch earlier. We decided that it was best for him to run a few errands instead of coming today.” She wasn’t making eye contact, which was a sure sign that something was going on. Julie decided not to pick at that string since the cookie party was in full swing and she definitely didn’t want to create any drama.

“Hey, do you mind helping Dylan wash his hands? Sometimes when I ask him to do that, he just quickly runs them under the water with no soap. I don’t want him making cookies for the firefighters with dirty little hands.”

SuAnn nodded her head. “Of course. I’ll take him upstairs.”

She watched as her mother went and corralled Dylan, ushering him toward the stairs. She definitely looked upset, almost sad. Julie wondered if something had happened between her and Nick, and maybe he’d already left town. She hoped not. Their high school love story was something that made Julie smile, and she wanted her mother to have a new chance at love.

“You alright?” Dawson asked, walking up behind her and squeezing her shoulders.

“Yes, but I think something’s going on with my mother and Nick, but I can’t worry about it right now.”

He turned her around, putting his hands on both of her cheeks. “This day is for you and Dylan. This is your chance to make a new memory with your son, so don’t worry about your mother right now. Her love life can wait.”

“I know you’re right. I just always want everybody to have a perfect Christmas.”

“I only care about my wife and son having a perfect Christmas. Everybody else is just going to have to figure it out for themselves,” Dawson said, smiling at her and then kissing her forehead.

“Break it up,” Meg said as she walked into the kitchen with Vivi on her hip. “Nobody wants to see that public display of affection.”

Dawson laughed. “Well, you’re not going to like this then.” He dipped