All She Wants for Christmas by Jaci Burton Page B

keep you from thinking you’re good enough to ask her to stay.”
    “It’s not the same thing at all this time, Mom.”
    “Isn’t it? You’re going to let her go without letting her know how you feel. To me it’s the same thing.”
    “I need to take her home.”
    His mother nodded, then stood and came over to him, wrapped his face in her hands. “I have faith in you, Ethan. I think it’s time you had faith in yourself and what you have to offer.”
    “I can’t compete with what she already has.”
    Her eyes twinkled as she smiled. “Can’t you?”
    She kissed his cheek and let him go.
    When he walked in to the living room, his heart turned over at the sight of Riley’s head lying on top of Zoey’s, both of them sound asleep.
    And then he thought about what his mother said.
    Riley was going to spend the holidays alone. She had no family. How many Thanksgivings and Christmases did she do that? What must that be like for her, to send her crew home to their families, then go home to an empty house for the holidays?
    Ethan had his mother, father, brothers, and he had Zoey. He was wrapped up in the warmth and love of family surrounding him, not just at the holidays, but every single day of his life.
    As he looked down at Riley and Zoey huddled together, he realized maybe there was something he had to offer.
    But would Riley even want that? Maybe she was content with the life she’d created for herself.
    He swept his daughter up and took her upstairs to the bedroom where she slept at his mom’s. They were going to have Christmas over here in the morning, so she’d spend the night here anyway. He tucked her in, kissed her forehead and swept her hair away from her face.
    “I love you, Zoey,” he whispered, then turned out the light. She pulled her snuggly bear close to her and he smiled, then closed the door partway.
    One beautiful girl down, one to go.
    Riley was still out, so he slid on the sofa next to her. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty.”
    She moaned, then turned on her side.
    “Time to wake up.”
    “Don’t wanna.”
    He laughed, then nuzzled her neck with a kiss. “You want to sleep on the couch tonight? You might get a peek at Santa. Or is it the cookies and milk you’re after?”
    She giggled. “You’ve spoiled my master plan.” She turned over and tunneled her fingers into his hair, pressing her lips against his.
    “If you’re going to start something, we should head to your place.”
    “Why?”
    “Because we’re at my parents and my mom is in the kitchen.”
    “Oh. Good point. Okay.” She pushed off his chest, yawned and stretched.
    With her hair half sticking out of her ponytail and a sleepy look on her face, she was devastating to his senses.
    She stumbled into her boots, went into the kitchen to say good-night to his mother, and they climbed into their coats. But instead of heading over to the B and B, he took her to his house.
    She turned to look at him when he pulled into the driveway.
    “I wanted you to see my place.”
    She smiled. “I’d love to.”
    “It’s nothing fancy. Nothing like your house in Nashville.”
    She reached for his hand. “Ethan. Don’t compare Nashville and here. It’s never about money. It’s about home and what makes you happy.”
    She opened the car door and stepped out, staring at the house. “I wish it was daylight. Did you build the house?”
    “Yeah.”
    “It’s lovely. I’m sure Amanda loved it.”
    “This isn’t the house where Amanda and I lived.”
    She turned to him, frowning. “It’s not?”
    “No. After she died I wanted a fresh start, didn’t want those memories clouding mine and Zoey’s life. Plus the house we had was tiny. So I built this place.”
    He tried to imagine what Riley would think of it. It wasn’t oversized. It was a two story, gray and white, with a nice-sized back yard.
    “I love all the trees. And the porch. I love porches.”
    He opened the front door and turned the lights on, let Riley walk in.
    “Oh, Ethan,