Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(94)

Dad wisely said nothing.

When a strained quiet fell over the table, Mom looked around.

“Should we open presents then?”

Kellan slapped on a smooth smile as he stood up. “Sounds wonderful, Mrs. Allen.”

Mom smiled at him around her hands full of plates. “Caroline, dear.” 262



Kellan nodded at her. “Caroline, thank you for breakfast. It was incredible.” He motioned around the house with his hand. “Is there a bathroom…?”

“Oh, sure.” Mom motioned upstairs with her one free pinky.

Kellan smiled and looked around the room as he excused himself. He seemed happy and unperturbed, but I saw his fingers go to the bridge of his nose as he turned the corner to head upstairs. I knew enough about him to know that the conversation had bothered him. He was taking a minute.

My eyes snapped back to Dad when Kellan was out of earshot. “Dad!

What was that all about?”

Anna crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. Dad looked between the two of us. For once, his face was almost sheepish. “I’m sorry if I stepped over the line there, Kiera.” He leaned forward and pointed his finger to where I could hear water running upstairs. “But these are questions you need to ask yourself if you are going to be in a relationship with him. Is he on the same page? Does he really love you? Can he turn down woman after woman? If you take the relationship to the next level, will he soil your marriage bed?”

I flushed and looked down, too flustered to say anything. Anna spoke up in my silence. “He’s a good guy, Dad. You don’t even know him.” Her hands free now, Mom came up to rest her palms on my shoulders.

“That could have been handled more privately, Martin.” Dad glanced up at her. “I’m just looking out for our daughter.” I peeked up at him then. “I can look out for me, Dad.” Glancing over my shoulder really fast, I leaned in and whispered, “I’ve had all of the doubts that you have, okay. I think about it. I worry about it.” I shook my head. “But I love him. Shouldn’t I give him the chance to fail before I condemn him?”





263


Dad’s eyes widened as he sat back in his chair. A hand rubbed over his jaw as he softly smiled at me. Fatherly pride stretching over his face, he shook his head. “You always were too smart for your own good.” I relaxed back into Mom behind me and shook my head. “Not really…but I’m trying to be smarter.” I bit my lip, not wanting to let too much truth about my vast failings slip out. My parents still didn’t know the real reason Denny and I broke up. They assumed he had left the country for a job, and I was content to let them think that. “I’m in love with him, Dad. Pausing…isn’t an option for me.” I heard a sniff from the doorway and looked back to see Kellan standing there, head down as he listened. He looked up and met my eye, a genuine, peaceful smile on his face. Dad sighed, maybe finally seeing that he really had lost his little girl. I stood up and walked over to Kellan.

Cupping his cheeks, slightly moist, like he’d splashed water on them, I searched his unique eyes. “Not being yours isn’t an option anymore,” I whispered.

He nodded, and leaned down to kiss me. I let him, Dad be damned.

Twenty minutes later, you wouldn’t even know the conversation had happened. Kellan let it slide off of him and Dad even seemed a little chagrined that he’d brought it up. He even stopped his sullen, disapproving looks at Kellan. He didn’t suddenly turn warm towards him or anything, but he did stop being the brutish, overprotective father.

Anna had forgotten about the moment the minute we stepped near the tree. Honestly, eating breakfast first was the hardest part about Christmas for her. We’d only started doing that in the last couple of years, when the presents part of the holidays started taking a back seat to the family part of the holidays. But she was still a giddy little girl when it came time to rip open stuff.

Kellan sat beside me on the couch as she started doling out gifts. She handed everybody a similarly wrapped, flat square and made us all open them together. Kellan laughed as he looked around at all of us opening Anna’s gift. I laughed when I saw what it was. We were all now proud owners of next year’s Hooters calendar. I blinked as I stared at the three orange and white clad vixens on the cover.





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Dropping my jaw, I looked up at her. “You got the cover?” Anna clapped and giggled, stomping her feet in her excitement. “Yes! I was hoping you didn’t see one in the stores, I wanted to surprise you.” I stood up and gave her a hug, Mom and Dad and Kellan following suit. I knew she’d made the calendar, April, from what she’d told me, but the cover was an even bigger deal. Sitting back down, I flipped to her page. God, she was pretty. I immediately closed it. Kellan set his aside and grabbed my hand, leaning into me. Smiling over the fact that he hadn’t peeked at her picture, I kissed his cheek.

The standard gifts went around the room—clothes, books, music, movies and games. The merriment in the air was palpable as we all laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. Kellan silently watched the whole affair, his eyes soft and speculative. When it got near the end of the pile under the tree, Anna handed him a present from my parents. He blinked at the gift, surprised, like he hadn’t been expecting to receive anything from them. Honestly, I was pretty surprised, too.