Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(84)

Silence.


“Well, I’m glad you cleared that up,” Rory said walking past him, overloaded with grocery bags.


Shit. “Here, let me help you.”


“I’ve got it. Just let me know when I can come back into your kitchen and put everything away,” she retorted.


“Rory. That’s uncalled for,” Rielle said behind him. Then she too walked past with bags, and she too refused his help. “And Gavin is right. This is his place.” She smiled at Vi and Sierra. “But I do appreciate having a clean spot to work in.”


“We were just finishing up,” Vi said.


“No rush. I’ll put the stuff in the refrigerator. Rory and I planned to have a glass of wine first anyway.”


Then they were gone.


Sierra mumbled, “Merry freakin’ Christmas,” and started to load the dishwasher, humming Christmas tunes.


Gavin leaned against the counter where Vi was dividing all the goodies into Christmas tins. “Like I said, Gavin, I find this situation strange.”


“Yeah, well, it is what it is.”


“You are in a serious relationship with Rielle?”


He nodded. Yes, they were taking things slow. Normally he’d be fine with that; after all, they had their own lives and interests. But Gavin had almost an obsessive need to define what was growing between them.


The hit and miss nights they spent in each other’s beds caused some annoyance, even when he understood she had to be up at the crack of dawn three mornings a week.


Rielle got along well with Sierra. She didn’t comment on his parenting practices and she never inserted herself into the time he spent with his daughter. Most men would consider it an ideal relationship: smoking hot sex whenever he wanted, a woman who made no demands of a commitment, and her complete disinterest in the fact he had money. But he wanted more.


“This is what she wants,” he said softly.


Vi’s eyes took on a defiant gleam. “What about what you want?”


Such a…defensive and motherly thing to say. “It’s complicated. Rielle and I…we’ve both done our own thing. It’s been her and Rory for so long neither of them knows any other way to be. It’s sort of the same for Sierra and me.”


“But you’re adapting. You’ve embraced all the McKay craziness more than I ever thought you would.”


She rubbed his arm in such a loving manner, he nearly hugged her. He missed the easy rapport he’d had with his mother. Her sweetness and generosity. Vi was nothing like her…and yet she was.


“What are you thinking about that’s put such a melancholy look in your eyes?” Vi asked.


Gavin hedged. “How much I’m looking forward to having Christmas dinner with the crazy McKays.”


That answer pleased her. “We’ll eat around two. And open presents afterward.”


His smile froze. “Presents?”


“A little untraditional, I know, but Quinn and Libby want to spend Christmas morning with their children. Chase and Ava are staying in Kane’s trailer, and for the life of me I can’t figure that one out. Ben and Ainsley are feeding cattle so Quinn can be home with his family. So we open our gifts to each other late.”


He was so screwed. He’d bought a gift for Vi and Charlie, but no one else.


After he carried Vi’s boxes out to the car, he returned to the kitchen just as Sierra started the dishwasher.


She looked up at him and smirked. “So, you forgot to buy presents for your brothers, huh?”


“Dammit. I didn’t know there was a mandatory present thing.”


“Dad. It’s Christmas. Presents are always part of that. Which means you also need to buy gifts for their wives. Oh, and their kids.” She flat out laughed at his panicked expression. “Don’t worry. I’m a shopping expert, remember? We’ll get you loaded up in no time.”


“Do you have all of your shopping done?”


“Of course.”


How? He hardly ever let her drive anywhere—even after she’d passed her driver’s test two weeks ago. “I’ll get my coat. And if we can really get this done in one night, I’ll even let you drive.”


Chapter Twenty-Five


Gavin and Sierra spent Christmas Eve stuffing themselves with chili, snacks and cookies. He even listened to the music on her iPod as they played her favorite board games. Including Candyland, which amused him, because she used the same strategy as she had at age six, which allowed him to win.


She’d been so excited to open gifts that he’d let her open them all. The number of presents under the tree from her surprised him. Fun, thoughtful, sweet items that proved she at least listened to him some of the time. His favorite was the hat she’d knitted for him in ASU colors. He’d had no clue that Rielle had taught her how to knit. It must’ve taken her hours. He immediately put it on and refused to take it off. Even when his head was sweating. Even after she called him a dork.


Her favorite gift was the set of Jeep keys he’d wrapped up with his promise that she could drive whenever she wanted—weather permitting—as soon as they returned from Arizona.