"Of course it does." She reached out and touched my face.

"Right. So here's the deal. I want to keep working on us and see where this goes. If that means that we make this work long distance, or you stay here, or I go with you...it's whatever. I just don't want to give up when we've just started. I'm too far into you."

She nodded. "I love you too. Let me think about what the best answer might be tonight, and we can talk tomorrow about it."

"Okay. I'll hold you to it." I sat back, feeling better that she loved me too, but still torn up over what our end result would be.

"I hope that's not the only thing you plan to hold me to." She wagged her eyebrows, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Anything you want, baby. All you have to do is ask."

Chapter 31

Christmas Day

Chloe

"Get up! It's Christmas!" Parker jumped on my bed and shook me awake like he did when we were kids.

I threw my arm in the air, trying to swat him off of me, but missing entirely.

"What time is it?" I rolled over and groaned. "Parker. It's five in the morning. We're not kids anymore."

"I am. Get up. It's time to open presents." He jumped on my bed again, and this time I got him, grabbing him and rolling over on top of him.

I pinned him to the bed and breathed in his face.

"Dad! Help! Dad!" He screamed, and I rolled off, grabbing my robe and trying to trip him as we ran down the hall.

I couldn't remember all of a sudden why in the world I hadn't been home for Christmas for the last few years. Me and my Dad being at odds was one thing, but my little brother was growing up alone without me. I shouldn't have stayed away, and I never would again.

"Chloe. What are you doing to your brother?" My Dad looked up from his stance in the kitchen with a mysterious look on his face.

"What are you doing in the kitchen is the real question." I moved up to my Dad, and pulled him into a hug. "Are you cooking something?"

"Yeah, me and Parker figured out your mother's old breakfast casserole recipe. We ran to the store and made it while you slept on the couch."

"You guys didn't watch the Grinch?" I turned and lifted my eyebrow at Parker.

"What do you care? You were snoring at nine-thirty." He laughed, and started organizing the presents by the fireplace.

"Why do you guys not have a tree?" I looked back at my father.

"I don't know. Just seemed like another thing to do, and Parker never asked for one." He handed me a cup of coffee. "Why? You want one? We'll go get one after we open presents."

"No, it's too late this year, but next year you're going to have to put up a really big one to make up for this sadness." I pointed to the empty living room.

"So you're coming home next year?" He turned to me and smiled.

"I'm not leaving. I think this should be home from now on."

"Are you shitting us?" My brother stood up from the other side of the bar, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Parker. Watch your mouth, boy." My father reprimanded him and then turned back to me. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Well, a really cute guy in town told me that if things didn't work out here, it wasn't the end of the world. You just move onto the next place and start something new." I reached out and brushed my hand over my father's arm. "Can I stay here with you guys?"

"Forever." He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. "Now get in there, and let's open up presents."

I fixed my coffee and sat beside my brother as he tore through far too many packages. Every electronic that had come out that year was sitting at my brother's feet by the time the morning was over. I almost said something, but I didn't have room to talk. I had gift cards to most department stores, several new pairs of shoes, which my father did really well on picking out, and a set of keys to a brand new jeep. The old one was getting traded in, or so my father thought until Parker begged for it.

"Is that it?" My father asked and got up, leaving as the timer on the oven beeped over and over. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. It needs to cool."

"I'm going to try out these new games. Save me a piece." Parker piled everything in his arms and disappeared down the hall.

I stood and pulled one of my new sweaters over my head, wondering if I couldn't make something better that had pockets. The thing was so cute, but functionally defunct.

"Chloe. Can you come here for a minute?" My Dad moved to the kitchen table, and I realized I hadn't gotten his nontraditional gift yet.

"Sure." I sat down and took a quick sip of my coffee before giving him my attention. "What's up?"

"I still have two things for you." He smiled and pushed two cards toward me.

"Dad. You've already gotten me way too much. I don't need anything else."

"Yeah, but these are more than Christmas presents. Consider them a graduation gift too."

I smiled, realizing that one of them was most likely the money to start my new clothing line. One thing that I realized was that I could still create something new and exciting for people living in California without having to live there too. It was a convenience that I would miss, but there was so much more for me to stay in Colorado for now.

"Open the pink one first." He smiled, and I shoved the white one back. "Okay, now remember, if you're not interested in it...just give it back. It's a project, but I think you'll love it."

I opened the card and unfolded the deed to a property. "The Vanning Place. What is it?"

"It's a beautiful old mansion at the edge of town. It's been here since I was a boy. Me and Clark used to always talk about gutting it and turning it into a ski lodge for families. I've wanted to do it since I was little, but time just got away from me. I figured if you were staying here that you might want to start investing in something of your own. It's a beautiful building and I should have bought it year ago, but it never felt right until recently." He smiled and tapped the table. "If you're not comfortable with all the work that nee..."

I cut him off. "Daddy. I love it."

He pushed the other card toward me, but I was breathless over the first gift. I hadn't seen the place, but if my father thought we could build a lodge out of it, then Finn would probably feel the same way. I couldn't wait to tell him.

"Open this one now."

I opened it and found a check for half a million dollars. I handed it back to him. "I don't want this. It's ridiculous."

He slid it across the table back toward me. "It is not. I told you that if you did what I asked you to do that I would give you the money to start you own clothing line. That's it."

"It can't cost that much." I picked up the check and balked at it.

My father had been wealthy for most of my life, which meant that I hadn't ever really wanted for much, but it was his money, not mine. This was a check made out to me. It seemed like it was way too much.

"It does, and sometimes more." He reached out and touched my hand. "I love you so much. Forgive me for all the years of being bitter. I didn't even realize how bad I'd gotten until you ripped my heart back open this last week. I'm so sorry."

"Me too." My vision blurred, and I figured it was as good a time as any to ask for a few more favors. Seemed my father was in the giving mood. "Dad..."