Moira Rogers - A Peyton Family Christmas

I didnt steal the jet. Nick tightened her grip on the ranch trucks cold steering wheel and cast a sidelong glance at her passenger. I borrowed it.

Uh-huh. Next to her, Kat squinted out through the frosted window. I cant remember the last time I saw this much snow.

A white Christmas. Derek had been enjoying it, but it paled next to how much he wanted to see his baby cousin. Hes going to be so glad to see you.

Who, Derek? Before Nick could answer, Kat half-laughed. No, of course Derek. Luciano and your dad probably arent breathless with anticipation or anything.

Weve all missed you.

I missed you too. Ive just...been busy.

You didnt have to be an empath of Kats caliber to hear the lie, but Nick let it slide. Mahalias here, you know. For the holidays.

Yeah? For the first time since Nick had coaxed Kat out of her dim, cluttered apartment, the girl seemed to brighten a little. I thought shed be back in Boca by now.

She probably would have been if Nicks father hadnt asked her to stay. My dad is a little worried about Michelle. Well, hes worried about Michelles worrying, if you know what I mean.

Yeah. Ill be able to tell. If shes worrying too much, I mean.

Again, you didnt need to be an empath to know. She is, definitely, but theres no way around it. It had been long enough for Nicks shock to wear off and the grim reality to set in. The love of her life is dead, and the only thing keeping her alive is this charade with Luciano.

A quiet noise of sympathy escaped Kat. Poor Michelle.

Driving with tears in her eyes was a recipe for disaster, so Nick dashed them away and shook her head. Youre going to like Luciano. Hes a good guy.

He must be. Kats borrowed winter coat rustled as she turned a little in the seat. Have you heard anything about how Andrews doing?

According to Alec, her main source for updates, Andrew had had a rough time of it, but was doing surprisingly well. Hes making it. A strong wolf, which makes it harder in some ways, but hell be all right.

For sure? Theres nothing else that can go wrong?

No. Pretty much everything that could have changed or gone south in Andrews life already had. Hes going to be fine, Kat. Hes still himself, and hes doing a good job of getting the wolf under control.

Okay. Hes fine. Kat sucked in a breath and let it out in a gusty, tired sigh. New problem. I, uh, didnt know I was coming up here. Obviously.

I didnt kidnap you, either, Nick said automatically, just in case. What do you need? Clothes? Contact lens solution?

Presents. She sounded honestly concerned. I dont have presents for anyone.

It was so unexpected that Nick blinked. Youre worried about stuff?

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kats cheeks turning bright pink.

Its Christmas. I dont have anything to give everyone.

Hey, youre here. Thats a million times better than stuff.

Kat wrinkled her nose in a gesture Nick hadnt seen in months. Depends on who you ask.

Almost a joke, and it gave Nick hope. Ask your cousin in about ten minutes, because this is it. The ranch.

Kat turned to look out the window again, a little of her old curiosity bubbling to the surface. So its ten minutes from here to the main house?

Mostly because the road winds around some foothills. The ranch isnt actually that big. Just horses.

Everything I know about horse ranches I learned from questionably accurate books.

Mm-hmm. I know all about your dirty cowboy fetish. Plus, I saw the romance novels you and Mackenzie sent up for Michelle.

Kat actually smiled. If there arent ten stupidly hot men working for Luciano, Im going back home.

Nick laughed. There are a few, and if you tell your cousin I said so, Ill deny it.

No one with eyes would believe it, Kat murmured. You dont see anyone else.

No, there had been only Derek, for so long it still seemed surreal that hed put a ring on her hand and promised to marry her. I better not have to come and drag your ass to the wedding on a purloined jet, by the way.

You wont have to. And I thought you didnt steal the jet.

I didnt. She cleared her throat. My dad just doesnt know I took it.

When Kat laughed this time, it didnt sound quite so rusty. You Peytons rebel in style. I stole Dereks car once, when I was nineteen. Never stole a private jet, though.

Stick with me, kid. Then she snorted, because she had less than two years on Kat, but you wouldnt know if from the way everyone treated her.

Sorry, its not funny. Youre not a kid any more than I am, but everyone forgets thatincluding meand it sucks.

Kat didnt bother to lie. Yeah, sometimes. But I dont put up all that much of a fight, especially with Derek. Sometimes he needs that, and I get it.

He needed it less these days, but it was hard to tell if that translated to freedom or near abandonment for Kat. I dont know when well get back down to New Orleans, but were going to. I promise.

It had never been easy to hide things from Kat. Your sister needs you, and Ive got some stuff to work through on my own. Derek is great when you need a champion or a protector, but hes not so good at letting you pick yourself up just so you know you can.

Especially not when hes used to thinking of himself as your guardian, I suppose.

God help your kids, Nick. Maybe, if youre lucky, he wont lock them in a padded room until theyre thirty.

After some of the difficulties Michelle had already experienced in her pregnancy, Nick would be lucky to escape that same padded room before their children were born. Maybe hell mellow with age? she suggested.

Uh-huh. Kats lips twitched, and she tugged up the high collar on her coat, presumably to hide her smile. Heres to hoping.

They lapsed into silence for the rest of the drive. The guest house came into view first, followed quickly by the main house, though it was hard to see anything beyond the outline of twinkling white Christmas lights in the encroaching darkness. There it is.

Wow. The younger woman used her mitten to clear the fogged window.

Its huge.

Right? Nick was accustomed to the careful use of space in the French Quarter, and it had taken her a while to get used to the sprawl of the ranch house. Youll get lost a few times, theres no way around that.

Kat was still staring, eyes wide. I dont know what I was expecting. All of you crushed into a house like Alecs, maybe. No wonder Luciano doesnt mind all the guests.

In addition to the second, smaller house used for visitors, Derek and Luciano had been talking about adding another wing to the main home. Not guests, Nick corrected as she parked and shut off the engine. Family.

Family, Kat echoed in a whisper. We havent had much of that. Not since our parents died.

No, they hadnt. Nick slid her hand across the seat and squeezed Kats.

Come on. Lets go see what kind of trouble your cousins gotten into in my absence.

Dashing across the yard was miserable, a blast of cold so profound it made Nicks bones ache, but warmth greeted them when she slammed open the front door. Cookies, she chattered. I smell cookies.

Kat fumbled her mittens off and commenced a fight with the zipper on her fluffy coat. Sugar cookies. Derek is addicted to them.

But he never burns them. An acrid edge still lingered in the air, proof enough that whoever had been doing the baking had scorched at least one batch. Did I miss dinner? she called as she unzipped her own coat.

Nick? Dereks voice reached them before the sound of his footsteps. I was just showing Michelle how to... The words trailed off, and his footsteps quickened.

Next to her, Kat shifted nervously. He can probably tell Im