“Who’s ready for some Christmas carols?” Colton suddenly said, voice raised loudly enough for the kids to hear.
The kids let out more excited yells.
Colton grabbed her hand to pull her along. Gretchen looked at Mary. “I should help your mom with dinner.”
“Absolutely not,” Mary said. “Go have some fun.”
Colton kept hold of her hand until they entered the living room, at which point he dropped dramatically to the floor and let the kids crawl all over him. After a long minute of wrestling with several near-misses between the coffee table and his head, he finally raised himself onto all fours and let the youngest climb on his back as if he were riding a horse.
Jordan laughed and made a joke about being careful with Colton because he was an old man now, and from beneath the pile of children, Colton raised his hand and secretly flipped her off.
This. This is what a family was supposed to be like. Happy and affectionate and playful and—a lump formed in her throat.
“Uncle Colton, I’ve been practicing my ukulele,” Daphne, the oldest child, said. “Can I show you?”
“I’m countin’ on it.” He got the girl settled with the ukulele across her lap. “Show me what you got.”
Daphne’s tiny fingers splayed competently across the strings as she strummed out a tune in fits and starts. It took a moment for Gretchen to realize she was playing “Jingle Bells.” Colton reached around her and fit his fingers on either side of hers. He struck another chord that harmonized perfectly. And then, in a voice that seemed to come straight from heaven itself, he began to sing with her.
He wasn’t trying to impress. Wasn’t putting on a show. He was just singing a Christmas song with his niece, but the effect was complete and immediate. When she stumbled, he paused to quickly help her, and then picked right back up where they’d left off.
Gretchen was so transfixed by it—by him—that she barely registered when Mary came to stand next to her.
“She’s been practicing so hard to show him what she can do,” Mary said quietly.
“He’s so good with her.”
“With all of them. They all just adore him.”
“They must think it’s pretty cool to have a famous rock star as an uncle.”
“I don’t think they are actually old enough to understand that he is famous. He’s just Uncle Colton to them.”
Just Uncle Colton.
The lump grew. He was just a man. A good, decent man who— for some unknown reason—wanted her. With all her flaws. All her insecurities.
“He’s been lonely,” Mary said quietly. Gretchen looked over sharply to find Mary gazing at her with knowing eyes. “I think maybe you have too.”
“Wh-what?”
“Being famous isn’t what people think it is. The more famous he got, the more isolated he got. People all over the world claim to love him, but they really just want to own him. I think maybe you know a little something about that.”
Gretchen didn’t need to ask for clarification to know that Colton had obviously told his family the truth about hers.
Mary’s eyes glistened suddenly. “I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.”
Three hours later, after dinner had been eaten and more carols sung, Jordan sent the kids around the room for goodnight hugs. When they opened their arms to her, Gretchen automatically bent to let them hug her.
The damn lump returned. She cleared her throat. “I really should go. I have an appeal hearing in Memphis tomorrow, so . . .”
Kyle smiled. “I suppose we’ve held you hostage long enough.”
“It has been wonderful meeting all of you. Thank you for dinner and . . . everything.”
“You’ll be here on Christmas Day, right?”
The spotlight of Mary’s question burned hot and bright on Gretchen’s face. “Um, I—”
“I’ll talk to her about it,” Colton said smoothly, sliding up next to her. His hand found a spot on her back. “I’ll walk you out.”
“You don’t need to.”
“But I’m gonna.”
As soon as they were outside, Gretchen laughed. “They’re going to talk about me as soon as I’m gone, aren’t they?”
“I’m sure they already are.”
She crossed her arms and faced him next to the driver’s side of her car. “They’re great, Colton. Really. You’re very lucky.”
“I know.” He leaned then, propping one hand against the hood of her car so he could lower his face toward hers. “But not just because of them.” His other hand cupped the back of her neck. Before she had time to react, just like inside, he kissed her.