Page 105 of Made of Steele
Interesting.“And you don’t want to be tied down when you finally have that adventuring spirit back.”
“Exactly.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I can see why Teagan has fallen for you.”
“I don’t know if—”
“Don’t be shy.” She shook her head. “You know she has, and now the ball’s in your court.”
Yeah, the ball was in his court, all right. Too bad he still didn’t know if he would summon up the courage to get off the bench and into the game.
Teagan wished she’d been allowed to be on Drew’s team. She wanted to introduce him to her kind of Christmas—a family gathered with love to celebrate Jesus’s birth and enjoy His many blessings—not be in competition with Drew. But she still wouldn’t let her teammates down and stood proudly in front of the tree they’d cut for her grandparents’ house. The judges had already evaluated the other two trees and took in this last one with the whole family looking on.
“Oh my.” Her gran clutched her chest. “The first two were simply amazing and this one is too. This year is going to be the hardest one yet.”
“Must be due to all the new male blood in the group,” her grandad said, earning him an eye roll from Teagan’s gran.
“You have to admit it’s good to see so many of our young ladies paired up.” He looked at Mackenzie and Ryleigh.
“Oh no, you don’t, Grandad.” Mackenzie looped her arm in his. “You’re here to judge the trees not comment on our love lives.”
“Someone needs to nudge you in the right direction,” he said. “Like luring in a fish. Let’s get some bait dangled in front of you.”
The group laughed, and Teagan’s love for her grandad and the others confirmed the capacity she had to love so many people and still do everything else in her life. She could love a man too, and he would fit in like her other family members. That guy was Drew.
Her gran looked at the judges. “Follow me to the kitchen to get the trophy so everyone can get on with decorating.”
Teagan glanced at Drew, who hung with his teammates on the far side of the room. She wished the judges would hurry up with their deliberations and pronounce a winner so she could join him. She couldn’t believe how happy she was to see him here with her family. And the earlier ride in her dad’s truck?
Amazing.
They’d talked vintage vehicles and engines, proving they had far more in common than they’d known. Not that they needed more than the feelings they’d developed for each other.
The kitchen door opened, and the judges paraded out.
Her grandad cleared his throat. “And now awarding this year’s trophy is our special guest, Ellen. We are so pleased to welcome her and hope this means she will be coming to Christmas for years to come.” He winked at Teagan and gave Drew a pointed look.
Drew blushed a deep red matching the Christmas stockings hung on the fireplace behind him.
“Grandad,” Teagan warned.
He shrugged and grinned. She could never be upset with him. He was the finest grandfather a girl could hope for.
“I know this might seem like nepotism,” his mother said. “But the vote was unanimous. This year’s trophy goes to my son’s team.”
Drew’s team erupted in cheers, and Mackenzie shoved him ahead to go get the trophy. He took the shiny gold tree from her grandad and held it up, a victorious smile on his face. “I can’t take much credit for the tree, but I’m glad to accept on behalf of my experienced teammates.”
“Don’t worry, son.” Her grandad clapped Drew on the back. “Years from now you’ll have the experience too.”
Drew cast Teagan a sheepish look. She smiled to reassure him that he didn’t have to commit to a long-term relationship with her, but secretly she hoped he would before the day was out.
Drew had followed the whole family out to the hayloft in the barn to prepare for the big Christmas dinner that would be held the next day. Someone had already set up ten long tables and covered them with green and red tablecloths. Big outdoor heaters warmed the space, and an electric fireplace was mounted on one wall with stockings hung along the mantle. The tallest live tree Drew had ever seen stood in one corner and many of the family members, including Teagan, were busy stringing lights and hanging brightly colored ornaments.
Drew and his mother were on table duty. He was setting out white stoneware and polished silverware while she was arranging pine boughs, cones, candles, and bows in the center of the tables.
He was still a bit embarrassed that his team sent him to accept the tree trophy. Seemed like it gave him too much credit when all he did was chop a few times and carry the tree to the vehicle after the others did all the hard work. That was really all he’d done. Still, it felt like a monumental achievement in his life when Teagan put the star on the top of that tree and stood back, a beaming smile as she gazed on it like a child she might have given birth to.
Yeah, she loved Christmas, all right. She’d expertly strung lights, and they all loaded down the tree with family ornaments.
All the time, he felt at home. Not awkward at all. Was partly due to Ruby. She floated around filling hot cocoa and handing out cookies until he could burst.
