Holiday Escort: A Christmas Novella by Shanora Williams Read Free Book Online Page A

told him. Not even ten minutes, and they’ve shown him all their true colors: their disappointment in me, but even more so, their youngest son—their own flesh and blood.
    I bet he thought I was exaggerating about how they are.
    I’m sure right now what he’s thinking is that they are ten times worse than I made them out to be.
    “Anyway,” Mom pushes to a stand. “Who’s ready for chocolate cake?”
    The only people that scream for it are the twins.
    Stanley pushes from the table, whipping out his cellphone and marching down the hallway as he dials someone.
    I know what he’s about to do.
    The front door shuts, and Lena and Bailey sigh, standing.
    “I think I should call it a night. I’m beat, Mom,” Bailey sighs.
    “Oh… okay, sweetie. Well, make sure you’re up by eight, okay? Christmas cards, remember?”
    “Yeah… something tells me we won’t need to make them with Stanley getting involved.”
    “Stanley can’t do a darn thing. Don’t worry yourself.” Mom walks away from the table, and picks up the cake from the kitchen counter. “You have a good night. We are all going to enjoy this cake that Jensen made us.”
    She smiles at Bailey and Bailey rolls her eyes, walking down the hallway and muttering “whatever” beneath her breath.
    We all know Mom is full of shit. Monty will probably be here tomorrow. Stanley never loses a case.
    Stanley is a firm believer in having all the family around for the holidays, despite how badly they grate his nerves. If everyone isn’t here, he gets pretty upset about it and searches for solutions.
    I don’t know. I guess after losing his wife, he’s afraid to lose a connection with anyone else close to him.
    It’s understandable and I appreciate him a lot for it.
    Selfless. Understanding. Funny. Kind. Helpful.
    Stanley is a great guy. If only our parents could see that Monty can be the exact same way.
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    “ S o ?” I ask as I flop down belly-first on the king-sized bed. I roll onto my back as Matthew sits on the edge. “What did I tell you? We are dysfunctional and screwed, right?”
    We’ve just finished having hot chocolate, creating our own jacked up masterpieces full of peppermint, chocolate chips, and even syrup. Yes, I said syrup. The twins did that. I don’t know how Lena is ever going to get them to bed.
    Charades didn’t even happen. No one was up for it after the sugar rush. They were all exhausted.
    “A bit wild, yes. But I wouldn’t say completely screwed,” Matthew responds. “The end of dinner got a little intense there.”
    “Very intense.”
    He looks at me as if he’d like me to elaborate a little more, but also a look that says I don’t have to if I don’t feel like it.
    “It’s just… Monty has always been the troublemaker and Stanley has always stood up for him. What can I say? That lawyer has a heart full of justice. The fact that Stanley didn’t know he was in rehab is probably bugging him because he always helps him get out early. My parents probably didn’t really call him. Stanley would have answered. He’d know, and he also would have stopped them, or at least put Monty in a place worth being in. My parents always choose the worst clinics.”
    “Protective older brother. It’s common and it makes sense.”
    I groan, staring up at the ceiling.
    “I guess I was right,” Matthew says.
    “About what?”
    “You and Stanley seem to be the normal ones.” He smiles.
    I snort. “What did you think of my evil sisters? I’m like Cinderella, right? If I didn’t look so much like everyone I would think I was adopted.”
    “Hmm. Your sisters. Self-righteous and attention-driven wouldn’t be too low of a blow, would it?”
    I giggle. “That would be a compliment, considering the labels I have them classified under in my mind.”
    Matthew laughs, leaning back on his palms and focusing on his lap. “Other than the awkwardness at the end of dinner, I think that went pretty well. I expect more questions to come flying