“I see what you mean about him being a Christmas freak,” Simone said, her gaze finding the blow-up Santa with his tinsel scarf perched on the Adirondack chair on the porch. She was staring at it like it was roadkill.

Suzanne forced a bubbly laugh. “He’s so goofy, right?” She faked a besotted expression. “Come on, this way.”

She entered the cabin before them, stopping a foot inside and luring her parents to the doorway, then clapping and pointing above them. “Mistletoe!” she said with a grin. “Gotta kiss—it’s the rule.”

Her parents looked at each other awkwardly, and Suzanne’s heart sat heavy as a stone in her chest as they exchanged an even more awkward peck on the cheek. Jesus. Had this been happening for years and Suzanne had been oblivious?

Waving them in, Suzanne did a quick tour. Being open plan, it was fairly obvious where everything was, so she just pointed in the direction of the archway and said, “Bedrooms are through there.”

Suzanne had strategically placed some of her belongings around the living area. Her Uggs by the back door, her coat hung on the hook. One of Winona’s books sat on the coffee table in front of the fireplace, and her favorite wrap was slung over the arm of the couch. A cooking magazine she’d bought in Credence yesterday when she’d picked up the ingredients for the eggnog sat on the kitchen bench.

Not that her parents noticed any of those details as their gazes darted around the multitude of Christmas decorations that formed a wonderfully horrible Yuletide clash.

“Wow…this is…” Her mother turned slowly around and around in pretty much the same fashion Grady had when he’d first seen what she’d done to his place. It was rare for her mother to be speechless.

Her father didn’t appear to have too many words, either.

“I know it’s a little over-the-top, but Grady is just like a little kid when it comes to this stuff. And…I don’t know…I kinda like it.”

Simone St. Michelle looked at Suzanne like an intervention might be needed, but she didn’t voice her opinion, which was quite controlled for her mother. “Mmm,” she said instead. “At least the tree is…minimalist.”

“Oh no.” Suzanne shook her head as she took in the bare tree that Burl has set up for her. “Grady is just obsessed with trimming the tree. But he wanted to wait and have us all do it together tonight. Isn’t that so thoughtful of him?”

“Oh, no, darling.” She could see her mother already thinking ahead to what kind of horror show the tree trimming was going to be. “We don’t want to intrude on something personal like that, what with this being your first Christmas together.”

Suzanne shook her head. “Nonsense.”