Christmas morning dawned sunny and cold; just right for a run. Devon quickly changed into her running gear and did a few stretches before heading down the stairs towards the front door. She should be able to get a few miles in before it was time for breakfast.
She had only gone half a mile down the road when Kellan and Josh caught up with her. "Where are you running off to?" Kellan joked as he ran backwards in front of her and Josh.
"Showoff!" Devon laughed, pushing him out of the way.
Devon ran, listening to the two men, who set an exhausting pace and not the least bit winded after three miles. They were circling back around to the house when Devon held up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm done." She stopped and bent over gasping for breath.
The two men smiled while they watched her suffer.
"Don't let me stop you from the next ten miles." She waved in between gasps of breath, and they took off with grins. Devon watched as they doubled their speed. What she had thought was an exhausting pace had been a gentle stroll for the two of them. She really had to work on her stamina.
Devon walked a few circles cooling down and thinking about the previous day. It hadn't been as bad as she thought to would be. Most of the men had awakened early to begin their hunting, and Bree, the Smothers, and bridesmaids were all busy with last minute wedding plans. Bree had decided to pretend as if the previous evening hadn't happened which was fine with Devon.
"Devon!" her mother called from the porch. "We'll be opening presents after breakfast, in about an hour. Do you know where Kellan and Josh are? I told Jenny I would let them know."
"They're running, I'll text Josh in a minute," Devon said, walking towards the house.
"Won't it bother them to have you text them while they're running?" Pamela asked, concerned.
Devon grinned. "No, those two are machines."
Her mother placed a hand on her arm, stopping her before she could make it into the house.
"What's between you and Josh?" she asked with a worried look on her face.
"Nothing." Devon responded with an even voice and a face devoid of expression, but her mother wasn't buying it.
"It would make us all happy if you and Josh...that is to say, it would be a good thing." Pamela's words caught her daughter of guard, and Devon stopped walking and looked at her mother who met her eyes squarely with nothing but sincerity reflected in her gaze.
"What about Bree and Josh, wasn't that always your and Mrs. McIntire's hope?" Devon tried to keep the bitter note from her voice.
"It was, but that was because I always thought Josh was a little too immature for you. He hasn't been able to settle into anything, and you're a serious person. I had always hoped that you would find someone who would be serious with you." It was a poor attempt at an explanation.
Devon looked at her mother, doing her best to get a read on her. Was she serious? Had she always felt this way, or was it simply that she realized that Bree and Josh would never happen so she and Josh were the next best thing?
"You've never needed my attention like Bree did, from the moment she was born she cried to have every little need met. You have always been self-sufficient and reliable. I'm sorry if it appeared as if I didn't care, but I do. I always have." Pamela's look was earnest, her eyes pleading with her daughter for understanding.
"Then why aren't you proud of me, why don't you brag about me like you do Bree?" Devon realized they were the words of a hurt child, but standing there looking at her mother, she realized she was still that hurt little girl who never got her mother's attention.
Pamela's eyes swelled with tears. "I am proud of you, but to talk about it, about you, upsets Bree."
"You're the mother and she's the daughter. Why do you let her control and manipulate you like she does?" Devon demanded, angry with her sister and her mother.
"When she was little it was easier to let her do it, and now that she's older it's just habit." Pamela smiled tenderly at the thought of Bree amongst the tears that were on her cheeks, and Devon had to look away. She loved her mother, but forgiveness was a long way away.
"I love you and I love Bree, I was the best mother that I knew how to be to both of you. I see Bree for who and what she is, I always have. But now she's Hal's problem and I won't lie and say that I'm not relieved about it." In that moment Devon realized that Bree and her mother were one in the same. Pamela would say whatever she needed to to make sure that she would be taken care of, and now that selfish Bree had flown the nest, her mother realized her best bet was Devon.
"I love you Mom and I love Dad too." She didn't reach out to embrace Pamela, that would probably never happen again, but she did love her parents and she could let her mother know that. "I'll go text Josh and get cleaned up for breakfast." Then she gave her mother a forced smile and a pat on the shoulder as she passed her to go in the house. It was the most she could muster in terms of forgiveness.
Pamela nodded as she watched her go.
Devon had to remind herself that everyone had their own weaknesses where love was concerned, and if she was honest with herself, she knew her weakness. It was Josh. She continued to take anything he choose to throw at her, and he hadn't been exactly Prince Charming of late, but In her weakness she just kept going back for more of the same. She was glad that her mother had told her that she loved her and was proud of her, but she had never realized that Pamela was so weak before.
*******
When Devon entered the dining room Josh and Kellan where already there, listening, or pretending to listen, to Ford's detailed account about the previous day's hunt. Both Josh and Kellan had declined to join the others and had stayed at the house keeping Devon company. Kellan had brought his dissertation to work on, and she had helped him for a short while before they had discovered the pool table and amused themselves with that for most of the day. It was the most fun that Devon had had in a long time.
Devon poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a few slices of toast. Realizing that everyone was waiting on her to finish she ate it as quickly as she could, and when the last little bit of toast had been eaten Bree jumped up with a squeal.
"Presents!" she cried.
Hal laughed at Bree, obviously charmed by her childlike behavior. Devon and her mother's eyes met and her mother rolled her eyes while Devon forced yet another smile. The shared moment wasn't lost on Josh who he held her back as the others left the dining room.
"What was that, between you and your mother?" Josh whispered in her ear, giving her goosebumps.
"We had a conversation this morning." Devon said vaguely watching the others leave.
"A conversation?" He sounded amused.
"Sure, I'll tell you about it sometime." Devon turned to leave, but then her teasing nature reared its head and she couldn't resist the opportunity, so she turned back towards him. "She did say that the Smothers would be happy if we made a match of it though."
Josh's shocked expression made her grin, and she rose up on tiptoe, giving him a kiss on his open mouth. "Mistletoe!" She pointed towards the ceiling before turning to leave, but Josh was too quick for her as he pulled her close and kissed her much more thoroughly.
She hadn't realized that she had wrapped herself around Josh until someone cleared their throat behind them. Devon broke away dazed as Josh continued to hold her up while he grinned at his mother. "Mistletoe," he explained and they both watched as Jenny smiled.
"Presents," she responded and left, expecting them to follow.
They did follow, and Josh kept his arm around Devon since her legs were still shaky.
The exchanging of gifts had already begun, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen had received theirs. Bree squealed as she opened a diamond necklace, bracelet, and then earrings from Hal. Then Devon gave her parents and Bree their presents, and Bree thanked her prettily for the massage certificate.
There were only a few presents under the tree left, and Kellan was handed his next. He opened it and grinned holding it up. "Thank you, Dr. Tatum. How did you know I wanted a copy of your book?"
There was a shocked silence in the room that lasted for an uncomfortable length of time.
"Because you said you did." Devon forced a smile.
"Did you sign it?" Kellan opened the cover and silently read the sentiment, laughing out loud when he finished. "Too true,, Dr. Tatum." Josh grabbed it to see what she had written but Kellan was too fast for him as he closed the book and sat it on his other side.
"You wrote a book?" her mother asked, clearing her throat.
"Yes, a few of my associates asked if I would so that they could use it in their classrooms." Devon was starting to get uncomfortable with all of the attention that was focused on her, and Bree must have felt the same way as well since she drew the attention back to herself.
"There are a few more presents left." Bree cried as she made a show of crawling under the tree to get the remaining three, and Devon's heart stopped when she noticed that her gift to Josh was one of them.
"One more for me!" Bree chortled as she ripped the wrapping off of it. Everyone was focused on her continued childlike behavior, but Devon caught the subtle change in Josh and Kellan who were to either side of her.
Following their gazes to the French doors on the other side of the room, she noted a man with a semi-automatic focused on them silently watching. them all.