Time of Possession (Seattle Lumberjacks #5) by Jami Davenport

big.
    Estie held her own breath, not daring to
speculate what that big thing might be.
    “Rachel just gave me the best Christmas
present ever.” Derek paused, his gaze seeking out his stepmother
and father. He beamed from ear to ear. “We’re pregnant.”
    A huge cheer went up around the room
followed by a standing ovation and much backslapping and hugging.
Estie was so happy for them, she could hardly breathe. She was
going to be an aunt. Maybe not technically, but she’d be one just
the same. Shouldering her way through the family, she threw her
arms around Rachel.
    “I can’t wait to be Aunt Estie.”
    Rachel laughed, absolute joy radiating in
her eyes. “Since you live so close, we’ll be counting on you for
babysitting duties.”
    “Anytime. I’d be more than happy to do the
honors.”
    Estie glanced back at Lavender, who was
wiping her eyes, while Tyler stared straight into space, not
blinking or cracking a smile. Trouble in paradise for sure.
    Estie sighed. She had enough issues. Her
brother was on his own with Lavender, but that didn’t mean Estie
wouldn’t give him a piece of her mind.
    Richard shrugged and patted her arm, to
catch her attention. “My parents are expecting us in a half
hour.”
    Estie scowled. “We haven’t eaten yet, and we
were with your parents last night.” And it had been pure hell.
She’d be damned if she’d spend a second straight night in with
Richard’s family.
    “You know how my mother is.” Richard’s voice
took on that whiny tone when he was pleading with her.
    Boy, did she ever. “Today is my family’s
turn. Your family had Christmas Eve. You go ahead if you must. I’m
not going.”
    Disappointment spread across Richard’s face,
causing a twinge of guilt. Damn it, she would not cave. She was not
going with him. Not this time. His parents hogged all of the
holidays. If they were going to be married, the Michaels needed to
learn to share.
    “I guess I’ll go without you, honey, but it
won’t be the same,” Richard sniffed, as if she’d broken his heart.
She hated it when he did that, or maybe it was his
passive-aggressive guilt trips she hated.
    “Merry Christmas.” Estie smiled sweetly,
torn between her sense of duty to family and her fiancé but
determined for once to hold her ground.
    Merry Christmas shouted the members
of her family. Not one of them made even a token attempt to
convince Richard to stay. Reality hit her head on like a collision
with a semi-truck. Her family was actually glad to see him
go. Every one of them.
    Even worse, so was she.
    * * * * *
    Brett blew out his held breath. In fact, all
the tension in the room deflated like a pricked balloon as soon as
the door shut behind Estie’s fiancé. Obviously, Brett wasn’t the
only one who didn’t care much for the guy. He didn’t get why a
wonderful woman like Estie would even be interested in Richard,
unless he was good in bed. The thought of that man pawing Estie
almost made Brett retch.
    And their marriage? The weekend after the
Super Bowl. If that didn’t make Brett queasy, he didn’t know what
would.
    “Thank God that wuss is gone.” Tyler poured
a shot of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. He wiped his mouth
with his sweater sleeve.
    Lavender swatted him. “Ty, behave
yourself.”
    “That’s not the song you were singing last
night, honey.”
    “Tyler.” His mother spoke like a woman ready
to put her son in a corner for the rest of the night. “He’s going
to be your brother-in-law.”
    “I don’t need a fucking brother-in-law
that’s a pansy-ass.” Tyler didn’t seem to notice the daggers his
mother shot at him; obviously his language and his attitude were
par for the course. Brett suspected he’d gotten into lots of
trouble growing up and was immune to being scolded.
    “Hey, I’m just saying what everyone in this
room is thinking. The guy’s a tool.”
    “No one would be good enough for Estie in
your eyes,” Derek said, not refuting Tyler’s statement, and