The Plight Before Christmas(35)

“Because I’ll admit you might be right, this once.”

“That a girl. Get those knees dirty and then when you have his attention, talk to him, tell him you miss him—”

“Hey man, everything good up here?” Thatch barks from behind me, entering the bedroom as complete and utter silence ensues on the other side of the bathroom door.

Busted.

Congratulating myself on not screaming out like a tween, I do my best to school my face as I glance over at him. “I was just about to knock and make sure they were decent. Ruby wanted me to give Serena Peyton’s jacket.”

“Appreciate it, man.” Thatch takes the jacket and knocks on the parted door. “Everyone dressed?”

“Yeah,” Serena squeaks in reply. When Thatch opens the door, I see two panicked, strikingly similar faces as Peyton greets me from the counter where he sits in front of Whitney, arms flying up. “LIE!”

“Need some saving, bud?” I can’t help my grin as I collect him without protest from either sister.

“You got this?” Thatch asks, and I nod as he hands me back the jacket and lifts a thumb toward the bedroom door. “See y’all downstairs.”

Unable to help myself, I pause at the door and whisper into Peyton’s ear. “Hey, Peyton, can you show Mommy and Auntie Whit how to make a sound like an ape?” I pucker my lips exaggeratedly. “Oo, oo, oo.”

“Oo, oo, oo,” Peyton mimics as Whitney’s jaw goes slack and Serena’s face goes beet red. Giving them both a slow wink, I saunter out of the bedroom, little ape in hand.





Alexa: Announcement: “Two-minute warning!”

I stand at the landing of the stairs, mortified by what Eli just overheard as he relinquishes Peyton to Serena in the living room.

The eavesdropping asshole.

“Dad, for Christ’s sake,” Brenden says, heading down the stairs with Conner and Wyatt in tow, “we can hear you without the aid of speakers in every damned room.”

Alexa rings out another announcement.

Alexa: Announcement: “Shut up, son.”

“You’re scaring my children,” he grumbles, hitting the landing and looking between Eli and me as he joins me at the front door. “You two getting along?”

I clap my hands together, cutting them off. “Let’s go!”

Eli opens the door for me, and just as I move to cross the threshold, I’m hit with clean scented cologne as he grips my elbow.

“I was wondering if we could talk later?”

I pull my elbow from his grip, the side of my neck erupting in goosebumps…from the cold, my reply coming out in a venomous whisper. “You know it’s rude to eavesdrop.”

“It was good advice. I’m pretty sure Thatch is going to name you in-law of the year if Serena takes it. And if I may speak from experience—”

“You may not—”

As we step onto the driveway, he leans in on a whisper.

“If anyone has authority to give instructions on that special job…” He wets his lower lip, drawing my eyes to it. “It’s you.”

His accompanying grin is infuriating. Not only does he look gorgeous in dark jeans, hiking boots, a thermal, and a powder blue sweater vest that brings out his eyes, but it’s impossible not to recall the special jobs I gave him back when we were dating. Jobs I gave often, mostly due to his insanely hot reaction and the way he regarded me during. It drove me insane to watch him come undone. Once upon a time, I loved bringing out the primal ape in him. It is clear by the twinkle in his eyes that the asshole is reading the recollection in my expression.

The slamming of the front door and Gracie’s exit has me gritting out my next reply. “Thatch will never, ever know that conversation happened, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” His eyes lower as he tries not to smile, his dark blond lashes flitting over his cheekbones. I’d forgotten about the tiny mole on his lash line, the sight of it doing unwelcome shit to me.

Serena and Thatch exit the house with Peyton in tow and follow Gracie down, passing us with curious glances as I lower my voice.

“That was privileged sister shit you tuned into,” I say, keeping my gaze on them as they begin securing Peyton into their SUV. “You had no right.”

“I’m sorry,” he says softly, drawing my eyes back to him. “You look beautiful without all that makeup. A lot less Groucho Marx.”

“I told you why I wore it.”

“Tell me something else, Whitney…”

The way he says my name…too familiar, too intimate. His scent, his eyes, too damned much. Am I attention-starved? It’s only been a month since my breakup. “What?”

“Are you that uncomfortable that I’m here? Because if you are—”

“GO TIME!” Allen booms from the front door as Ruby exits the house and locks it behind them, eyeing the two of us. “You two are riding with us since your car is nothing but junk.”

“I just called to have it towed away,” I tell my mother, avoiding Eli’s gaze. “They’re calling me back.”

“What happened to your car?” Eli prods.

“I bought a new one,” I say and shake my head. Fuck this. I’m not posing or lying, or putting on airs. My life is what it is. “I mean, I was going to buy a new one when I got—”