A Cross-Country Christmas(24)

If we were in his family, we’d love it too.





How depressing.

Spence, you said he’s different than he was

back in high school. What did you mean?





<shrugging man emoji> He grew up.





Like, for real? Because from what I remember,

he was kind of a tool.





<laughing emoji> Not a tool anymore.





How can you be sure?

You know people don’t change.





Maybe not, but they do grow up. Most of them anyway. Will’s one of the best guys I know.

Don’t give him too much of that Lauren Richmond grief, OK?





What’s that supposed to mean?





That impossibly high standard you hold yourself to?

Nobody else can live up to that.

And before you argue with me, yes, you do try and hold people to it.

Lighten up a little and see if you can have some fun. You deserve it.





Chapter 11





Will couldn’t help but be amused by the look on Lauren’s face when Rosa told her they only had one room.

He’d sleep on the floor, or the couch or in a chair, of course, but why spoil the fun? And more to the point, why did he enjoy poking at her so much?

They drove toward the hotel in their usual silence. Will was used to it by now, but he searched his mind for a way to draw her out. She must have questions; she’d overheard enough of his conversation with Jackson. Or maybe not. Maybe she really didn’t care one bit about Will’s life.

It was presumptuous for him to think she would. Or maybe he was just hoping for a chance to show her he had changed.

Though, to be honest—no amount of change would ever make Will Sinclair worthy of a girl like Lauren. He’d corrupted himself on too many levels to even hope she’d consider it.

Besides, how would he break that to Spencer? “Hey, man, I know you asked me to give your sister a ride home, but I sort of fell for her somewhere between California and New Mexico. You’re cool with that, right?”

Not that he was thinking about it. Nope. Not at all. Spence’s little sister, that’s how he saw her.

I have two sisters. And I don’t think about them as much as I think about her.

“So, which side of the bed do you want?” Will asked when they walked into the small hotel room. He flopped on the bed and stretched a model pose, head propped up, hand on his waist, rear end jutting out. “I tend to sprawl out. We might wake up spooning.”

Her eyes flicked up to his. “Nice try. I don’t think so. You’ll have to sleep on the floor. Or better yet, in the car. The seats recline.”

He should put her out of her misery and tell her where he actually planned to sleep, but watching her squirm was far too entertaining.

“Are you sure there isn’t another room here?” She looked downright terrified.

He hopped off the bed and shrugged. “Rosa said no. I’ve never known her to lie.”

“Maybe I should sleep in the car,” she said. “I’m smaller than you, and it wasn’t bad when we were driving.” She started rolling her suitcase back toward the door.

“Wait, Lauren,” he said. “Come back. You don’t have to do that.” Lauren slowly turned around. “Gosh, you’re so easy to tease,” Will chuckled.

Side-eye. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Another shrug. “It’s fun to make you uncomfortable.”

She frowned. “Fun?”

“Yeah. You get that exasperated look on your face.”

She looked at him, mouth open, eyebrows up.

“Yeah that one. It’s kind of cute.”

She abruptly changed her reaction and narrowed her eyes. “And here I was actually thinking I’d misjudged you.”

That was new. “Oh?”

She ignored him. “So, you’ll take the floor, then?”

“I’ll sleep on the loveseat,” he said. He tossed the bed pillow onto it. “Honestly, it’s really cool of you to take this detour in stride.”

She looked away. “Yeah, thanks.” She fidgeted. “I also just want to say. . .I was a jerk.”

Will moved closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She held her breath and tensed at his touch. He lowered his voice to a soft, sincere tone, and tried to hide his smile. “It’s okay. . .I’m used to it now.”

She shoved him with both hands, laughing. “Ugh, you’re the worst!”

He stumbled back onto the loveseat. “Admit it—you do have something against me.” He was hoping, now that her defenses had powered down, that maybe they could clear the air. Spencer had never been one to hang Will’s dirty laundry out on a line for everyone to see, but maybe he’d told Lauren. Maybe she knew everything.

Oh no. Maybe she knew everything.

And maybe she wasn’t as understanding as her brother. How much did she know about his mistakes?

It seemed odd she’d take up this campaign against him if that was it. After all, his actions had only hurt himself. Not her.