Eventually, the couples wandered off to mingle, and Avery excused hersel to check on the caterers.
“How are you, Big E?” Ice asked when we had a rare moment alone. To my surprise, his blue eyes were warm and inviting.
“I’m doing okay. I’m spending the day tomorrow with the kids and Caro.”
“How’s that going with Caro?” He seemed genuinely interested.
“I don’t know. I don’t think either of us can figure out what we want—friends, physical, or an actual relationship.”
Ice chucked. “Been there. Honestly, love will bite you in the ass before you even realize what’s happening. I sure as fuck wasn’t looking for the love of my life when I met Avery, but I didn’t have the strength to resist.”
“I don’t either.”
He nodded sagely and rubbed his chin. He was sporting a beard this season though he kept it trimmed short. “You can’t stop love, buddy. If you’re in love with someone, no amount of resistance will work, and just the dumb-ass, moony expression on your face when you talk about her tells me all I need to know.”
Moony was a word I’d never expected to hear from Ice’s lips. “You think I look like that?”
“Fuck yeah. It’s obvious to everyone but you. That’s the way it is with guys who think they’re in control when they’re not.”
“Everyone?” I was horrified. I didn’t want my heart on my sleeve when I hadn’t even acknowledged my emotions in my most private of thoughts.
“What’s the worst thing that could happen if you and she give it a try?”
“I don’t know. We might break up.”
“Is that worse than not trying, never knowing, and always regretting?”
I shrugged.
“It’s like not taking a shot when the game is on the line because you might miss and be blamed for losing the game. What do you do? Do you take the shot anyway, or do you play it safe and pass the puck?”
“I take the shot.”
Ice smacked me on the back so hard I stumbled forward a step. “Take the shot, rookie. Take the shot.”
He winked at me and strolled off.
Caroline point of view
This year the holidays were bittersweet.
I didn’t have good memories of Christmas until I’d married Mark. His family celebrated in a big way, maybe too over the top, but the kids loved Christmas at their grandma and grandpa’s house. The decorations were lavish and plentiful. Not even Scrooge would be able to resist getting festive once he walked into their house.
That first year, Fran had helped me decorate for the holidays. Growing up, my family’s feeble attempts to decorate had ended at a scrawny fake tree with mostly broken lights and a few decorations, which would’ve been fine if the spirit of Christmas had resonated throughout our family. It hadn’t. The holidays were an excuse for my dad to drink even more and my mother to flirt shamelessly at Christmas parties and drink her fair share.
As a new bride, I’d been overwhelmed and in awe of Mark’s parents. Their house was straight out of a magazine, and I did my best to emulate Fran’s holiday efforts. She taught me a lot about holiday decorating and entertaining, and I’d leaned on her talents every year. This time I was on my own, and I wasn’t measuring up.
I sat at the dining room table on Christmas Eve. With great effort, I’d finally tucked my excited twins in bed. They’d fallen asleep after I read The Night Before Christmas.
Now to wrap their presents and fill the stockings. I’d bought each of them one extravagant present, hoping this would be a Christmas they might remember fondly despite the absence of one very important person. I was weary, mentally and physically. These past few months had been a time of upheaval and change. My first concern had been and always would be my children’s well-being, which meant my needs were usually ignored, but that was what a good mother did. I never regretted one sacrifice I made for my precious, rambunctious babies.
There was a rap on my door, and I rose to answer it. Easton stood there, gripping a paper bag in one hand. My heart rate bumped up a few notches at the sight of him in all his masculine glory. No one rocked a pair of faded blue jeans like this man. He was even too sexy for words in a mere hoodie.
“Hey, you’re here all alone on Christmas Eve?”
“Where else did you expect a single mother to be?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Can I come in?”
“Okay.” I stood back and let him in the door.
“Where are the kids?”
“In bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.”
“What the hell are sugarplums anyway?” He grinned at me. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief, and I’d always adored his brand of mischief.
“No idea.”
He pulled a bottle of eggnog out of the bag and held it up for my inspection. The bottle contained brandy, too, and I had to smile.
I snagged a couple Christmas mugs from the cupboard. He filled them with eggnog, and I sprinkled nutmeg on top. I held up my mug. “To a good Christmas.”
“The best,” Easton responded with one of his knock-your-socks-and-panties-off smiles. We clicked mugs and sipped the creamy liquid.
“This is yummy but surprisingly strong.”
“It is.” His eyes lit up like the lights on my tree. “You are joining us for Christmas dinner tomorrow, right?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply