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As I walked away, I saw the look Baker gave me. I thought it would be funny to subject him to some time with my dad, but he didn’t seem to mind.
So I came back to my room, hoping to bring myself back to reality. This is fake, I keep telling myself. He’s flirting with me, but it doesn’t mean anything.
I pull out the sweaters that I made for Baker and me. If we make it through Christmas, I may ask him what a girl’s got to do to win his affection. But looking down at the itchy, thick material in my hands, I’m pretty sure this is not the way to go about it.7BakerShe thought I’d say no. I saw it in the surprised look she gave me. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. I don’t think I could tell her no on anything at this point. She’s got me hook, line, and sinker.
“Nice shirt!” Matt says and starts to laugh.
I look down at the tinsel covered green sweater. It has ornaments sewn on the tinsel and a big star attached to the end of my sleeve. I’m still not sure what I’m supposed to be, but Tara was excited for me to wear it, so I have it on.
“Where’s yours at?” I ask Matt.
“I’m going to my girlfriend’s tonight. Too bad I’m going to miss out on this. It looks like it’s going to be a swell ol’ time.”
He stresses the word swell as Tara comes in with a matching sweater the same as mine. “Get out of here, hooligan, before I tell Mom and Dad you should have to spend time with family.”
“Hooligan.” He laughs. “I swear sometimes I wonder what century you’re from. I’m out.” He hugs his sister and fist bumps me on the way out the door.
“Do you like the sweater?” Tara asks me.
This is the first time we’ve been alone since we got back from skating and shopping, and I don’t want to talk about the sweater. I want to talk about us.
“You made it. I love it,” I tell her truthfully. “So…”
“But you haven’t seen the full effect yet. Watch…” She holds her hands together over her head. The black leggings she has on look like a tree trunk, and her green sweater flares out at the bottom and tapers up. The garland and ornaments make what look like a Christmas tree and she’s holding the star at the top, like it’s a tree topper. She made us matching Christmas tree sweaters.
“Wait. Stay right there.” I tell her, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I take a few shots of her and when her mom walks in, she offers to take a few of the both of us together as she gushes over our sweaters.
I swear I can’t wipe the smile off my face. If my brother Dawson could see me now, he’d never believe it. We were never the Christmas type. I take one of the images and shoot it to him as a message. I feel bad that I wasn’t there when he got home; it’s been months since I’d seen him last. It makes me feel a little at ease that Cassie is there with him. Well, if he didn’t run her off, anyway.
We walk two blocks down to the aunt’s house. I guess they alternate every year, and this year is Aunt Maggie’s turn. With a warning to stay away from the eggnog—“It’s laced with one hundred proof liquor” Janet warns me with a whisper—they leave Tara and me to walk around and mingle. Tara introduces me the first time as her boss, so I take over introductions after that. “Hi, I’m Baker, Tara’s boyfriend.”
It seems to get a squeal of delight from all the women of her family. We move around the room, and Tara stops suddenly when we are standing in front of a young woman that is around the same age as Tara. I can feel Tara’s body tense next to me. I look around the room, and from the glint in the eye of the woman standing in front of me she is the cause of the sudden frigid air around us.
“Tara. Looks like you’ll win the ugly sweater contest this year. Definitely the ugliest.”
“Hey!” I start, but Tara puts a hand to my chest.
“Baker, this is my cousin Hilda. Hilda, this is my b…”
“Boyfriend,” I say, interrupting her, pulling her close into my side and kissing her on the forehead. I don’t even look at Hilda because I can already tell I don’t like her.
Hilda looks between the two of us and grins mischievously. “Right! I don’t believe it.”
Tara seems to deflate on the spot. And it gets even worse when Hilda puts her hand on my chest. I’ve never wanted to harm a woman in my life, but right now I’d like to.
