I shrug. “I didn’t do anything. Maybe they want to be part of the fun.”
She makes a puzzled face, then pours wine into two glasses and sets one on the counter next to the potatoes. “Well, whatever you did, thank you. I haven’t seen Mallory and Alex get along like that since…” She frowns as her voice trails off. “Anyway, it’s nice to see them getting along.”
“Maybe it’s the magic of Christmas,” I say as I rinse off the potato I’ve just peeled and set it on a cutting board with the others.
“More like the magic of Finley,” she says before taking a sip, lost in thought.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Finley
True to Mallory’s word, she and Alex come down and help finish dinner. When the meatloaf is in the oven and the green beans and potatoes are on the stove, we sit around the table, sipping wine while they tell stories about Alex and his siblings when they were kids. Tyler joins us after a bit, grabbing a bottle of beer and sitting at the table, but he’s reserved and doesn’t share much.
Around six-thirty, Alex’s dad comes home and apologizes for being late. “Sick cat,” he says. “It ate a miniature snowman from a kid’s advent calendar, but it’s going to be okay.”
“What’s Finley’s cat’s name, Alex?” Tyler asks abruptly.
Alex looks like he’s been caught red-handed robbing a jewelry store, but then he gets pissed. “What the hell, Tyler? I thought we were over that.”
“Boys,” Valerie says, sounding more tired than angry. “What are you talking about, Alex?”
Alex starts to say something, then clams up.
“For some reason, Tyler didn’t believe Finley was his girlfriend,” Mallory says, rolling her eyes. “But anyone with a pair of eyes can see that she is.”
“Oh, I believe they’re together,” Tyler says, “but I have no doubt he only thinks about himself. Which is why I’m asking if he knows the name of her cat.”
“Tyler!” his mother chastises. “What has gotten into you?”
“Answer the question, Alex,” Tyler taunts. “Can’t do it, can you?”
Alex looks at me, maybe because he knows I don’t want to lie about my life, and he knows Maybelle is important to me—even if he doesn’t know her name. I’m guessing he doesn’t want to make one up.
“That’s because he doesn’t call her by her name,” I say, trying to sound light-hearted. “He gave her a nickname the first time he met her, and he’s used it ever since.”
“Then what do you call her?” Tyler asks.
“Hellfire,” Alex says, holding his gaze. “She’s grumpy as hell, but when she gets pissed, she brings the fire.”
I laugh, because I’m pretty sure I never told him Maybelle’s name, but he remembers me talking about her. “It’s a pretty accurate description. Especially since she doesn’t take to new people very well.”
Tyler takes a long pull from his beer.
“You owe Alex an apology, Tyler,” Valerie says, still fuming.
“That’s okay,” Alex says, while giving his brother a long, appraising look. “I think he’s just looking out for Finley.”
“What does that have to do with Finley?” Valerie asks.
Alex gives her a smile. “Basically, he thinks I’m a first-class asshole and he wants to make sure I’m treating her right.”
“Tyler!” his mom protests.
“No,” Alex says, “I deserve it. I come by the title naturally, so…” He shrugs.
Valerie inhales deeply and is about to say something, but Tyler gets up and stalks out of the room, taking his beer with him.
Alex’s dad is still standing by the mudroom with a dazed expression. “Sounds like I missed an eventful day.”
