“I like you,” she says. Then she leans down and kisses my cheek.
“I like you more.” I grab her hips, spin her around, and then plant my socked foot to her butt and give her a small shove. “Now get away from me. And stop looking so cute.”
She beams, blows me a kiss, and vanishes.
I’m asleep as my head hits the pillow.
I awake to a pillow hitting my head.
Hard.
“What in the name of Father Christmas are you doing on our couch?”
I’m bleary eyed, my head is throbbing (from a headache, though the pillow didn’t help), and my arm aches like the dickens. But all of that pales in comparison to the feeling of dread as I look up at Logan and Lucas Fischer. Not even the Christmas tree in the background can make this feel anything less than intimidating.
But I’m me, so I yawn and prop myself up on my good elbow. “What’s up, Fischer Bros? How’s it going?”
Logan scowls while Lucas stands with his arms folded. They’re both tan and athletic with windswept blond hair, although Lucas’s is longer than mine and Logan’s is shorter. They look like they could be extras in a Point Break remake … that takes place at Christmas.
Because they’re wearing full length, white and blue abominable snowman footie pajamas. Complete with the fuzzy tummy.
“I got here in your sister’s car. And Iwassleeping.”
Lucas lunges for me, and Logan barely manages to stop him. My pulse is already elevated from the abrupt awakening, but it hammers extra hard at the violence in the Fischer Brothers’ eyes.
“Chill,” Logan says.
Lucas sneers, and I grin. “And here I thought you two would be happy to see me.”
“You absolute piece of?—”
“Dude,” Logan says to Lucas. “Enough.” Logan sits on the coffee table, which has been pulled back a few feet. He rests his elbows on his knees and fixes his pale blue eyes on me. “Why did Lee bring you here?”
Her brothers’ eyes are a bit lighter than Liesel’s, but they resemble hers enough that I let some of my bravado slip. I sit up and rub my face. I’m wearing the same clothes I fell asleep in last night—jeans and a volunteer t-shirt. I point at the shirt. “The battery in my car died after we did Feeding Futures yesterday, so she offered to drive me to the airport. And then the storm hit. All flights out of Chicago have been canceled.”
Logan nods. Lucas stands behind him, arms still folded, looking like a bouncer at a yeti-themed bar.
“She should have left you on the side of the road,” Lucas says.
Logan’s eyes close in annoyance, and I bite back a smirk. “What’s your plan?” he asks me.
“I don’t know. Get an Uber to drive me to my place in Hindale?”
“Start walking,” Lucas says.
Logan and I both ignore him.
“The roads south are closed. You’re not going anywhere.” Logan looks like he wants to spit the words, but he’s doing an admirable job of, well,not.
It’s my turn to close my eyes in annoyance. As much as I want more time with Liesel, I don’t want it like this, in front of the menacing males in her life.
For the record, I could take either of her brothers in a fair fight, but I’m pretty sure they’re not the type to fight fair.
Also, her dad could snap me like a candy cane.
The cushions on either side of me sink heavily, and my eyes fly open to show Logan on one side of me and Lucas on the other. Lucas pulls the coffee table close while Logan turns on the TV.
“Uh, what are we doing, guys?”
