Page 108 of Elf-ish

“What do you think?” I curtsy.

Dane hums. “Gonna make the man sweat.” He winks at me.

“Is Jude here yet?” My voice rises, too hopeful, too eager.

“Not yet.” Dane’s face slowly sobers. “Neither is Beau.”

“Oh dear,” Gran whispers while glancing at her gold bracelet watch.

“Yeah.” Dane sighs.

“I’ll kill him if he doesn’t show.” When I think of all the planning and rushing to gather wedding necessities, especially the favor Jude called in for this place, which ended up being free minus the food and a minimum bar tab . . .

“He’ll be here,” Gran states, but she doesn’t sound convincing.

It’d be so like Beau to flake out on his own wedding.

The door rushes opens, nearly hitting Dane’s broad shoulders, and he steps back as Christmas slides into the tight space, then closes the door behind her.

“Where the hell is Beau?” she snaps, as she collapses against the closed door and tips back her head before righting it to glare at Dane.

“How the fuck should I know?” Dane counters.

“Language, young man,” Gran says to her nearly forty-year-old grandson.

“I knew we should have put a leash on him today,” Christmas states.

Dane snorts.

“Where are the boys?” I ask Christmas. For that fact, where are Dane’s girls?

“I’m letting them run wild around the party room,” she deadpans, then sighs. “Actually, Kevin showed up. He can act like their father for thirty seconds.”

I’m not touching that comment with a ten-foot peppermint stick. Not today, at least.

Dane is clicking on his phone. Christmas and I meet eyes, and then the door opens again, forcing Christmas toward Dane as Beau eeks into the space which is not made for five grown adults. He’s wearing a sleek black tux, and his highlighted-blond hair is tame today.

“Are we having a family meeting without me?” he questions, glancing around the room. “It’s bad enough there aren’t any baby books for me, and now you’re hosting a secret society without me.”

I bark out a laugh. As if we’d ever exclude him. He wouldn’t let us.

“We would never leave you out, honey,” Gran says, approaching him.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Dane questions.

“Language,” Gran mutters, knowing it’s a lost cause.

“Never fear, Beau is here,” our late-to-his-own wedding brother states, but his typically cheerful tone sounds off.

“Now,” Christmas sighs.

Gran reaches for Beau’s cheeks, and he lowers his face to her height, allowing her to cup his jaw. “Another addition to our family. Your parents would be so proud.”

“Yeah,” Beau swallows, and Christmas and I lock gazes once more.

A single word shouldn’t sound so uncertain.

Dane’s phone vibrates with a bridal march ringtone. “Okay, man, time to get this party started.” He claps our youngest brother on the shoulder and reaches for the door, practically pushing Beau out of the closet-like space. Christmas follows while Gran spins toward me.