Page 58 of Melt the Ice

I smile, choosing to ignore the second half of her sentence. “Twenty-two minutes and eleven seconds to be exact,” I reply without missing a beat.

Her eyes widen before she throws her head back and lets out the laugh I’ve been dying to hear more of for over a decade. When she brings her head back, her gleeful gaze pulls me toward her like an invisible string.

I slide my hand along her jaw, threading my fingers into the hair behind her ear as I bring my head down, lips meeting hers in a kiss that I hope conveys just how happy I am that she’s here. That she’s letting herself be here, with me, in the presence of all my friends. “I love you,” I say against her lips.

Her smile stretches, but she doesn’t pull away, “I love you, too, Goldie.”

That sentence has no business sounding that good from her lips. But if I could only hear five words for the rest of my life, it would be those.

“We need to talk, Monroe.” Hannah’s voice breaks the moment, and I start to groan until I realize everyone is standing around the island.

Immediately, I’m on high alert, “What's going on?” I ask, as I subconsciously shift Scarlett behind me.

“Lettie told me about the guy here the other day,” Hannah says, and I relax slightly. “We can get Elliott and Collin out here to put up security of their own. That way, if the other system has been hacked or someone has access to it, it won’t matter because you have your own.” I nod, my eyes skating to Abby’s, who are hardened as they focus on me.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” Abby asks as she leans back into her new husband.

My fingers push through my hair as I look down the line of my teammates, all with varying levels of concern. “Like you told me what was going on in your life?” I snap, “It wasn’t my story to tell.”

“Lucas,” Lettie hisses from behind me. Her hands coming to rest softly on my lower back.

I roll my eyes before bringing them back to Abby, “Sorry,” I grumble.

“I already texted Elliott,” Abby says as she shakes her phone, “They’ll come set it up while we’re gone.”

My eyebrow hikes, “Gone? Where are you going?”

Hannah’s hands clap rapidly in front of her as she bounces on the balls of her feet, “We’re going to the Caribbean for Christmas. The Wilders’ first Christmas as married couples. Just for a weekend, but we’re excited!” She squeals as she looks up at her husband.

“Sounds fun,” I say, ignoring the squeeze in my chest at the fact that I wasn’t invited. My faulty brain doesn’t comprehend that they aren’t my wives. It doesn’t take into account that I have zero romantic feelings for either of them. It just tells me that I wasn’t enough to be invited. That I’m not important enough, that I’m getting left behind. Again.

But I don’t let that thought stay. It doesn’t need to. Clearing my throat, I motion to the ridiculous amount of food on the island. “Let’s eat, we can figure the rest of this out later.” That’s all it takes for everyone to jump into the mountains of food sprawled across the island.

I turn to Lettie, who’s watching everyone with a look of adoration in her eyes, one that looks oddly like Ms. Anna did when she watched us as kids. “What do you want? I’ll make you a plate.”

When her eyes slide to mine, she gives me a wobbly smile. “Thank you for accepting me as I am. I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”

As if she could see my inner turmoil, she hits me right in the gut. “None of that, remember?”

My arm slides around her shoulder as I pick up a paper plate with my other hand. “I would have waited my whole life for you.” I kiss her temple, lingering as I relish the feel of her skin against me. “But right now, I’d like to feed my woman, so, what’ll it be?”

She beams up at me as she points out all the things she wants, and by the time we’re both sitting around the huge dining room table I bought specifically for today, we’re all laughing, trading stories about embarrassing traditions and all the things we’re thankful for.

She doesn’t realize how polarizing she is, how, when she talks, she naturally garners the attention of everyone in the room. They lean in, hanging on her every word.

My friends love her just as much as I do, and there’s nothing in the world I’m more thankful for than moments like this. Sitting around a dinner table with all the people I consider family, accepting me and the woman I love with open arms. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.

A few hours later, multiple trips to the kitchen for more food, and demolishing more slices of pie than should be legal. My friends are lying around my living room watching the football game while Lettie and I separate the leftovers into Tupperware so everyone can take what they want when they leave.

“Hey,” I whisper. Her head slowly turns toward me, a small smirk pulling at her lips as our eyes meet. “Let’s go missing for a bit.”

She puts the lid on some sweet potatoes before she props a hand on her hip.

“Missin’?” I nod, grabbing her hand and pulling out the side door.

Her laugh carries through the quiet night, a soundtrack I’ll never tire of. “Lucas, where are we going?”

I don’t stop until we get to my Jeep, then I push her up against the door, my arm resting against the window above her head, “I’ve needed to get you alone since you told me you loved me.”