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I chuckle at the hint of jealousy in her tone. “She sounds wonderful. Must be where you get your generosity from.”
“Yeah, she’s great. She’s actually less strict on me than my brother,” Everleigh admits with a laugh, but I don’t think she’s joking. We clean up the living room, then Everleigh takes the camera from the box and calls for Sassy.
“Kneel beside her,” she directs, bringing the viewfinder to one eye and squinting the other. I make sure to smile as Sassy leans over to lick me. Seconds later, Everleigh pulls it out and shakes it until the picture develops.
“Look at you two.” She flips it around, smiling.
The way Sassy’s staring at me is adorable. “That’s great.”
“My turn,” she says, and I hold out my hand so she can get a pic with Sassy too.
“No, one withyou!” She holds it up and somehow manages to take a selfie. Once our image appears, I see she’s making kissy lips toward me.
“You’re cute,” I tell her, and she reaches over to try to tickle me, but I’m too fast. “Don’t start that again.”
Sassy starts barking and chases Everleigh around the living room with her tail wagging. She has the zoomies as she slides down the hall and then runs back toward Everleigh.
“Okay, okay! That’s enough!” Everleigh breathlessly says. “Wasn’t tryin’ to get you worked up but thank you for the steps.” She looks at her watch, then at me with an evil grin.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Don’t prove your friends right. Challenge cheater.”
She bellows out an evil laugh, which causes me to join her. Everleigh’s happiness is contagious because I’ve never laughed this much before.
“Christmas movie time!” she announces, hopping on the couch and flicking on the TV. “Have to enjoy the last little bit of my favorite holiday while I can.”
I sit next to her, and though we’re only inches apart, our gazes are glued to the screen. After a while, we get ready for dinner.
“Ready?” she asks an hour later. Her hair is in big curls, and she’s wearing a dark green dress with red heels.
“Wow,” I whisper, and she smirks.
“I’m gonna miss Christmas when it’s gone.” She sticks out her bottom lip, which I find so damn adorable.
“But we have New Year’s,” I remind her, and her excitement returns.
“Yes, you’re right!” She looks me up and down. “Mimi isn’t gonna let you leave, especially if you’re wearing this tie.”
Everleigh tugs on it, and my cock springs to life. If she’s this fiery outside the bedroom, I can only imagine how she’d be between the sheets. Probably more than I could handle if I’m being honest. Before we leave, she takes Sassy out one last time.
On the way over, Everleigh talks about the shop, and I chat about the gym. Though neither of us mentions it, we're undoubtedly scanning the streets looking for the SUV. Within ten minutes, we’re pulling up to a house that looks like it fell out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. The bushes are perfectly trimmed with colorful Christmas lights, and festive garland hangs from the porch.
As we walk on the sidewalk together, Everleigh loops her arm around mine, giving me all the confidence I need. She doesn’t knock, and I follow her as she heads right in. The hearty smells of roasting turkey and sweet bread waft through the air, and it makes my stomach growl. We enter the kitchen, where an older man and woman sit at the breakfast nook drinking coffee.
“Howdy!” her grandfather says as Everleigh gives him a side hug. Once they pull away, he stands and offers me his hand.
“This is Pops,” Everleigh introduces.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking it in return.
“Pleasure’s mine,” he tells me with a big toothy grin.
Everleigh’s grandma pulls me into a tight hug before I get the chance to say hello. “You can just call me Mimi. Happy to meet you, Archer. Hope you’re hungry.”
“Thank you. Starving,” I say.
“Me too,” a deep voice echoes from behind us.
Tyler laughs, and Gemma enters carrying Scarlett. We exchange greetings, and soon, Mimi steals Scarlett and rushes us to the dinner table. Plates are set out with dishes full of food. Casseroles, different potatoes, and veggies are passed around while Everleigh’s grandfather carves the turkey. Before we eat, Pops says the blessing, and then we dig in.
