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The ornaments shook.
“Stop!” Brady barked.
Elliott raised a brow. “Someone is feeling stressed, are we?” He glanced around the den. “By the way, is it my imagination or did Christmas just vomit in your house?”
“Christmas did notvomitin my house.” Dammit. Brady climbed down the ladder. “A professional crew just left. A crew that spent hours decorating everything so the place would be perfect.” He pulled Elliott’s grabby hands away from the tree. “And it’s not leaning. It’s standing straight and tall.” Brady knew because he’d had the team check three times before they left.
“You had a professional crew come in and deck out your house.” Elliot nodded. “Because that’s something you do now? What’s next? Oh, wait, please tell me that you will suddenly be breaking out and singing Christmas carols? I mean, we joked about that shit before, but if you do it for real, I will pay to see that.” Laughter tumbled from him.
Smartass. “What’s next?” That had been one of Elliott’s many questions. “Easy. I get your sister to marry me.”
That statement stopped Elliott’s laughter. “You’re serious?”
“Technically, I have already asked her.” Brady exhaled. “But I called you over because you know she’ll want your blessing, and I want her happy, so let’s just get to that part, can we?” He tried not to appear nervous. “The blessing.”
“You decorated for her.”
“Well, I damn well didn’t do it for myself.” He turned to study the tree once more. All fifteen feet of that baby. “We both know she loves this house.” The rambling Victorian that had been in his family forever. “I want it to be her home. Our home.” A home filled with good memories that would replace all the bad ones. A home that would know laughter and love.
The front door opened. But unlike Elliott, Noelle didn’t enter silently. She came rushing inside with a clatter of her heels. The sweet scent of her perfume filled the air as she called out, “Brady? Brady, what’s the emergency? I rushed over as soon as I could—oh.” She stopped just under the curved entrance that led to the den. Her eyes went first to the tree. Then to the mantel that was decked out with festive garland. Then up the mantel to the heavy wreath that hung on the bricks. Her mouth dropped open, and her gaze swung back to him.
“I think he had a decorating emergency,” Elliott murmured. “Christmas exploded in here, and he needed you to see it.”
“Beautiful,” Noelle breathed.
“Yeah,” Brady agreed gruffly, unable to take his gaze off her as she stood there in a deep green sweater with a red scarf around her neck. Snowflakes dusted her dark hair. “You are.”
She beamed at him. All Brady wanted to do was sweep her into his arms and make love to her right under the lights of the tree. He took a step forward.
Elliott tapped his shoulder.
Right. He was still there.
“How much do you love my sister?” Elliott asked him.
Brady forced his gaze off Noelle. His head turned. He found Elliott regarding him with an intent stare. “You already know the answer to that.”
More than anything. With all that I am.
“Yeah, I do.” Elliott smiled. “Just like you already know you don’t need my blessing, but you have it anyway.” He motioned toward the stack of brightly wrapped packages under the tree. “Guessing the magical crew helped with those, too?”
“No.” Brady’s gaze had gone back to Noelle. “I went shopping.”
“Damn.” A whistle from Elliott. “Andthat’show much you love her. I shall assume a ring is in one of the boxes. Maybe in the tiny one?”
No, the tiny box held gold hoop earrings for Noelle. The engagement ring was in the biggest box. A box, within a box, within a box…because he wanted to see Noelle smile when she went through the packages and finally found the ring nestled deep inside.
Noelle’s heels clicked across the hardwood floor. “You did all of this for me?”
“I’d do anything for you.”
If possible, her smile beamed even brighter.
“God, that’s sweet. Really. Sickeningly so, but I know Noelle will go for it, so it’s obviously working for you.” Elliott darted toward the entranceway. “On that note, I think I’ll take my leave. I suspect you have some talking to do, presents to open…all that jazz.” He paused. “I’m sorry about Addison and Rowen.”
Noelle and Brady both turned to look at him.
Faint lines bracketed his mouth. “I brought them into our lives. I don’t usually misjudge people that way.”
