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Lena was right on Carissa’s heels and the instant she stepped inside, Heath flipped on the power strip and the tree lit up. Lena gasped and clapped her hands together in front of her lips, as if she was saying a little prayer. “Oh! Our tree! I love it!” She threw her arms around Heath, then stepped back. “Did you check it for… friends?”
Behind her Carissa snorted. “You mean spiders?”
“I did, Christmas Girl.” As soon as he said it, she was hugging him again.
“I love it, Grinch Guy!” Then she gasped again. “But how rude of me! Heath, this is Carissa, my best friend in the whole world. And Carissa, this is Heath, my favourite.” She beamed as the two of them finally, officially met. Then she turned to him, her smile still just as bright. “And Lachie!” She had a hug for him, too. “You’re a star! Thank you so much for bringing Carissa home!”
“It was my pleasure.” He didn’t mean to, but his gaze went right to Carissa when he said it, and maybe it was his imagination, but he thought her cheeks went pink.
Lena whirled away, back to Carissa. “You.” She pointed at her friend. “What do you need? Shower? Sleep? Food? Drink? I know how you get when you’re hangry. Do you have tree decorating in you tonight?” It was obvious from Lena’s expression that she hoped Carissa did, and equally obvious to him that Carissa was about to drop.
“Shower. Immediately. When I come back down, ply me with beverages, and I’ll supervise your decorating.” Carissa straight out said exactly what she needed, and he liked it. “Oh, and we brought something to share for dessert.”
She meant the TimTams—he’d nearly forgotten about them.
“Drinks and dessert: Deal.” Then Lena pointed at him. “And you! You’ve done enough for today. You sit on that couch and Heath and I will take care of dinner. After I give Carissa the tour!”
He’d rather be on the tour, in whatever room Carissa was in, but that was out of the question. He was lowering himself onto the couch when Carissa stopped on the first stair.
“Does the tour include getting to meet Pickle?”
“I’ll introduce you to Pickle any time you want.” He shouldn’t have felt so happy Carissa had remembered his cat and wanted to meet her.
“Now, please.”
And just like that, he got his wish. Instead of sinking onto the couch to sit alone, he followed the women upstairs, while Heath got started in the kitchen.
Pickle was a hit. Carissa knew just how to scratch under her chin and was rewarded with all of Pickle’s vocabulary of trills and purrs. His cat even rolled onto her back and used both paws to grab onto Carissa’s hand, without using any claws.
When Carissa declared, “She’s adorable,” it made him happier than it should.
He could hardly stop staring when Carissa came downstairs after her shower, smelling of mint, and plopped onto the couch at the opposite end from him, wearing the shortest pair of candy cane pajama shorts and a tiny, tight tank top that didn’t hide a thing. He ached to have her next to him, as close as she’d been on his plane, fitted against him like she’d been on his motorcycle. When Pickle cautiously picked her way from his lap, across the back of the couch, and sat on the armrest next to Carissa, he had to tell himself it wasn’t a sign or a stamp of approval. It was just a cat, being a cat.
Lena had turned on Christmas music and pulled a box full of ornaments out of a closet, but as she sashayed into the living room, bearing a tumbler of what looked like extra thick milk, she stopped in her tracks.
“You look exhausted, Carissa.” It was true: her friend’s head was nodding. Lachlan was shocked she’d stayed awake as long as she had. “Should we save it for another night?”
“No. Gimme that egg nog.” Carissa shifted, sitting more upright and taking the glass from Lena. “This is exactly what I imagined when I told you I was coming for Christmas: decorating, music, nog…and the best company.” She took a long draught of her drink.
“Okay, but if you fall asleep, I’m leaving you there.” Lena raised both her eyebrows at her friend. “I’m not risking life and limb to get you up to your room.”
“That’s fine.” Carissa took another sip of her drink. “Is anyone else having egg nog? Lachlan?”
“I’ve never had egg nog… is it good?” He couldn’t even remember having seen the stuff in the grocery store before.
“I had to ask for it special at the IGA.” Heath grimaced. “I think it’s an acquired taste.”
“Want to try a sip?” Carissa leaned across the couch, holding her glass out to Lachlan. “It can be your adventure for the day. I promise it’s not going to kill you.”
He wasn’t going to turn down what amounted to a dare. He took the drink from Carissa, the slide of her fingers against his sending a tingle up his arm. While Heath watched with his signature serious expression plus a side of repulsion, Lachlan drank what was left like it was a shot.
It was thick, sweet, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. “That is objectively disgusting. You like that?” He thrust the empty glass back at Carissa.
“Love it.” Carissa and Lena spoke in unison, then both cackled.
“I’ll take more, please and thank you.” Carissa held the glass out for Lena, who refilled it and then set the carton of egg nog on the coffee table.
Carissa and Lena clinked glasses and downed another round.
