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Sighing, Holly plowed her fingers through her hair, quickly realizing she hadn’t braided it yet. Not that she needed to since she was grown and could take care of her own hair. The nighttime braiding routine had been her mother’s brainchild after she’d spent one too many endless mornings trying to work a comb through the tangle of knots in Holly’s waist-length hair.
It was either braids or a much shorter cut. Over the years, the habit simply stuck.
“HOLLY!” Kit bellowed.
“BECAUSE I’VE BEEN KIND OF BUSY HERE!” Holly hollered back.
“Okay,” Kit’s voice softened. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” And it was, because Holly knew Kit was only concerned about her and the effect living in Chace’s pocket was bound to have on her. Judging by their earlier kitchen encounter, Holly had to admit Kit had every reason for concern.
“How’s everything going?”
“Pretty well, surprisingly.” The almost-kiss notwithstanding, of course.
“So, how does everything seem to be going?”
“Good.”
Would Kit still think that if she knew how close she’d come to letting him kiss her? How she desperately wanted him to? Or how soaked her panties became during her walk down Christmas-tree-hunting memory lane? Or how much effort it had taken Holly not to climb him like a tree in the kitchen?
Probably not, but the news wouldn’t shock her either.
“But it’s early yet,” Kit added.
That much was certainly true. “It’ll all still be fine.”
Maybe.
Hopefully.
“I must admit I’m a little concerned about all this, Holl. Not just that Chace is back but that you’re essentially living with him in a very family-like setting. Doing things with Emme and Wren that parents do with their children.”
Holly understood where her sister was coming from, especially after participating in today’s festivities with the girls that, although truly enjoyable, stirred up a slew of painfully wonderful memories of the Christmas traditions she and Chace had once shared. When she balked at going on a tree search the next day with him and the twins, perhaps that was merely her subconscious shifting into self-preservation mode.
But like she told Chace, this wasn’t about them.
“This is the kind of thing godparents do, Kit. Fill in when the parents need help. It’s not like it’s forever. As adults, I think we can handle it.”Please, God, let that be true.
“You were adults eight years ago, too,” Kit pointed out. “And breaking up with him nearly destroyed you.”
“No,” Holly disputed. “What cut me to the quick was that Chace chose the military instead of a civilian life with me.”
“He’s a civilian now.”
“On paper maybe, but I’d bet my first edition ofTo Kill A Mockingbirdthat the Department of Defense has Steele Security and Investigations on speed dial,” Holly countered.
“All the more reason for my concern, then.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Just like you’re fine when you and Chace cross paths at Lyss’s for a holiday gathering or a birthday party?”
Holly rolled her eyes even though her sister couldn’t see through the phone. “Iamfine. Even then,” she insisted.
“So why do I always need to have a carton of mint chocolate chip or pistachio ice cream on hand around every single holiday or during Emme and Wren’s birthday month?” Kit countered. “Whether he shows up for the events or not.”
When Holly didn’t respond right away, Kit continued. “Never mind. I’ll tell you why. Because you’re still in love with him. Will always be in love with him. And if a few hours in his presence once or twice a year is enough to stir those feelings back to life, what do you think will happen while living in each other’s pockets for however long Lyss is in Germany?”
