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“Yes, and with any luck, put away for a very long time.”
*
Ella walked tothe house for dinner with Cara, shivering a little as temperatures were dropping and it was getting colder, cold enough that Ella suspected any rain in the forecast would turn to snow. She wouldn’t mind a little snow, provided they didn’t get snowed in like Cara and Alec did last year. They’d had a huge storm and had been trapped for days.
Leaving her coat and warm boots in the mudroom, Ella gave pets and scratches to the three dogs who came to see her and then continued up the stairs. But once Ella joined Cara in the bedroom, Cara was distracted and frustrated that the gifts she’d ordered hadn’t arrived.
“They should have been here. They were supposed to have been here days ago,” Cara said, studying delivery information on her phone. “The delivery date has now been pushed to January fifth. How does that work?”
“I already told you I’d go shopping for you,” Ella answered, plopping down on the bed next to her sister. “Don’t be upset. We have a plan.”
“Yes, but I was hoping a couple more gifts would arrive and you might only have to buy one thing instead of four things.”
“I have no plans for tomorrow. Surely, I can buy four gifts in one eight-hour day.”
Cara reluctantly smiled. “I hate it when you’re all practical and reasonable. Makes me feel extra unreasonable.”
“Listen, I’d be bonkers if I’d spent almost two weeks up here! Goodness, Cara, I only come for brief visits and get restless to move. I don’t know how you’ve handled it as well as you have.”
“It’ll be easier when Alec is back. I just miss him.”
“I know. He’s going to be home soon, too, so I think we need a proper girls’ night in tonight. It might be our last chance. I suggest lots of snacks and Christmas movies. What do you think?
“What about Baird? What’s he doing?”
“I don’t know. He might be having dinner with the senior crowd.”
“Should we invite him to join us?”
Ella tossed a pillow at her sister. “No. He’s not a girl.”
Cara laughed and tossed the pillow right back. “Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure. I mean, he’s big for a girl, not just in height, but those shoulders… not feminine in any way.”
Cara leaned forward. “Something happened between you two at the wedding, didn’t it? I was sure you hooked up, but Alec said no way, never. Baird doesn’t do casual hookups. He’s not that kind of guy.”
Ella shifted her arm to better block her sister’s smiling face. “Someday when this is all over you can tell your husband that you were right, and he was wrong. Because Baird does do casual hookups.”
“Where? When? Who’s room?”
“No, not like that. It was during the reception, down by the boathouse. We just kissed. A lot.”
“A good kiss? Or a bad kiss?”
Ella flopped onto her back and put an arm across her eyes. “Best kiss of my life.”
Cara said nothing and Ella’s heart thudded hard. “And then he left early the next morning,” Ella added softly.
“Did you know he was leaving early?”
“No. But I knew right away he regretted kissing me.”
Cara gently combed her fingers through Ella’s hair. “How?”
“He told me. I’m standing there, all warm and mushy and stupidly happy, and he announces in that gorgeous accent, that it was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“Why?”
