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“The baby of the family always puts the star on top,” Toby said, and for some reason it sounded like he was complaining about it.
Adam lifted up Colin and he placed the star on top of the tree with a big smile. It was a little crooked, but everyone applauded him anyway.
While I was watching Colin put the star on, Toby had trailed off somewhere else. I looked around but couldn’t find him. I was trying to keep my eyes off Adam when a man approached me, smiling.
“Hello, there,” he said. The man was almost the spitting image of Toby, just about twenty years older.
I smiled and reached out to shake his hand. “You must be one of Colin’s uncles I haven’t met,” I said, and the man nodded.
“I’m Phil,” he replied, and we chatted for a while about Toby’s work as a carpenter and my career as a teacher. Hisfamily was warm and friendly, and I was having a good time despite my little tiff with Toby.
He’s just nervous about me meeting his family. He’ll be fine after this is over, I told myself.
The sound of arguing in the kitchen made me turn my head. Toby was standing there with Adam and poking him in the chest. They both looked angry.
I frowned, wondering what it was that had set Toby off. My boyfriend was sweet most of the time, but he had a hair-trigger temper.
I didn’t know what was going on, but apparently it had incensed Toby enough that he was ready to leave, because he stalked toward me and grabbed my elbow steering me toward the door.
I waved goodbye to Uncle Phil, who still had a warm smile on his face, as Toby ushered me out of the house.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Why were you arguing with Adam?”
“Adam?” he sneered. “You’re already on a first name basis with my asshole brother?”
I blinked, surprised. “That’s... that’s your brother?”
“The one and only,” he said dryly, opening the car door roughly and getting inside.
I got into the passenger seat, my heart in my throat. So, the man who had flirted with me in the kitchen was Toby’s estranged brother. It made me feel even worse for allowing it to happen, not to mention being attracted to him.
“What happened between you?” I asked, and Toby groaned.
“Katie, I don’t want to hash out all my family bullshit right now. I just want to go home, have another drink, and go to sleep.”
I looked at him. His face was flushed, and I wondered how many scotches he’d put down in the poker room.
“Maybe I should drive,” I said quietly. He responded with a glare, so I shut my mouth, looking down at my hands.
Toby glanced at his phone, and his expression changed to something I couldn’t put my finger on.
“I have to go into the office, it turns out,” he said suddenly.
I frowned. “What do you mean? Why would you have to go into the office on Christmas Eve?”
“Why do you ask so many damn questions?” he muttered, and I looked down at my hands again, tears threatening at the corner of my eyes.
I was silent the rest of the ride home. Toby stopped for a moment outside the apartment and waited for me to get out. I walked toward the driver’s side window, wanting a kiss goodbye, but he took off as if he didn’t see me.
Tears began to roll down my face. I guessed it was some kind of karma for flirting with his brother, but to be fair, I didn’t even know why Toby disliked him so much. And I definitely didn’t know it was his brother when I met him.
I sniffled and walked into the apartment, my heart aching.
Chapter 2
Katie
Present Day
