AllFreeNovel
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“Sorry, bro. I can’t help wanting my woman near me twenty-four seven.”
Trudy playfully swats Hunter on the arm. “We’d never get anything done.”
“We’d get plenty done.” He tilts her chin up, kissing her right there at the table. And it’s one steamy kiss that has me looking away. The others all do the same as we pick up our forks and start to eat our zesty salads.
Logan clears his throat loudly, a huge grin stretching his cheeks wide. “Dude, I thought there was a rule about kissing at the table.”
Hunter lifts his head, grinning. “Blake is the rules guy, not me. Besides, didn’t you just call me an asshole at the table? Dad might have something to say about that.”
Katie sighs. “Drew, do you see the madness we’ll be bringing our child into?”
“Aye, lass. And you’ve met my family too. We need to keep the heid.”
Katie’s brow rises. “Keep the what? Honestly, I have no idea what that means.” A few chuckles sneak out from the others, but mostly we try to concentrate on eating.
“Heid. Means keep calm. And, luv, we don’t need words to understand each other.” He winks at her, and I’m pretty sure my friend swoons. Baby hormones or not, Katie is head over heels in love with her Scotsman.
The waiters return to clear our empty plates, and Allie and I shuffle Katie off to the bathroom for a quick makeup repair. How she manages to cry and doesn’t end up all red and blotchy is a superpower I wish I had. When I cry, the result is catastrophic, so I’ve learned to keep my tears to the privacy of my bedroom.
On our way, I use the opportunity to ask them what they were whispering about earlier. But they deflect my questions, saying they’re planning my Christmas gift. Huh. I’m not convinced; my gut tells me they are up to something.
Dinner progresses with one delicious course after another, and soon, the table conversation is turning to everyone’s plans for the holidays. Blake and Bec will be snowboarding in Aspen with friends. The elder Carlsons are taking a cruise in the Caribbean, and the rest of the family will remain in the city. Although, Hunter and Trudy are planning a trip to Paris for New Year’s Eve, and Katie and Drew will be flying to Scotland around the same time.
It’s just over a week away, and I still haven’t decided on my own holiday plans. I’m not sure if I’ll be going home to visit my parents this year. Vicki suggested that I should maybe do something different. The holidays have been hard for my family after losing Jack, and we tend not to mark the day in any special way. It’s a little sad because I know Jack would have hated that. It used to be our favorite time of the year.
Katie’s excited voice interrupts my moment of melancholy. “We need to do something, guys. Just because the folks and Blake will be out of town doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate together.” She focuses her gaze on Hunter, the unofficial decision-maker among the siblings. Well, that’s how it seems to me, as an outsider.
The guys furiously nod in agreement, probably concerned that if they don’t, Katie could burst into tears again. My friend has her stepbrothers and cousin wrapped around her little finger.
“Let’s do lunch at ours,” Trudy announces with a quick glance at Hunter.
He leans into her, placing a brief kiss on her lips this time. “Of course, sweetheart.”
I suspect if she asked Hunter to walk over hot coals, he would be just as agreeable.
A waiter places another plate in front of me, this time with three seared scallops artfully arranged in the center. Each scallop is a tempting morsel dotted with lemon butter and chives. It’s the third or fourth dish we’ve been served, and if it’s anything like the first couple, it will be mouthwatering.
When everyone has their food, the conversation is picked up again by Katie. “Great, so it is lunch at Hunter and Trudy’s place on Christmas Day. Is everyone in?” From the murmuring of voices, it sounds like they have a plan.
I remain silent, and it isn’t missed by Jason. “Dana, you’ll come too, won’t you?” His voice is loud enough for others to hear. He knows my situation during the holidays because we only talked about it a couple of weeks ago.
“Ummm, I’m not sure. I’ll need to check to see what my parents are doing.” I want to glare at him for putting me on the spot, but it’s sweet that he thought to include me.
The clink of knives and forks replaces any more chat until Jason tilts his head down close to my ear to whisper, “I would really like you to come to the Christmas lunch.”
I look up at him, and his eyes are dark-chocolate orbs that shine down at me like they hold tiny string lights in their depths. My heart skips a beat, then races on. If I wasn’t a little in love with him before, I am now.
***
Loud applause reverberates around the ballroom following Hunter’s speech on behalf of the Carlson family. Trudy is dabbing at a few stray tears that cling to her lashes, love for her man a little too overwhelming. And when he returns to his seat, she buries her face in his chest, and he dips his head to whisper words for her ears only. I feel like an intruder in their private moment and quickly turn my attention back to the stage where a representative from one of the hospitals is about to speak.
One day, I want to share that kind of love with my own special person. I flick a quick look at Jason beside me. Honestly, he’s the only one I can imagine filling that role. A secretive smile pulls at my lips, and I dip my head, hoping no one notices so I don’t have to come up with an explanation for it.
With the speeches and dessert course complete, the band moves to the stage to take up their instruments, and the general hum of conversation rises. The first chords of one of Coldplay’s slower songs begin to rise above the buzz. Each couple at the table moves to the dance floor, leaving Jason and me alone.
He turns to me, and my heart picks up pace, beating to a faster rhythm than the song playing. I attempt to disguise my eagerness for him to ask me to dance. But he’s not actually looking at me. Instead, his focus is on something or somebody over my shoulder. My heart stutters with disappointment.
He frowns, then leans toward me and whispers with urgency close to my ear. “I need your help to deter a particularly persistent gold-digger.”
