Page 121 of Under Ground

“Is everything okay?” Pania asks.

I nod. “We’re fine. Casey’s worried Santa won’t find us.”

Her eyes widen, and she raises her hand to palm her face. “Oh. I can see why you’d be concerned, Casey, but I can promise you, Santa won’t have any trouble finding us. He found Reece and me last year at the same place.”

Casey beams. “He did?”

Pania opens her arms, and Casey practically leaps into them. “He did, and you know, I’m all ready with presents for him too. We’ve got beer and cookies, and there might even be a carrot to leave our for the reindeer.”

“Thank you,” I mouth.

She turns and walks into the plane. Lana and I follow.

This is surreal. I know Reece is loaded, but flying off to our Christmas break in a private jet? There’s a part of me that still can’t quite believe that this is our life, even though it’s been nearly a year.

He was kind enough to invite Mom to come with us, but she’s got a new boyfriend and is holidaying in Antigua for Christmas. I miss her, but I have to admit, it’s nice to spend some time with my brother.

My brother.

It still feels weird to even think about him that way. I used to look up to him and be envious of what he’d done with his career, was so excited to be acting opposite him, and the whole time … I smile.

“This is a bit over the top, isn’t it?” I say.

Reece grins, pointing at the seats. “I wanted to do something special given it’s our first time away as a family. There’s a car waiting for us at the other end when I usually just grab a rental. Besides, I like spoiling my niece, and look at her face.”

Casey’s all buckled into a leather seat, right beside Pania, with a juice box in her hand. All signs of her little meltdown on the tarmac are completely gone.

I shake my head and turn, reaching behind me for Lana’s hand. She’s wide-eyed, looking around the cabin, and I can’t blame her. We’re a world away from the lives we both used to live. But I’m not complaining.

“The sooner we’re seated, the sooner we can get out of here. It’s not a long flight,” Reece says.

He helps me buckle in Harper’s seat and I sit beside her, with Lana buckling in next to me.

“Where are we going?” I ask. All we know is that we’re not going overseas. No passports were required.

“We’re not even leaving the state. But we’re going someplace special to me, and I hope it’ll be special to you.”

“Reece wants it to be a bit of a surprise.” Pania smiles and pats the seat next to her. “Plant your arse, and let’s go.”

“Yes, boss.” Reece salutes her and sits down, bending over to kiss her before putting on his seat belt. “You got it.”

* * *

For all the fuss, the flight isn’t that long. Though, I am glad we didn’t drive because Harper stays awake on the plane—she’d have fallen asleep if we drove the car and then we wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.

And then we land on this tiny private airstrip, but there are cars waiting for us, and even though my bank balance has grown significantly this year, I’m not sure I’ll ever get accustomed to the way Reece lives. But gestures like this are often to impress Pania, and she does a wonderful job of keeping him on his toes.

There’s not a long drive after that, and I confess to being more than a little confused when we pull up outside an older house. It’s beautiful in a rustic kind of way, surrounded by trees. I guess it’s private, if nothing else.

We climb out of the car and Reece beams. “Come in. I can’t wait to show you the house.”

Lana and I exchange a glance before we follow Reece and Pania inside, Casey skipping along behind them.

Inside is cosy and warm. There’s a roaring fire in the fireplace, and it’s all decorated for Christmas.

“This house belonged to my grandmother. Our grandmother. After Mum and Dad died, she was the one who raised me. We never stayed long in one place. I swear, I’ve lived in nearly every one of the fifty states.” Reece chuckles. “But this is where she died, and I made a promise to her a long time ago to come back every Christmas.”

I blink back tears. It takes a lot to make me cry, but Reece sharing this with me touches my soul. This is special—this is something that only the two of us can share.

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