Page 49 of Hero for the Holidays

“Are you ready to see the farm store?”

“Yes,” she said. She turned quickly. “Bye, Landry.”

“Yeah,” said Landry, looking vaguely stormy. “Bye.”

“What’s with him?” Fia asked.

“I dunno. He woke up grumpy today. He had another glass of that apple pie stuff after you left. He was sooooo drunk. Denver had to drive us back.”

Fia frowned. “Well, that’s not good.”

“Don’t be upset about it. He was just... He’s fine.”

She disapproved so, so hard. But she was trying to be careful.

“You like living with him,” she said.

“He’s great. He tries really hard.”

Fia sighed. “Yeah. He’s definitely trying really hard.” That was undeniable. She couldn’t even be petty about that. And she really would be if she could be. Because a little bit of pettiness in that space would be kind of nice.

“He’s funny too,” Lila continued. “And he let me get a gecko. He can build anything. I’ve been watching him out in the barn. And he’s great with animals. I think that’s where I get it from.”

She was chattering about Landry, all stream of consciousness like he was the greatest thing ever. Like she hero-worshipped him a little.

If she detached herself from her post-Landry trauma, she could see why a teenage girl would hero-worship him as a dad. He was tall and strong and handsome.

But drunk, apparently, which was concerning. And out of that concern she could not have him drinking.

She and Landry were on texting terms now, which they never had been while they were together, because texting just wasn’t as much of a thing all the way back then, especially not with the kind of service they had at Four Corners. But as soon as she got to the store, and got Lila shown around and settled, she pulled out her phone.

Really? You got drunk last night?

Barely, he replied.I wasn’t drunk, I had Denver drive us home out of an abundance of absolute caution.

Lila said that you were sooooo drunk. Many oooos.

I wasn’t.

That was her perception. Maybe you need to be a little bit more responsible.

She fired the message off, and stood by it.

We’ll talk about it later.

What if I want to talk about it now?

Because this is texting, not talking.

It’s the same thing.

It isn’t.

She was about to pick up the phone and call him when her sisters walked in. All three of them, redheaded and different, stopped in the doorway, and Lila looked at them. “Oh my God. We all have the same hair.”

Alaina made a noise and then rushed forward, pulling Lila into her arms. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know that’s very not cool. But wow. It is amazing to meet you.”

“Thanks,” said Lila, looked bemused. “It’s kind of amazing to meet you too.”

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