Page 121 of Holiday Hire

I force myself to move my head and look up. "What time is it?"

"A tad past eight."

"I need to help cook dinner."

He grunts. "You won't miss much for a few hours. Get some rest so you can enjoy the day. Besides, I'm cashing in on my winnings after we eat."

"Your winnings?"

He nods, studying me.

My gut drops. I'm scared to ask but have to. "What did we bet?"

"Something fun. You'll see." He rises and downs the rest of his coffee. "I need to get a few things done."

"You aren't going to tell me?"

He rinses his mug and puts it in the dishwasher. "Nope. Since you don't remember, I'll keep it a surprise. But you did tell me you were excited."

"I did?"

"Yep."

I rack my brain, but I can't remember anything about that conversation.

He asks, "You sure you don't want any toast?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Okay. Go rest."

I question, "Where are the boys?"

"All the kids are outside taking advantage of the freak Texan snowstorm."

"It never snows here?"

"It does on a rare occasion, but typically never this early. The kids built a few snowmen before they started a snowball fight. The others are at the main house, but feel free to go there when you're ready. You should go back to bed and rest a while longer."

I cave, agreeing. "Okay. If you're sure?"

"I'm sure. Besides, I think Paisley and Willow might still be asleep."

A flashback of the three of us laughing, then Paisley asking for a tarp from the barn, hits me. I ask, "Did we do something with a tarp last night?"

Alexander's eyes light up. "There might have been a few attempts at a slip 'n slide in the snow."

"A slip 'n slide?"

He nods. "Yep."

Another flashback rolls through my brain. Horrified, I ask, "Did I almost freeze to death, and you put me in a hot shower?"

"Sure did," he states.

The color drains from my face. I groan. "Ugh. I'm sorry."

He chuckles. "It's okay."

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