Page 16 of Merry Kissmas

“Fling?”Kenzie asks.She turns to Andrew.“Did you know they knew each other?”

“Why would I know that?”he says.

Is this what a baby brings, testiness with one another?

Andrew and Kenzie stare at us, as does the burger-eating man and most everyone else around us.My gaze darts to Brynn.How much does she want to tell them?

“We’re going to start the boarding process now…” one of the airline attendants at the gate announces.

“We’ll catch up on the plane.”Kenzie turns to Andrew, who is already swinging the diaper bag over his shoulder.

Andrew hands Nolan to Kenzie and breaks down the stroller.They work it like an assembly line, and not for the first time in my life, I’m impressed by my cousin.

“You’ll understand when you have kids,” Andrew says as he passes me.

The two of them walk toward the gate to wait to be the first to go in since they have a baby, leaving Brynn and me by ourselves.

“I cannot believe this.”She puts her book in her purse and grabs the handle of her carry-on.“This is setting up to be my worst holiday ever.”

“I think maybe it’s a sign.We can use the time to reconnect.”I take my small carry-on and swing it over my shoulder.

“We’re not reconnecting.”She barrels by me.

The burger guy gives me that look to say, “Sorry, mate, she’s not interested.”

And maybe she’s not, but I can’t help but think this is my chance.How many times do you get a second chance to right a wrong?

We no longer have the problem of the university and me being her TA.Sure, we’re going after the same job, but that’s a problem for later.

ChapterEight

Brynn

Iput my carry-on in the overhead bin and slide into my first-class window seat.Thank you, Mancini Advertising.They sure know how to treat their prospects.

Kenzie stands from her seat across the aisle.“Excuse me, I just have to get over there quickly.”She slides in front of the man working his way down the row and throws herself into the seat next to me.“Tell me everything.”

I look past her at Andrew, who is feeding Nolan cereal as he sits in Kenzie’s now-empty seat.

I really don’t want to get into this conversation.I’m still processing how all of this came about.And I know Kenzie, but it’s not as though she’s my best friend or anything.Hello, I didn’t even know Andrew’s cousin was coming on vacation with us, let alone that it was Pierce.And why didn’t my family tell me we had an extra person joining us?

But I can see from the gleam in Kenzie’s eyes that she’s not going to let this go, so I figure I might as well get it over with.

“I studied abroad for a semester, and I met Pierce at a pub.It was a long time ago.”

She smiles and good-naturedly rolls her eyes.“I know there’s more to this story.”

I shrug, not wanting to say it out loud because it sounds stupid.I lean forward, and Kenzie puts her hand on my arm.

“We hooked up one weekend, then I went to class and found out he was my teacher’s assistant.”

Her eyes widen, and she yelps.“Seriously?”

I nod, looking at the long line of passengers filing onto the plane.He hasn’t gotten on yet, and I have a bad feeling that he’s going to be seated in first class too.Mancini Advertising no doubt booked his ticket as well.

My gaze returns to Kenzie.Oh shit, no one has asked her to move because she’s in their seat.

“Oh, I love it.Just when I thought this would be a relaxing holiday in the mountains—bam, you two are gonna spice it up.”

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