Page 33 of Merry Kissmas

“That’s easy.Hairdryer.”Kenzie rolls her eyes.

“Nope.Hands and mouth are the only things you can use.And thank Faith, because I wanted it to be mouths only.”

“Only you, Carter.”Brynn gets off the end of the couch, running right into me like she did at the airport.

My hands hold her upper arms to steady her, and she looks up at me.

“Sorry,” she says, garnering the attention of her family.

I release my hold, and she goes back to the drink station, making herself another coffee.

When I look away from her and back at the room, I find each family member staring at me.Andrew especially.I can already tell he’s going to ask me more questions about my time with Brynn.

“Mind your own business,” Brynn calls out behind me.“So, when does this start?”

Gwen gives me a soft smile and signals to Abe for the next slide.“Yes, I know you’re all itching to get out there.Tonight, we’ll do the tree decorating.After all, it’s not Christmas without a tree.Everything will be delivered to your villas.It’s a craft, so a lot of construction paper, glue, and other items.If you have anything bought from a store…” Everyone looks at Carter, and he groans.“You’re disqualified.Got it?”

“What do you get if you win?”I ask.I’m not hoping for some monetary value or prize, just curious.Since they all take it so seriously, it must be something big.

The entire room laughs except for the kids.

“Tell him what you won last year, Carter,” Tre says as if he’s razzing him, but it’s clear he’s just as competitive as his brother.

“You get your picture on the star on top of the tree the next year.”

“Which does bring up…” Gwen walks over to a box and digs out a gold star.“Go ahead and put it on the tree.”

“My pleasure.”Carter takes it from his mother, then grabs the ottoman next to the couch and stands on it to place it on top of the tree.

This family is bonkers.All of this for your picture on a star?Absurd.

Brynn walks by with her coffee and examines the gold star with Carter’s smiling face in the middle.“Did you get that professionally done?”

“I haven’t won in, like, five years.It was a big moment.”Carter grins.

“I think you need to find more purpose in your life.”Brynn walks past me, ignores me, and sits back on the edge of the sofa.

“Maybe my purpose should be to find out what really happened in London.”Carter puts up a finger.“Was Pierce more than your TA?Pretty sure he was, but we’re waiting for you to give us all the deets.”

“Shut up,” she says.

“Okay, you two,” Gwen says to them.“Every day, the competition will be presented to keep you on your toes.Go about your merry days now.”

Abe turns off the computer and Gwen the television.

Andrew comes over to me.“Let’s go.Who else is heading out?”

Carter, Faith, Abe, Gwen, and Tre all raise their hands.

“We’ll meet in, like, forty-five?”Tre offers.

“Perfect.”Andrew nods.

Brynn slides into the corner of the couch.

“You’re not going?”I ask her.

She shakes her head.“Not yet.Tre said he’ll be back at lunch, then I’ll go out with Tessa for a bit.Have fun on your skis.”

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