Page 53 of Merry Kissmas

Everyone stops and stares at me, then each other.

“Did you just compliment Pierce?”Tre asks.

“I can see people’s good qualities,” I say, making the brick path to the front door with Sweet Tarts.

“You haven’t seen Pierce’s since he arrived,” Carter says.I kick him under the table.“Ouch.Seriously, I’m gonna have a bruise.”

“Stop saying stupid shit,” I say.

“Carter, can you do the roof?”Faith asks.

“Yeah, go be a productive partner to Faith and leave me alone.”I shoo him away with my hand.

He does, but I think it’s because he wants to get laid more than how much he actually wants to help.Whatever, it gets him out of my hair.

Three hours goes by in a blink, and we all hold up our sugar-coated fingers when Mom calls time.

I will say the couples with the kids kind of get the shaft.Andrew had to get Nolan once, and their house isn’t the best as a result.Tre constructed the house and left it to Tessa to do most of the decorations while he kept Ryah occupied after she woke up.He’s still so military despite having retired from it.Even in the way he assigns the tasks of the gingerbread house decorating.

Carter and Faith’s house looks as though Ryah and Nolan put it together.Clearly this is not their forte.

Mom left most of it to Dad mostly because although his is only half-finished after three hours because he’s a perfectionist, she knows it’s his favorite contest.Couple goals.

My eyes veer to Pierce.He’s watching me secretly judge everyone else’s house.His smirk is sexy, and I have to clear my throat and look away.Now that I’ve opened myself up to allowing him in, I think he’s grown more attractive overnight.I watched him come off the hill today and could barely contain myself while he shrugged off his jacket.I’m in a lot of trouble.

Mom takes pictures of each team’s gingerbread house, uploading them to Facebook for judging.

“And tonight’s movie is…The Holiday,” Mom announces once everything is clean.

“I’m going to head to our villa to give Ryah a bath.Hopefully she’ll go down since she didn’t sleep very long earlier,” Tessa says.“You can stay here, Tre, I can handle it.”

“No, let’s go,” Tre says, waving goodbye.

“Us too unfortunately,” Kenzie says.“Nolan is so out of sorts.I need one good night of sleep from him if I’m going to make it to Christmas.”

We say good night.

Carter hovers by the door.“Faith and I were going to go into town.AndThe Holidayisn’t really my thing.”

“Because it’s more of a romance?”I ask.

“Yep.”He places his hand on the small of Faith’s back and urges her out the door.

“I guess it’s just us four,” Mom says.

“Yeah.”Awesome.

This won’t be uncomfortable at all.

My parents sit in chairs on either side of the couch, and I respectfully don’t cuddle up to Pierce.That would be weird.I reach for the blanket as the movie starts.

“Do you mind sharing?”Pierce asks.

“Course not.”I ignore my parents’ side-eyes and lift it over his lap, causing me to scoot closer to him.

My knee touches his thigh, and who am I kidding?I have no idea how long I’ll last before I grab him and smash my lips to his.

Halfway through the movie, my dad is snoring, and my mom’s eyes are closed.

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