Page 58 of Merry Kissmas

With all the commotion, I continue to stare at Brynn.She looks upset I didn’t kiss her, but she just has to be patient.I have plans for us.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Brynn

“Okay, I made some snacks, then we’re going right into our next competition,” my mom says.

“I’m tired,” I say, feeling deflated that Pierce didn’t kiss me on the lips under the mistletoe.Not to mention embarrassed.

I give him the green light, and he kisses my cheek.What the hell?

“I’m with Brynn,” Kenzie says, yawning.“I love you all, but you’re crazy.”

“What’s the next challenge?”Andrew asks.

“Oh, and next year we’re not coming.You’re turning my husband into you guys,” Kenzie adds and yawns.“You must be injecting testosterone into the food or something.”

“Stop being that way,” Tessa says, sitting Ryah in her high chair and feeding her some of the snacks in bite-sized pieces.

“Well, we also have an early Christmas gift for you guys.”Mom looks at Dad, who is walking in with a bunch of gift bags.

The only people here who don’t know what the gifts are would be Pierce and maybe Andrew and Kenzie.The rest of us groan.

“What?”Pierce asks me, eyes wary.

“You have to wait and see.”I hop off the couch to grab something to eat.

I can’t be upset with Pierce.I’m just upset in general.We’ve been toeing the line, and I’m a little butt-hurt that he didn’t kiss me when he had the opportunity.

“Before we open them, we’re going to have our snowman-making contest.”

“Carter and Faith haven’t returned from their afternoon delight.”Tre pops a piece of caramel popcorn into his mouth.“Speaking of which, who wants to watch Ryah for an hour?”

“I will.”I raise my hand.

Tessa shakes her head.“We’re not going anywhere.”

Tre blows out a breath.

“Then Carter and Faith will be disqualified.The rest of you can get going.We’re not putting a time limit on this one.So go enjoy your day in the snow.”Gwen points at the door.

“I feel like when we were kids, and they used to make us go outside when all we wanted to do was watch television,” Tre says as we walk to the door like a herd of cattle.

Andrew places Nolan in his high chair, and my parents take over feeding the two of them.

“I like the built-in babysitter aspect of spending the holidays with your family, but I just want to go have a nice long nap now.”Kenzie steps out into the sun, sits in one of the chairs, and rests her head back in her hands.

“You’re the one with all the Christmas spirit,” Andrew says, rolling some snow into a ball.

I sit next to Kenzie, while Tessa sits on my other side.

“I guess it’s just us guys,” Pierce says, way too excited to build a snowman.

The three of us watch them work, and eventually, I tilt my face up to the sun.

The guys decide that the best plan is to roll the snow into balls by starting behind the house and bringing them this way.Good luck to them.

Kenzie turns to face me.“So, you and Pierce, huh?”

---