Page 5 of Merry Kissmas

“What can I get you?”the bartender asked with impatience in his tone.

I turned to look, and he was nodding like “get on with it.”

“Oh…um…a beer.”

“Which one?”the bartender asked, looking down the line at the rest of the people he needed to serve.

“Um…that one.”I pointed at one of the beer pulls, hoping it wasn’t a dark beer.

“Pint or half?”The bartender blew out a breath and shared an annoyed expression with Pierce.

I felt my cheeks heating up and suddenly wanted to start my trek back to Oregon even if I had to swim across the Atlantic to get there.“Which one is smaller?”

The bartender looked again—this time at Pierce’s friend—and his shoulders slumped.

“May I?”Pierce asked me, his mesmerizing smile on display.

I nodded, unsure what to do.

“A pint of pale ale,” Pierce said.

The bartender nodded and started to pour my beer.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Tourist?”he asked, then leaned over and reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

“Kind of.”

The bartender interrupted us.Had he not, maybe I would have told Pierce I was there for school, and we would have discovered who each of us were to the other and that would have been that.

“Let me buy you a drink,” Pierce said, and the bartender disregarded my money and took Pierce’s.

I roll my eyes at the memory of being in the pub that night.Getting up, I grab my suitcase and unpack, pushing all thoughts of Pierce away from me.It was a momentary blip.I won’t see him again, and that will be the end of that.

My phone dings.I stop hanging up my clothes and answer the text in my family’s group chat, which is always out of control, but even more so with Christmas almost right upon us.

Tre: Still sour grapes about having to come here?

Attached is a picture of the inside of his cottage, complete with a roaring fireplace and Tessa sitting on the couch.

Mom chimes in immediately because I think her phone is glued to her hand until we’re all there safe and sound, together again.

Mom: Don’t get her all riled up before the interview.

Dad: She’ll be fine.She’s my rockstar.Everyone loves her winning personality.

Carter: Winning personality?I thought I was your rockstar.

Tre: Everyone knows I’m the rockstar.Hello, retired Army Ranger… I outrank both of you.

My thumbs hover over the screen because I’m not sure what to text.Pierce has my mind in a complete spin.

Tessa: Ignore him, Brynn.You’re going to have all the same comforts of being back home.Mom and I made sure of it.

I’m tired from the flight.See you all tomorrow night.Which one of your sorry asses is picking me up?

Silence.Which is never a good sign with my family.

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