Page 163 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“And I think you’re trying to get me drunk for the thirteenth and a half time.”

Both of us laugh, and I realize that I’m having fun. This pink-haired, terrifyingly assertive woman is maybe becoming my friend. It feels good to have a friend who’s not a mom friend—don’t get me wrong, every mom could use mom friends, but in my previous life in Charlotte, Ionlyhad mom friends. They distanced themselves once it became clear that Aidan’s differences from their children were going to stick, even more so after Glenn left. I felt as if I were a kid with cooties.

“It would do you some good,” Nicole says, clinking my glass with hers.

“You might be right,” I agree. “It was a long, stressful week.” My mind pings back to my disastrous outing with Jace at Tea of Fortune. “So, I guess you’ve talked with Tina. Did she tell you that she was interested in joining?” I gesture between the two of us, because it seems a little ludicrous to call it a club.

She leers at me. “You make it sound like a threesome.”

I smile back, because I can tell she’s trying to rile me. “Something tells me it wouldn’t be the first you’ve had.”

I earn a surprised laugh from her, and it feels good shocking—okay, more like slightly surprising—Nicole for a change instead of the other way around.

“You’d be right,” she says, “but I prefer the kind with two men.”

Now, she’sdefinitelytrying to rile me.

I feel my cheeks warm, so I take a sip of margarita. I’m already about halfway through it, which means I’m likely going to have to take an Uber. One glass of wine, I’d have been able to drive by the end of our meeting. But a partial glass of wine and a margarita?

Nope. Can’t chance it.

Luckily, Nicole’s moved on. “Yes, Tina wants to join our threesome. I’m meeting with her on Sunday to discuss her situation. Make sure she’s not a bad luck poseur before we all meet up.”

“Do people really do that?” I ask, kind of shocked. “Why?” Why would someone want to feel lost and lonely and inadequate?

She shrugs. “Fear of missing out? This club ismuchmore fun than the one I was in. Everyone in it was super boring.”

“But Molly’s boyfriend was in it, and all those other people you guys are friends with.”

“I didn’t say I don’t like them,” she says with a small smile. “I like you, and you’re boring.”

“Gee, thanks.”

She lifts her brows, reminding me that I still haven’t totally fulfilled my swear challenge, and I clear my throat.

“Fuck you,” I say, but it’s in a whisper.

She points upward.Louder.

“Fuck you!” I say.

Which is when I hear my sister Maisie’s voice behind me. “Mary?”

She sounds legitimately astounded, and I really can’t blame her. I’m sitting in front of a strawberry drink,swearing, while Nicole looks on like a proud teacher. I feel an almost choking sensation of having let my sister down. That’s something I never want to do again. I might not have been the big sister she and Molly needed when our parents died, or even before—butIneedthem. And here I am swearing like a sailor and drinking hard liquor, only an hour after Aidan was picked up, and…

“This is Nicole,” I say in a burst of words. “She’s my…we’re in a…”

Maisie’s face splits into a blinding smile. “Molly told me you were joining a Bad Luck—”

“We like to call it our threesome,” Nicole interjects with a straight face, and my cheeks blaze like they’re on fire.

“Whatever you like to call it,” Maisie says, unconcerned. It’s obvious they’ve met before, what with our overlapping circles, and I’m grateful she’s already been introduced to Nicole’s unique…charms. “I’m glad. You’ve always put too much pressure on yourself, Mary. Assumed responsibility for everyone else’s happiness and well-being. I just wantyouto be happy.”

Her response baffles me, and then it takes root in my heart and blossoms into a flower. Or maybe the kind of Christmas tree that actually gets decorated. Maisie glances across the restaurant toward Jack, who’s seated at a booth, looking our way. He smiles and waves, and I return the gesture. If Mabel’s not here, that means Molly or maybe Dottie is babysitting for her. They’re at this restaurant on a date.

I have a slightwhat are the odds?moment, but a lot of strange things have been happening to me lately, so much so that I have to wonder if life has always been strangely beautiful,and I’ve just been blinded to everything other than what I expected to see.

“I don’t want to disturb you,” I say. “You both need a night out.”

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