Page 322 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

He gave her a wicked grin that pumped heat through her. “You mean you’re not willing to wait for Instacart?”

Afterward,they pulled on their clothes—Adalia’s plans would keep Jack’s sisters out of the house for another couple ofhours, but it was possible someone might show up—and lay on the couch next to the Christmas tree, the twinkle lights casting a warm glow on them. Tyrion had curled up beside the tree, Jezebel perched on top of him like he was an ottoman.

“I’m glad you’re here. Obviously. But I feel like I should ask why you’re not at the bachelor party,” Jack said, playing lazily with a lock of her hair.

“I guess I should be, technically speaking, but it was more important for me to be here with you,” she said, turning so she could look at him. “River told me you left.”

“Yeah.” He sat up, pulling her with him. “Prescott stopped by to cause trouble, and I overheard him and Lee arguing. Turns out Prescott only came to Asheville because he wants to set up roadblocks for the wedding. He doesn’t think much of Finn either.”

“That’s not exactly a shocker. Prescott called River a few days ago, and he basically told him as much.”

Everyone knew Prescott was a dick—even she knew that, and she’d never had the displeasure of meeting the man. But she was pretty sure Prescott’s dickishness hadn’t been what sent Jack running. No, that had something to do with Lee.

“How does Lee fit into this?” she asked softly, reaching up to touch his stubble.

“Honestly, Lee surprised me. He actually stood up for Georgie and Adalia…” He stared off into the distance, his eyes glazing over.

“But?” Because with Lee, of course there had to be a but.

“But then Prescott left, and Lee told me what I already knew. He said I’ll never be part of the family no matter how hard I try.” He shrugged as if he didn’t care, but it obviously stung.

“Well, he doesn’t get to decide that,” Maisie said tightly. “And he doesn’t deserve you. I plan to tell him as much later tonight.”

He smiled at her, then leaned in and kissed her neck, nipping a little.

She moaned because it felt good—beyond good—but she pulled back. “We need to talk about this. You said you didn’t feel like you belong here, but I have news for you. You already belong. You and Iris. You’re part of our crew.”

She’d said it to encompass their group of friends. Finn and Adalia, River and Georgie. But she’d also meant her specifically, and the dogs. And she saw again that image of them stringing lights together next Christmas.

His eyes warmed, and he pulled her closer. “Thank you. I was feeling pretty low when I came inside with Tyrion, but as soon as I walked through the door, Jezebel knocked over the ukulele in the living room, and I found myself bringing it outside. Dottie left it on the porch for me a few months ago—one of her just-because gifts.”

He traced a finger along Maisie’s collarbone. “My grandmother always used to sing with me. I don’t buy into Dottie’s woo-woo stuff any more than you do, but it was almost like she knew. Anyway, I found myself thinking about Dottie and my sisters.” He met her eyes. “Aboutyou. And I realized that I have the good opinion of everyone who matters. I shouldn’t care about Lee any more than I do my father. It’s just…I found out about Lee when I was still just a kid. I didn’t have a father, and there weren’t any other men in my life. So I had this image of a big brother who’d back me up and teach me things. Part of me still wanted it to happen.”

“Oh, Jack,” she said, and because she needed to, she leaned in and kissed him. “Trust me, I get it. I kept a moth-eaten Santa beard for ten years. And let’s not get started on my closets. I’m going to recruit you and Iris to help me go through what’s left. I’m pretty sure my Girl Scout badges are in there. It’s hard knowing what to hang on to and what to let go.”

She was tempted to tell him about her own struggle—about how hard it had been to see River find happiness with someone else. But she didn’t want him to misunderstand. Besides, it didn’t matter anymore, did it? It was in her past, and she’d moved on.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you away because of Iris,” he said. “I meant what I said in the note I left you after Dottie’s party.”

She lifted her brows. “It’s a little late for you to tell me you just want to be friends.”

“No, not that part of the note,” he said, sounding a bit confused. “I’m talking about what I said at the end.”

Ah, the mysterious end of the note, which had met its demise in Einstein’s digestive system. She told him, and he laughed. “That’s the equivalent of saying a dog ate your homework. I figured you weren’t interested.”

“Oh, I was, but I might not have been ready yet.”

He gave her a look, like he maybe wanted to press her on that, but instead he played with another lock of her hair. “Iris will get used to the idea. I think she’s mostly just worried that I’ll mess things up, and it’ll make things weird between the two of you.”

“So don’t mess things up,” she said with a grin. “Speaking of Iris, she gave me a note for you.” She got up and grabbed it out of her bag, then handed it over.

He read it, his eyes dark and full of emotion. When he was done, he silently handed it over to Maisie.

Jack–

I wasn’t sure I wanted you to date Maisie at first, but that’s only because I worried you weren’t serious about her. You’ve never looked at any other woman the way you look at her though, and don’t even get me started about the way you went off like a knight on a quest to get those Christmas lights. Maisie deserves the best. And you’re the best. I just don’t want to loseher. You’ve convinced me you’re serious though, so you better make a move fast. Because people like her are rare.

I know you’re worried about finally having a life of your own. Don’t be. I’m almost eighteen, Jack, and I don’t want you to be left with nothing when I go to college. I’m sorry I was a brat about it in the beginning, but I’m glad you came here to join the brewery. You did the right thing. And Georgie and Adalia aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they were. Okay, fine, I’ll admit it. They’ve grown on me.

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