Page 39 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

She laughs so hard a snort escapes her, which makesmelaugh.

“I…think…Jonah’s family makes it,” she says through more gales of laughter. “I didn’t think it was very good either, but I don’t know what scotch is supposed to taste like.”

“Not like this,” I say, shaking the bottle, but then I shrug and take another sip. It doesn’t improve upon acquaintance. I cringe. “Nope. It’s worse the second time around.”

“You’re right, but I do like the burn,” she says, reaching for the bottle. When our fingers brush, another pulse of attraction works through me. I tell myself it’s just because it’s been too long since I’ve had a woman. I almost believe it, but then she asks, “What’s in the bag?”

“Contraband,” I say, smiling at her. “It’s for you.” My smile fades, though, because I don’t like what it implies that I brought this to her. That’s the kind of thing a putz would do—a man who’s let himself be Cupid’s bitch. It’s definitely not a smart action for a man who would very much like to no longer be known as Cupid, please and thank you.

“Oh?” she asks, setting the bottle down and reaching for the bag. I hand it over and watch as she pulls the little fake tree out of the bag. When she looks at me, there are tears in her eyes.

Shit, I didn’t want her to cry.

“Did I do something wrong?” I ask, straightening.

“No.” She lifts a hand to straighten one of the branches, which went askew in the bag. There are little ornaments that came on it, plus battery-operated lights. “You did something exactly right.” She flicks the lights on, then looks up at me, the soft glow playing over her features. “Thank you, Rowan.Thank you.I can’t believe you did this for me after the day you’ve had.”

“It’s not a big deal,” I say, suddenly self-conscious. Even more so when she sets it on the ground and leans forward to hug me. Her soft cheek and long, silky hair brush against me, but she’s leaning back again all too soon. For a second, I’mspeechless, then I mumble, “I saw they were selling them over at Wheeler’s Market, and it’s on the way.”

“Well, it’s a big deal to me,” she says. “I love it.”

Her eyes are shiny, and I’m afraid she’s going to cry. I’m no good at comforting crying women. It flusters me. It brings out my incompetence. So I blurt, “You’ll have to hide it.”

She smiles, looking back down at the tree and fiddling with one of the wire branches. “I like the idea of having a contraband tree.”

“A contraband tree and crappy scotch,” I say. “You’re a rebel, aren’t you?”

She grins at me with shining eyes. “Maybe I am.”

I’m tempted to ask her to rebel with me.

I’m tempted to tell her that I needed a way to forget tonight, and something led me to her.

Instead, I grab the shitty scotch from where she put it on the floor and take another pull from the bottle.

“Maybe you should help me rebel,” she says, and I nearly spit the mouthful of scotch out. “Why don’t we play Truth or Dare?”

I nearly choke. “What are we, two girls at a sleepover?” I ask, lifting my brows.

“No, we’re a man and a woman at a possible sleepover,” she says, making a gesture to match mine.

Fuck, I’m glad I grabbed that pillow.

“You know I can’t stay over here, Kennedy,” I say, trying to sound firm. It’s obvious that we’ve both felt the draw between us, but that doesn’t mean I need to listen to it.

“Sure, but it’s only just after ten. No one’s going to come check on me until morning.”

The thought of staying here until morning, of sneaking around with the princess of the show while the male contestants are off bickering and in-fighting pleases me more than it should.So does the thought of spending more time in her company, of watching this other side of her unfold.

I think again of Zach, and of what he’d do to me if he knew I have a boner for his sister.

“Your brother and I are kind of friendly, you know,” I blurt.

“I’m a big girl, Rowan,” she says with a sassiness that makes my blood boil. “I’m perfectly capable of playing Truth or Dare with another adult.”

I don’t actually want to leave. I certainly don’t want to talk to anyone in my family or to Jay. I’ve called the hospital to check on him, and they said he’s been sleeping a lot but that there’s nothing to currently concern them. The news about his wife is shitty, for certain, but it doesn’t make me feel more inclined to run back to the hospital. Maybe that means I’m a coward. If it does, so be it.

Ivy has bought a plane ticket, or so I gather from the texts she’s sent, and she’ll be in town tomorrow. I still haven’t spoken with Bryn, Holly, or Willow. I’m guessing my phone is blowing up with messages from them by now, but I don’t feel compelled to check. That probably means I’m an asshole in addition to being a coward. Ididgive my sisters the information they need, including where Jay is being kept, and I assured them that both he and I are okay.

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