Page 89 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“You want your app to taunt people too?” I ask. “You don’t get enough satisfaction from doing it in person?”

The fry hurtles at me, and I catch it in my mouth. I’m chewing it, enjoying the textures and the burst of salt, when Ivy says, “You need to show her the magic of Highland Hills, you dipshit. Show her that she wants to stay.”

I nearly choke on the fry, so I leave it to Holly to tell her she’s insane.

“Did you just say magic and Highland Hills in the same sentence?” Holly asks, laughing.

“You don’t live here,” I say after swallowing the fry. “Seems to me you left this place first chance you got.”

“I’m here now,” Ivy says. “I’m working at this bar. You don’t get more Highland Hills than that.”

“It’s a brewery,” Holly says, narrowing her eyes at her. “And we’re all assuming you’re going to leave after the New Year.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Ivy says. “I may want to stick around until I’m done with the book. I usually like to live the part while I write, and I just startedBeauty and the Bar.”She lifts her chin at Holly. “I might even try dating someone who hangs out here, really fall into the role.”

“As long as you stay away from Cole,” Holly teases.

“What about his brother?” Ivy asks with a smirk. “He’s always here, and he is sexy as hell. I heard he punched some jerk in here a couple of weeks back for being too forward with a woman.”

“Nope. Nuh-uh. No way,” I tell her. “Logan is a total man whore. Everyone knows that. You will not under any circumstances flirt with him.”

Ivy rolls her eyes and puts a hand on her hip, her blond curls bouncing. “Did it ever occur to you that I mightenjoybeing involved with a man whore?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I snap. “This is why earplugs were invented. The inventor clearly had little sisters.”

Holly shrugs. “Wouldn’t bother me. You can bang-bang-bang away with Logan if you want. Hey, maybe you’ll fall in love with him, and we can be sisters-in-lawandsisters!”

“My ears are bleeding,” I complain.

“Nah, not what I’m looking for,” Ivy tells us. “I just want a little fun to help inspire me.”

I can feel my eyes go round. “Do you find special inspiration for all of your books?” Because she’s written at least twenty. It’s not that I’d judge any woman for finding as much “inspiration” as she pleases, it’s just that I’d rather not think of my sisters’ sex lives.

“Is that any of your business, Rowan?” Ivy asks with plenty of attitude. “From what I’ve heard, you’re not exactly virginal.”

“Can we put a halt to this conversation? Please? I think my brain is going to explode.”

“Well, anyway, I think I’m going to stick around a while,” Ivy says. “I mean, Bryn tells me that she and Rory might want to get married before the baby’s born. Why bother going all the wayback to Charleston if I’ll just have to turn right back around for the wedding?”

Holly and I exchange a look. Who’s this person, and what did she do with our wild little sister who lives in Charleston but is constantly traveling anywhere other than Highland Hills?

“Are you going through something?” Holly finally asks.

“Obviously,” Ivy says. “My father had a heart attack, and I found out that my half-brother’s my full brother. That’d be some shit for anyone.”

We both nod in acknowledgment, because, yes, that’d be some shit for anyone.

She makes a face. “Plus, I guess I have my reasons for not wanting to go home right now.”

Holly leans toward her like she’s a shark that smells blood in the water. “What happened?”

“I’m not ready to talk about it,” Ivy says, making a face. “But I don’t think I’m going through something in the way Rowan is going through something. He’s going through a sea change, don’t you think?”

“What the fuck’s a sea change?” I ask.

“The kind that leaves you a different person,” she tells me, eyes twinkling. “That’s what’s happening to you. I can see it happening.”

These words are still soaking into me, settling down deep just like what Ivy said about showing Kennedy the good parts of Highland Hills, when Zach and Tina walk into the brewery. He’s dressed up like he should be going to a yacht party somewhere, and she’s more casual in a sweater dress and boots.

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