Page 51 of Rumor Has It

“You know what?” she sighs.

“Hmm...What’s that?” I’m concentrating on making a perfect outline and my tongue is between my lips.

“Unless Auntie teaches you to bake, you’re doomed.”

“I am not.” I scoff. “Do you know why? My favorite dessert is a brownie in a mug.”

“A what?”

“Brownie mix. In a mug. Add water. Press the start button on the microwave. Boom!”

“Is he for real?” Emeran asks Cassidy.

“Him, not sure. The brownie thing can be done.”

“Will you show me?”

“Yes. Maybe you can even come over before Isaiah’s vacation ends and he’ll show you since he’s the expert at microwave brownies. But not today. We have all these amazing cookies to eat.”

Emeran looks at my disfigured stars. “Maybe after dinner. I’m going outside.”

“Ooof!” I blow out a breath, standing up from the stool and straightening my spine.

“Back sore?” Cassidy rubs my lower back as she hugs me.

“More like bruised ego.”

“Believe me, you’d know if Emeran was being hard on you. She likes you.”

Cassidy moves away. She outlines a cookie, floods it and pinches some sprinkles between her fingers, making an effortlessly perfect decorated snowflake.

Cadence enters, placing a mug of cider on the table.

“Oooh!Is that for me?” She nicks the flawless cookie off the rack, and takes a huge bite. “Delish! Are you coming to Newgate for caroling tonight? My mama’s looking for a headcount.”

“Not sure we can.” Cassidy sasses, cheekily. “Emeran told Isaiah he needs voice lessons.”

“Yeah, ya might wanna get on that. I mean, your latest number one is now what, your latest number two?” Cadence wipes crumbs from the countertop.

I shake my head.

“Ooh, sorry, ego.” She winces.

“Nah,it’s not like that.”

The fall on the charts isn’t new information. My team told me it could only rank for so long without the video and more PR.

What it is, is the playfulness of these women—one of whom can’t be ten-years old—who are showing me there is more to life than taking myself so seriously.

This would not be how my day went had I stayed in Nashville. I’ve done a dozen things I haven’t experienced in God knows how long, if ever.

Seriously, I’ve had a tree, gifts to give, and friends to give them to. But I haven’t had a Christmas Eve this jam-packed or mind-blowing since before I knew the jolly old elf was a gimmick my parents used to get me to go to bed early.

Perhaps the uniqueness is the appeal of celebrating it with Cassidy. Except, I don’t think anything that happens next year can possibly follow it and make a holiday better.

Hours later, I’m still relaxed, having a ton of fun just being Isaiah, and looking forward to caroling after dinner.

The dining room table is set for the quintuplets’ generation and a half dozen round tables with red linens and white china transform the mansion’s foyer into a high-class restaurant… If some place fancy had seating interspersed with a crap ton of booster seats and high chairs.

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