Page 53 of Mistletoe Kisses

My ears began to ring as my stomach did a nose-dive off a cliff.

Reed held up his hand. “I know you have a history with the event.”

I scoffed. “‘A history’ is a pretty damn watered-down way to describe it.”

“It can’t be that bad?”

“You have no idea. I can’t perform at Making Spirits Bright again.”

The server returned to take our orders. “Good thing because I need the power to stay on so we can slow-cook our pulled pork.” She winked and laughed.

After she walked away, I gave Reed a pointed look.

Reed grimaced.

“See? I can’t. I’d get laughed off the stage.”

Something shifted in Reed’s demeanor, and I got a glimpse of why Reed was so good at his marketing job. “But think of howextraspecial the night would be for your loving brother if you came out of hiatus for this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Because it will be once in a lifetime. Warren is it for me, and I’m pretty sure I’m it for him. This will be his only engagement if I have any say in the matter.”

I let out a long whoosh of breath.I can’t.There was no way. But Arlo’s face popped into my head. Brave Arlo, who got on a plane and flew to Oregon with the goal of meeting a family who didn’t know he existed and against his mom’s wishes. If Arlo could do that, I could be brave, especially for a brother who had always been there for me.

“Okay, but I have conditions.”

Reed lit up. “Anything.”

“I performafterthe engagement happens becausewhenI fuck it up somehow, I don’t want it to affect the big moment for Warren.”

“Deal.”

“And keep an eye on Arlo while I’m on stage. He gets anxious.”

Reed told me more about his plans as we ate lunch. I had to admit, he’d figured out the perfect way to propose. When the check came, he grabbed it.

“Least I can do, given what you’re doing for us.”

Reed and I left after planning to talk again in a couple of days to iron out the plans. Fuck. I only had a few days to pick a song, practice, and overcome my fear of facing that stage again. No big deal.

I thought of Arlo as I drove to work. I wanted to talk to him about it. Normally, I would go to Warren for things like that, but this time I obviously couldn’t. I smiled as some of the stress lifted. It was nice to have someone to go to for things who didn’t have the “big brother” perspective on my life. Arlo was a great listener and smart as hell too. He’d help me figure it out.

Don’t rely on him too much because he’ll be leaving soon.

But he’d already decided to stay an extra week. What if I could convince him he’d be happiest if he stayed forever?

Chapter23

Arlo

I saton Lucas’s couch with my hands tucked under my thighs and stared at the TV, but I wasn’t paying attention to what was on. It was weird existing in someone else’s space. It was easier to relax in a rented room because those were nondescript. There wasn’t a risk of me ruining anything or putting something in the wrong spot.

When I’d let myself in yesterday, I’d crashed almost immediately on the couch and woken not long before Lucas got home from work, so I hadn’t had the chance to get weird about it. He’d completely distracted me for the rest of the night, and this morning, I’d been too anxious to see Ron to overthink it.

When I returned from the bookstore a couple of hours ago, the weirdness had crept in. So I’d sat on the couch and turned on the TV. My suitcase was still fully packed next to Lucas’s dresser. I’d even put my toothbrush back in my suitcase after using it this morning.

Lucas would be home soon, and then I’d be okay. He made me feel at home, but it was hard to embrace that when he wasn’t there.

I just needed to get through the next hour, so I channel-surfed and texted Keaton a bit.

The key in the door drew my attention a while later. I stood, then sat, then stood again. Should I greet him? Kiss him? Wave from the couch?Why am I so awkward?

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