Page 33 of Christmas Wishes

I was beginning to wish I had more time in Juniper Ridge, which was something I never would’ve guessed. That would help me better figure Riggs out so I could do more to set him up with someone. At least leave him with some prospects.

“Are there any gay bachelors in town?”

Doris chuckled. “Yes, but Riggs pays no attention to him. He’s got particular taste.” She winked at me.

* * *

RIGGS

As I finished Doris’s minor tasks thatdefinitelyweren’t urgent, I entered the dining room to Keaton and Doris laughing over something. Doris wasn’t as clever as she thought she was. I saw right through her ruse to get us over here so she could see us together.

Keaton had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard. He’d dropped his elbows onto the dining table and had his face in his hands as his shoulders shook. He was beautiful and uninhibited.

I pulled my attention from Keaton and back to Doris. She was laughing just as hard.

She turned to me. “Thanks for your help. Dinner’s ready.”

I shook my head as she smiled innocently at me. We all took turns dishing up taco casserole at the stove, then settled at the table.

“I can’t believe he thought he could hide a cat from your parents.” Keaton shook his head with a smile playing on his lips.

“Nico thought he could get away with anything when we were little.” Doris animatedly told us stories of their childhood in Greece as we ate.

I hadn’t heard her talk so freely about Nico since he’d died. Was I the reason she’d stopped herself from talking about him? At least around me. I wanted her to laugh and smile at Nico’s memory. Hell, I wanted that for myself. I didn’t want to think of the most important person in my life and be consumed with regret over our shortened time together.

As they continued laughing and chatting, some of my grief fell away. I’d been so wrapped up in my loss,ourloss, that I hadn’t allowed myself to embrace all the great memories.

Doris told a story about Nico accidentally walking in on their parents having sex when he was too young to understand it, then promptly announcing it at a big family dinner the next night.

“That reminds me of a job in the fancy Desert Rose neighborhood. The homeowner called to say they kept losing power. We sourced it to a room in their basement. Turned out it was full of sex furniture, and the wiring was shorting out behind one of those vintage desks with the roll-up front. When we lifted it, we saw that it was lined with fabric and there were about a dozen sex toys lined up and plugged in with the cords going to a single panel behind the desk.” Laughter burst out of me at the memory of Nico trying to hold it together and appear professional in front of the customer as we got permission to move the desk out of the way.

My laughter had a rasp to it. It’d been a while since I’d used it. Then I realized I was the only one laughing. Doris smiled so widely that I worried her cheeks might crack. But Keaton. Damn. Keaton stared at me delightedly, like he’d just witnessed a dog speaking English.

The rest of the meal passed without incident, and I hated to admit it, but I had a good time. I’d felt bone-deep exhaustion when I’d arrived, but now that dinner was winding down, I was energized. Huh.

Keaton stood. “I’ll clean up since you cooked us this delicious meal.”

“I’ll help,” I offered quickly, ignoring Doris’s wink.

“Thank you, boys. I’ll pack up some crochet supplies to send with you, Keaton.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do that.”

She waved him off. “Nonsense. I have more than I’ll ever have time to play with. It’s my pleasure to welcome another hooker into the guild.”

“Oh my god, is that what crocheters are called?” I followed Keaton’s laughter into the kitchen.

We were quiet in the kitchen initially, but it was comfortable. I put the leftovers away while Keaton began to wash dishes. Once the food was in the fridge, I joined Keaton at the sink to dry the pans as he washed them.

“Doris is great. She taught me how to crochet in like an hour. I can’t wait to give everyone ugly potholders for Christmas.”

I laughed. That one came easier. Dinner must’ve broken a dam in me.

“She’s a great teacher. She taught me how to fold a fitted sheet, which is now one of my best skills.” My cheeks stretched into a grin.

“You have an amazing smile,” Keaton said quietly.

My hackles rose. “Are you telling me I should smile more?”

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