Page 32 of Enticing

Like right now? Give me an hour. We’ve got a day off and Kenzie should be home for lunch any minute.

Leo

So what? You’re going to cook her lunch?

Nixon

No, asshat. I’m going to eat her for lunch.

Callen

Does anyone have a ladder?

I guess the guys and a ladder will do for now.

“Where did you say Caitlin is?” Killian asks from the bottom of the ladder as he hands Callen the next string of white icicle lights.

Callen’s basically screwed.

Caitlin’s pregnant with his baby, living with him, and she practically hates him.

You couldn’t pay me to walk in his shoes right now.

“Her friend Addie lives around the corner in the old Winbury bed and breakfast. I’m surprised she even told me where she was going,” he admits, and I keep my head down.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of Adelaide’s living room tonight.

“I thought the old lady that owned that place died,” Nixon says.

“All I know is Cait’s friend lives there now. She’s barely talking to me. So it’s not like I’m getting a full story.” Callen staples a string of lights to the shingles, then tears his glove away, ripping off the staple and lights with it.

I don’t speak up. Not ready to talk about Addie with these guys yet.

Not yet.

“Can somebody tell me why we’re doing this again?” I hang green garland strung with white lights along the porch railing, trying to change the topic. I kinda like that Adelaide isn’t something I’m sharing with my family. I feel like they wouldn’t understand if I did, and I don’t feel like arguing. “Pretty sure this isn’t getting you laid, Uncle.”

Whether any of these idiots saw it or not, Caitlin and Callen have danced around each other for fucking years. Years. Pretty sure them ending up together was inevitable. She might be pissed as hell with him now, but my money is on them working it out.

“Because it’s what she wanted,” Callen snaps. “And it’s Christmas. Or how about because I’m leaving her alone while I play a game on the other side of the damn country that day, and I’m pretty sure she’s skipping her family’s Christmas, in case I didn’t already feel like a big enough asshole.” He groans and looks at the still half-empty roof like he thought we’d already be done by now.

I get it.

Who knew this shit took this long to do?

“Just saying, but I’m pretty sure you not being here is the best present you could give her.” Okay... yeah, I’m a dick when I want to be. In my defense, they kinda expect it at this point. I think the guys would be more surprised if I wasn’t busting balls.

“Dude. Do you ever hear the shit you spew?” Nix gets the wreath hung on the door, then moves to help me with the rest of the garland. “Do you have ribbons or something she wants with this?”

Callen shrugs, looking kind of defeated.

“What the hell do you know about ribbons, Nixon?” Killian questions as he unravels the next strand of lights.

“More than you three, since Kenzie had me do this shit the day after Thanksgiving. Apparently, ribbons are important. And according to Kenzie, they should be red or gold. And if they’re red, there are only a few acceptable shades.” He has the next string of garland up in half the time it was taking me. “My girl gave me a dissertation on the importance of it all as we got this shit set up.”

“Was it worth it?” Killian eggs him on, but Nixon doesn’t give a shit.

“Let’s just say there are a lot of uses for ribbons,” Nix answers, and Kill whistles.

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