Page 68 of Holly and Nick Hate Christmas
“Um…” I glanced over at Nick, who still hadn’t seemed to fully recover from his brush with—well, whatever the word was for a horseback riding phobia. “Several of us.”
Ryan and Lydia shuffled into the kitchen next, wearing matching robes and saving me from my sister’s wrath.
“Morning.” Ryan stretched. “Any coffee left?”
“Barely.” Kat scowled. “But no donuts.”
“Hey.” I tapped Nick’s arm. His wide-eyed gaze locked on me, as if surprised I was still here. I lowered my voice to a whisper. “This is probably our chance for the announcement.”
“Oh, right.” He shook his head a little. “Whatever you want.”
Was he sweating? Sympathy welled. “You don’t have to ride, you know.”
“I don’t?” Hope practically dripped off his face. He cleared his throat and straightened a little. “I mean, I will, if I need to.”
Uh-huh.I shook my head. “We can just hang out. Take pictures.”
“From the ground.”
I nodded. “From the ground.” Apparently, the hot, flannel-wearing, Christmas-hating Jack had an Achilles. I couldn’t wait to text Piper.
“There’s another bag of donuts right here.” Always a helper, Lydia emerged from the pantry with a white and blue package. “Grace knew to hide one from Janie and Mason.”
“Smart.” Olivia slurped her coffee. “I need to start doing that at home. Though Paul would totally find them first anyway.”
Kat ripped open the bag like a raccoon, using her teeth and her nails.
“Mom and Dad up yet?” Lydia poured Ryan a cup of coffee.
Olivia shook her head. “I heard Dad snoring when I passed their room.”
The kitchen fell into a moment of rare silence, as Kat stuffed her face and Ryan savored his coffee. Even Axel’s chaotic stick-horse ride ceased as he and Chloe poured tall glasses of juice.
This was our chance.
I hopped down from the counter and stood next to Nick. Heat from his body radiated against my side. Was he nervous? Or still recovering from the horseback riding scare?
“Nick and I have something you should probably know.” I looked up at him, pointedly raising my brows.
“Yes.” Stiff as a board, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “We sure do.” He cleared his throat.
Well, he wasn’t going to win an Academy Award, but it would have to do.
“What is it?” Olivia impatiently checked her watch. “I need to wake up the kids.”
“It’s important.” Nick’s voice was borderline monotone. We’d have to work on that too. More love, less robot.
Chloe peered at us from over the rim of her glass. Kat bit into another donut, looking slightly less rabid now. Ryan took another long drag from his mug.
Apparently, I was going to have to be the one to say it.
I beamed at my family and looped my arm around Nick’s waist, attempting to ignore how taut his torso felt beneath my forearm. “Nick and I…are officially dating!”
Ryan spewed his coffee. Everyone else stared at us. The clock on the wall ticked an ominous rhythm.
Then Axel burst into a grin. “Well,duh.”
“Git along, little dogies!”
