Page 54 of Stolen Holidays
“Clever girl,” Emery quotes from one of the best dinosaur movies of all time, making me and Mason chuckle at the standoff going down.
“Don’t do it.” Cam holds out a hand.
The bird ignores Cam’s warning and bounds forward. Cam shuffles back, tripping over his feet as Lucky hops forward. It continues this way until Cam is at the door, with Lucky less than five feet away.
“Fucking hell.” Cam turns and takes off out of the barn at a dead sprint, the emu hot on his heels.
“Uncle Cam! Don’t run. Lucky, come back here!” Rhys shouts and chases them out of the barn.
We all follow and watch Cam sprint across the field, with Lucky hot on his heels and a shouting Rhys trailing behind.
Jeff steps beside me and rubs his temples, mumbling curses and threats about killing wild animals on his land.
“Ignore him. He doesn’t mean it. Jeff loves Lucky,” Hilly says, trying her best to convince us—and herself.
“Not as much as Lucky loves Cam,” Mason mumbles as the five of us witness the big, badass baseball player run away from a dinosaur bird.
I pull out my phone and film. “Hey, Cam, wave for the camera!”
“Fuck you, E!” He gives me the finger as he zigzags across the courtyard.
Rhys, always one to call us out, shouts, “You owe the jar twenty bucks, Uncle Cam!”
“Worth it!” Cam yells as he reaches the back deck of the inn. He leaps up the stairs and into the house. He slides the glass door behind him, locking the bird out. ,
We all break into laughter as we watch an angry Lucky squawk and peck at Cam from the other side of the glass door.
Callie walks over and wraps her arm around my waist. “What’s wrong with Lucky?”
“He’s angry his prey got away.” I kiss the top of her head, breathing in her sweet floral scent.
“Poor Cam.”
“He’ll live.” I chuckle.
This is turning out to be an even better holiday trip than I planned. I’m about to ask the love of my life to marry me, and I get to watch my baby brother get chased by an emu.
It’s a Christmas miracle.
twenty-two
Callie
“LuckyreallylikesUncleCam.” Rhys sighs as the bird relents, pecking at the glass door and pursuing Cam.
“Lucky more than likes Cam.” Eli chuckles.
I feel kind of bad that an emu is harassing Cam, and yet I can’t help laughing either. It’s like something you’d see on one of the funniest animal shows, not real life.
“That was exciting, but I need to use the restroom and take a nap. See you all later.” Emery waddles off, Mason right behind her, as well as Jeff and Hilly, who politely excuse themselves and take off towards the barn.
“Where were you?” I ask.
“What do you mean?” Eli replies quickly.
“Earlier. After I put Riah down, I came outside but didn’t see you or Rhys, so I went back to our cabin.”
“Weird. We were here playing catch.” He looks away.
