Page 105 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
She took her phone out onto the front porch to make her call.
He answered on the first ring. “What is your problem?”
“You,” she snapped. “Where are you?”
“I’ll be there in a few. We’re right in the middle of something here and I’m not dragging Sophie away.”
“Alden, you promised you’d have her back.”
“I will. Stop nagging.”
“I wouldn’t have to nag if you’d just do what you promised.”
She only got out half the sentence before he hung up. She got her phone in a strangle hold and shook it. “I hate you!”
Okay, get a grip. This isn’t helping. She took a calming breath and went back inside.
Her mother and Alden both looked at her expectantly.
She shook her head. “They haven’t even left yet. I’m sorry, Alden. This is so typical of my ex. He...”
“Walks all over her,” Mia finished. “He always has.”
“If you give me your parents’ address, I’ll put it in my phone and we’ll join you a little later,” Arianna said. Sometime before the end of the month.
“I have a better idea. Let’s pick Sophie up on our way.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Arianna said. Wyatt’s mother wasn’t all that fond of her anymore. He’d somehow convinced her what went wrong between them was her fault. And Wyatt would be bound to cause a scene, making her look like a bitch in front of his whole family.
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” said Mia. “Let’s go.”
“Maybe I should text that we’re coming,” Arianna said. Except then, out of perversity, Wyatt would probably take it into his head to bring Sophie home and they’d miss each other.
“Let’s go for the element of surprise,” said Alden.
“Good idea,” Mia concurred.
When it came to dealing with Wyatt, there were no good ideas.
Alden fetched Buster, then they strapped him into his doggie harness in the back of the cab, got Mia settled next to him and then set off for Wyatt’s parents’ house in Port Orchard.
As they pulled up in front of the house, Arianna could see a croquet set up on the front lawn and several people playing. One of them was Wyatt. There was no sign of Sophie, which meant she was in the backyard, probably playing with some of the cousins. So the onlywewho were in the middle of something was him. The rat.
Wyatt lifted his head as the truck pulled up to the curb, an easy smile on his face. Seeing Arianna in there, next to Alden, the smile became less easy. He said something to the others playing with him—a couple of uncles and a distant cousin Arianna barely remembered—then set down his mallet and started toward where Alden had parked.
“Oh, boy,” Arianna muttered.
“It’ll be okay,” Alden assured her.
He got out of the truck, ignoring the approaching Wyatt, came around and opened the door for Arianna.
Wyatt reached the truck, ignoring Mia, who remained in the back of the cab, acting as if Alden was invisible, and said to Arianna, “What is your problem? I told you I’d be there.”
Arianna could feel her cheeks heating with embarrassment. “At four. You were supposed to be there at four. We’re expected somewhere.”
“So you’ll be late.”
“Looks that way,” Alden said. He stepped in between Arianna and Wyatt. “Shit happens, I get that,” he continued calmly, keeping his voice low and even. “But now it’s time for Sophie to come to a party with us.”
