Page 171 of The Holiday Fakers
She giggles. “Poor guy. He won’t know what hit him.”
“I think he will. Billy’s got snowballs in his pockets.”
“Brody! You are—” She shakes her head, but she’s still laughing.
“How did it go with Marv?”
She sobers up a little. “Okay, thank goodness. He’s just happy that we’re happy. He told me he was worried you were going to change your mind and turn the job down.”
“He knows me well.”
“I said we’re going to tell everyone tonight after the treasure hunt, when we’re home. And Mia’s going to be there too, for the family photo and presents.”
“You still do presents on Christmas Eve?”
“Just one or two. It’s nice and chill before the big day, which is mostly about Martha.”
“She must love it.”
“She does, and that just makes us love it even more as we see it through her eyes.”
I wrap my arms around Piper and kiss her, because I love this woman, and I can’t wait to spend forever by her side. The kiss is relatively chaste, but one turns into two, and two into twenty, and I completely forget we’re both dressed as elves, with a job to do.
“Beautiful!” Mia cries, and we break apart. “And another one with just smiling. Please?”
We pose for her with ridiculously cheesy grins on our faces.
“You photographing all the elves?” Piper asks.
“Pretty much. I got a great one just now of some kid lobbing a snowball at Marv.”
Piper digs her elbow in my ribs as I crack up. “See you for hot chocolate at three?” she asks Mia.
“Maybe not. I’ve got a few errands to run first.” Mia catches my eye, then gives me a tiny nod.
Good. My plan is in motion.
“But you’ll be at ours at four?” Piper continues.
“Sure, but I’ve gotta shoot now,” Mia replies, then jogs up the steps intoThe Almanacbuilding.
My heart beats a little faster in my chest. If Mia comes through, I’ll have a present for Piper that she won’t be expecting.
CHAPTER 31
PIPER
“Marv! Get in here!” Mom calls out as we all assemble next to the tree in the family room for the annual Christmas Eve photo.
The house smells of cinnamon cookies and coffee, with the faint scent of wood smoke from the fire. With the colored lights illuminating the tree and reflecting off the decorations around the room, it’s more festive than a Hallmark movie.
“Nah, this is for family,” Marv says, flapping a hand in her direction and taking a step back.
“Youarefamily,” Mom replies briskly, then drags him to stand next to her.
I lean back against Brody, warmth suffusing every part of me as he nuzzles my neck, occasionally nipping at my skin and making me shiver.
“Hey, you two in the back row. Stop making out!” Mia calls to us, then shifts the camera to her face. “Okay, say ‘jingle bells’!”
