Page 57 of Holiday Friend Zones
She doesn’t flinch.Crossing her arms, she shifts her weight, all but rolling her eyes.
“I halted a felony, so yes.”
“Or broke our sister’s heart,” Lindee accuses, walking up to her.
“I did no such thing.We are not going to pretend this was real,” Mikayla snarks.
Lindee looks at me, her hazel eyes soft, full of love, and somehow, knowing.It’s aways been amazing to me how different these three woman are—blonde, brunette, and redhead—and yet, those same eyes connect them.Same with their brother.Which is how I know how to read their eyes.They are simply a different version of the ones I love so much.
“It is,” I say softly, my heart breaking over not saying this sooner.Clearing my throat, I repeat myself, louder this time.“It is.It’s real.I love her.Have for a long time.None of this is about her being a Murray or the Tennessee Trouble money.It’s about her.Plain and simple.”
“Well, no kiddin’, son,” my dad says, chuckling.
I whip my head up, shocked to find both sets of parents standing there.Smiling like they can finally let me in on a secret.
“We’ve been waiting on you two to figure this out since the fourth grade,” my mother adds.“We would have been here sooner, but Bonnie and I have secretly had a something old and a something blue picked out for a long time should you two actually get your act together.Since you didn’t give us a lot of notice, I had to scramble a bit.”
“But we got them!”
Miss Bonnie and my mama hold up a vintage silhouette brooch and a piece of blue satin ribbon embroidered with Kyra’s new monogram, making my heart squeeze.Well, shit.I don’t know if that makes things better or worse.
“It was still tax fraud,” Mikayla mutters.
“It’s only illegal if you get caught,” Rylan comments.
“No, it’s not!”
I bite back my laugh, not wanting to poke the dragon anymore.Regardless of how humorous this interaction might be, I still have a very upset fiancée.That is, if she is still my fiancée.
I need her to still be my fiancée.
“Davis?”Lindee says, almost as if she’s reading my mind.“What are you thinking?”
I turn to her, smiling, the lightbulb going off in my brain.
“I know how to fix this.”
Chapter Six
KYRA
At some point, I need to get out of bed.It is a requirement.
After all, it’s Christmas Eve.And tradition must be upheld.Even if I’d rather crawl into the earth and let it swallow me whole.
I’m definitely feeling that way.
Admittedly, I maybe should have thought through some of the legalities a bit more before blindly agreeing to get married.But that’s why you have a finance advisor bestie—to know these things.To keep you out of the legal hot water of committing tax fraud via a sham marriage.
Except it wasn’t a sham marriage.At least not on my end.I’d like to think after our slumber party the other night, not for Davis either.Now thanks to my oldest sister, I’m not sure I’ll ever know.
I look at my phone, checking the time.I still have three hours before I have to be at the distillery for Tinsel Tangle, the super exclusive cocktail party hosted by the Ol’ Troublemakers, our VIP group.The party is technically open to the public—if you can get tickets, which is next to impossible since invites go to shareholders first, then to Ol’ Troublemakers, and then, if magically there is room left, we open it up for sale.I don’t think there has been a general sale on Tinsel Tangle tickets in my lifetime.Or my parents’ lifetimes for that matter.
It’s a bougie, boozy, boring evening, and always seems to steal the magic out of Christmas for me.Too many people wanting to see and be seen, while getting a sneak peek at the newest Tennessee Trouble or a taste of something rare enough to only make an appearance at this event.Plus, it’s the only time you can get an Ol’ Fashioned Preacher, the special Christmas cocktail whose recipe is as secret as the Coca-Cola formula.
Personally, I’d much rather spend my evening in my pajamas on the couch.At least if I’m stuck there, I have Davis to keep me company.
Oh…wait.Fuck.
