Page 34 of Screwing With The Scrooge

Olive is beaming, laughing at something that her sister, Saffron, says and I find myself smiling too. She’s really in her element today, and for the first time in my life, I imagine what my future will be like with her in it. I’m sure that it will be filled with laughter and love. With family.

The little ball of fur in my lap stretches and I look down at my new puppy. I had been shocked when Olive had gone out to meet her sisters and walked through the door with the black and white pup and even more surprised when she promptly handed him off to me.

“Merry Christmas!”

“A dog?” I asked, and she laughed.

“Every grinch needs a trusty companion.”

She and her sisters had giggled at that, but I was touched. The little guy licked my nose and I fell in love with him then and there. I decided to name him Max in honor of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and everyone agreed that was the perfect name for him.

Max spent the morning tearing apart wrapping paper and fighting with ribbons. I thought that I had all of the family that I needed with Townes, but Olive has shown me how wrong I was about that. It’s not a bad thing to have people that you care about. It’s a good thing. It just might take some time for me to get used to having so many people around, but I’m looking forward to it.

I glance over at Townes and see him looking a little bewildered. That’s exactly how I felt when everyone started to arrive. It’s been a lifetime since either of us has had this and I’m glad that Olive invited both of us.

“Sorry,” Mira says as she stumbles into me.

I reach out to steady her, and she smiles gratefully.

“Word of warning, Maple appears to have spiked the eggnog already,” she whispers to me, and I grin.

“Then I don’t think that you’ll be needing anymore of this,” Townes says as he plucks the cup from her fingers.

“Hey!” Mira protests, and I stare at Townes in shock.

I didn’t even see him headed over here. I’ve also never heard him talk to anyone like that. Normally, he avoids everyone just like me.

“I’ll just get another,” she tells him.

This is the most that I’ve ever heard her talk, and I wonder just how much liquid courage she’s had already today to be standing up to Townes right now.

“No, you won’t.”

They glare at each other for a beat and I clear my throat, giving Townes a what the fuck look. He ignores me and goes back to watching Mira with narrowed eyes as she heads back towards the kitchen.

“Dude, are you feeling okay?” I ask him as he downs the eggnog.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, for one, you’re bossing around girls that you barely know, and two, you fucking hate eggnog.”

He glowers at me, and I blink when I see what’s going on here.

“Ah,” I say, lifting my cup of hot chocolate to my lips to hide my smile.

I still can barely stomach the stuff, but it’s starting to grow on me. It reminds me of Olive and what she tasted like the other night. I push those thoughts from my head before I embarrass myself by getting a hard-on right here at Christmas dinner.

“Don’tahme,” Townes snaps, and I cough, trying to cover up my laugh.

“When do you think the wedding will be?” I tease him, and he curses under his breath and heads off after Mira.

“Hey, you. Are you having fun?” Olive asks as she comes over to my side.

“Yeah, I am. Townes is, too.”

She nods, watching as my best friend stares across the kitchen at Mira. He’s watching her like a hawk, and she’s doing her best to pretend like he doesn’t exist. It would probably be a lot easier if Townes wasn’t six and a half feet tall.

“Good,” Olive says with a knowing smile.

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