Page 33 of 27 Kisses

His hands cover mine. “Don’t destroy another shirt.”

“Then wear something easier to take off.”

His chuckle reminds me that I’m being grumpy and unreasonable. “Sweetheart, we have time.”

Time? My brain reengages, dragging itself out of the lust-filled haze. “What time is it?”

He glances at his watch. “Just past three.”

“Shit.” I pull out of his grasp and adjust my clothes. “Lanie’s home.”

Garrett crosses his arms and watches me. “She’s sixteen.”

“Exactly,” I snap. Feckity-feck. Raking my fingers through my hair and my beard, I give him a smile. “She’s sixteen. With a boyfriend.”

“You don’t trust her?”

I never told him how she lost that trust. The reason I grounded her. And now is not the time. So, instead, I say, “I don’t trust him.”

He nods. And he looks so disappointed that I want to kiss him again. But the sound of tires on gravel stops me. Garrett glances out the living room window. “Great. My parents are back.”

I grab his face and kiss him. “Sometime very soon, I’m going to fuck you so hard.”

“Aidyn,” he says with a moan, “you’re an evil bastard.” He takes a step away and swallows. “Come back tonight.”

“But Lanie?—”

“Bring her. We can decorate the house. Buy a tree. Decorate the tree. Anything you want. Bring ornaments.”

“Are you sure? It’s a school night.”

“You and Lanie can stay over.” His voice is low as he stares at the floor. Is he afraid I’ll say no?

“A sleepover? Thought you’d never ask.” I lean in to kiss him?—

“Hello, we’re back.” Mrs. Bishop breezes in as I jerk away from their son. “Garrett, be a dear and bring in our bags. We found the cutest elves?—”

“No elves,” Garrett says, putting on his coat. “They’re creepy.”

I say goodbye and leave them arguing over elves. Ramon is doing prep today, so I need to check that he got everything done. And make sure Lanie hasn’t brought her boyfriend home with her. But my thoughts are on Garrett and what it would be like if we weren’t hiding.

Nine

GARRETT

Ten Days until Christmas

Isit too late to go back to work?

My parents are driving me up the wall. They’ve been…apathetic. That’s the perfect word. They’ve been apathetic all this time. And now they want to pretend we’re all one big happy family. Pretend they haven’t been gone for the last ten years, only showing up to cause trouble? Hell, pretending I haven’t been gone for the last twelve years. That Jane hasn’t been in and out of rehab most of her son’s life? That Emily is just off somewhere and everything is fine.

I want to scream, but instead, I smile politely at my mother while serving her coffee and counting down the minutes until I can escape to my office.

Or until Aidyn returns.

“Sit with me, Garrett.” She pats the sofa next to her. “I’m so glad you’re home and not running off to New York.”

There are so many things I could say. That I had a successful career in New York. That they are the ones who ran off to God knows where— I stopped trying to keep track of them. That theydon’t live in Mule Creek, so it’s hardly their home. But I don’t say any of that. Instead, I sit next to her. “Thank you, Mother.”