Page 13 of Make You Mine This Christmas (Holly Ridge #2)

“She’s doing great. Had scans a few weeks ago, and they came back clear.

She should be retiring from the craft store soon, but is hoping to go part time instead.

Says she missed helping people make their visions come to life most of all when she was sick.

She’s slowed down some with age but will deny it if you suggest that’s the case.

” Our forks clink against the bowls as I work up the nerve to ask what’s on my mind.

“Do you really make a donation every year on my birthday?”

Brody nods. “Your mom is the most important person in your life, and like I said, one of the reasons I couldn’t be the only reason you left Winterberry Glen. I thought a donation was the least I could do. They were small during law school, but have become more sizable since.”

It’s rude to ask how sizable. But again, the question of why Brody’s not a lawyer anymore, and how much money he can possibly make as a professional Santa are at the front of my mind. Brody asked me not to bring it up tonight, so I pivot to the other elephant in the room.

“I know you think you had my best interests at heart in not wanting me to leave the Glen, but you decided it all on your own. That’s not fair to me.”

Brody nods. “I know. I swear to you, that’s the reason I had in my head when I snuck away in the middle of the night.

But with some time, and some therapy, I’ve come to realize how selfish I was to make that decision for you, not selfless like I thought.

You weren’t part of the plan, and where I was in life, I couldn’t see anything outside of the plan.

It sounds stupid and small-minded now. For what it’s worth, you would have hated Law School Brody.

I had to work hard to become a Brody who even deserves to give you an apology. ”

His eyes never leave mine while he’s talking. He holds my gaze even now, but I can see in the tight way he’s clutching onto the bowl and grabbing the fabric of his pants he’s dying to look away. I hold him in place just a bit longer.

“When I found out you were gone and then found out you had canceled the lease in Amherst, it broke something in me.” I try never to think about my drive to the place we toured together, sneaking into the building and knocking on the door, only to have someone else answer.

Their moving boxes in various states of unpacked in the background.

Cole stayed on the phone with me the whole way home to make sure I made it back safely.

“I deleted your number, blocked you on social media, and tried to pretend you never existed. Well, as much as you can pretend someone who’s altered you completely doesn’t exist.”

His eyes break away then. I nudge my knee against his to get them back. “But thank you. For coming back and telling me. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear it. To hear it wasn’t me.”

A look of understanding dawns on Brody’s face. “When I said I couldn’t let you come with me, you heard I didn’t want you to.”

“Yeah, someone else pointed out me cutting you off and not letting you get another word out may have meant I missed some important context. Annoying he was right.”

Brody laughs. “Well, at least you listen to Cole.”

“Most of the time.” I shrug and laugh along with him.

Brody yawns, and I realize it’s somehow close to nine.

“We better get you off to bed, Santa. We’ve gotta be back at the workshop in fewer hours than I want to calculate.

” I push off the couch and reach my hand out for his dish.

“I’ll clean up; you hit the bathroom first. There should be a new toothbrush under the sink. ”

I force myself to take my time cleaning up, not wanting Brody to feel rushed, but also not wanting to be standing there like a creep when he exits. Instead, I time it perfectly so he’s walking toward his room as I start down the hall.

“Night, Austin,” he says, stretching his arms above his head so a sliver of his back comes visible above his sweatpants.

“Wait,” I say, and he turns, alarm in his eyes.

“Sorry,” I continue. “That sounded more urgent than I meant it to. But you got to ask your question for the night. Now it’s my turn.

” The alarm turns to wary, but he gamely stands there and waits.

I realize I don’t have a question in mind and scramble to come up with one.

Brody absentmindedly scratches the bottom of his stomach, the shirt riding up in the front this time.

A trail of hair disappears below the waistband of my pants on his lower half, and I have it.

“Tell me,” I raise an eyebrow and lower my voice, “are you wearing my gingerbread man underwear?”

Brody’s face takes on a wicked look, and he takes two steps backward so he’s in the doorway of his room. “No,” he says simply before shutting the door in my face.

I’m distracted getting ready for bed, trying desperately not to allow myself to think about Brody’s dick in my pants and failing. There’s no one to blame for this but myself. I had to go there.

The floorboard creaks like it always does when I cross the threshold into my room. “Night, Austin,” sounds through the closed wood, the tone delivering the greeting chock full of pride and mirth this time around.

“Night, Brody,” I answer, closing the door behind me with a smile on my face. A smile that remains when I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, faster than I have in years.