Page 27 of Make You Mine This Christmas (Holly Ridge #2)

Brody

“You’ve argued cases in front of judges and juries. This should be easy,” Austin says as we walk to Cole and Blaire’s front door.

“The stakes weren’t as high then,” I say, adjusting the bottle of wine, bouquet of flowers, and toys for the girls in my arms. After the camera disaster of last night, I thought it best not to come empty-handed and made Austin take a trip to Doose’s on our way back to his place last night.

“Didn’t you win several multi-million-dollar settlements?” He reaches his hand out to knock on the door.

“Yeah, I did. Still not as high stakes,” I say, distracted by hoping I haven’t sweat through the dress shirt under my heavy coat.

I’m trying to figure out how to unbutton it to start airing out with my hands full when I realize his hand is still in the air.

A glance to my left shows Austin staring at me in surprise.

“It’s true,” I say with a shrug. Austin changes the course of his hand and wraps it behind my head instead, pulling me in for a kiss.

I hold the flowers out to the side of our bodies so they don’t get smooshed.

“Ahem.” A voice comes from the forgotten doorway of the house we’re supposed to be entering. I pull back, and wonder what color on the emergency alert scale my cheeks are right now.

“Hi, Cole,” Austin says cheerfully. “Waiting by the door so you can practice your disappointed dad date routine about fifteen years too early?”

The look on our host’s face isn’t impressed.

“Thought I heard a car, so came out to investigate. Glad to see you’re still necking in public.

” He steps back to let us in. “Brody,” he says to me, nodding as I walk past. What happens if my face bursts into flames?

It’ll definitely put a damper on this beard I’ve worked so hard on.

“Necking, Cole? Seriously?” Blaire stands in the entrance to the living room, her hands on her hips.

A peek behind her shows she’s supervising a tummy time session for the twins.

“Hi, Austin. Hi, Brody. Welcome to our home.” Her smile is reassuring, and I relax the tiniest bit knowing I have one ally.

Austin steps up next to me and puts his hand on the small of my back.

I look up at him and smile. Make that two.

“Thanks so much for having me.” I look in both of their directions, but Cole seems determined not to meet my eye, so I decide to focus on the Thomas who doesn’t want to murder me. “I brought a little something for you.”

“Oh, thank you. You didn’t have to bring us anything,” Blaire says, taking the wine and flowers I offer.

Cole makes a noise, clearly intended to say, “Didn’t he?

”, which Blaire ignores. “Austin’s here for dinner at least once a week when it’s not festival season, and it’s no trouble to set one more place. ”

She looks down as one of the twins makes a cooing noise.

“And this is Cassidy and Melody.” I sit myself on the ground next to their blanket, returning the toothless grin Melody gives me.

Babies this young are hit or miss whether they scream bloody murder or look up at me in wonder when they come to see me as Santa.

It’s nice to spend some time in a context with less pressure.

“I have something for you ladies too.” I pull out the Santa and Elf teething toys I found at the store last night. “We boiled them in water last night. Is it okay if I hand them over?”

“Oh, Brody, that’s so thoughtful. I know they’ll love them.

The theme choice is very approved in this household.

” She gives me a wink. A quick glance at Cole shows an impressed look on his face until he realizes I’ve caught him, and he replaces it with a scowl.

I put the toys between the girls. Melody immediately goes for the elf, while Cassidy is more content to show off how she can roll to her back, and reach for the rings above her head.

We all sit in silence for a few minutes, watching them being adorable.

Cole clears his throat. “Can I get anyone a drink? We could open the wine you brought?”

“I could have a beer,” Austin says.

“Soda water for me,” Blaire chimes in.

“I’m good with beer or wine, if you’d like to open it,” I say. “In fact, why don’t I come help you?” Figure it’ll be good to get this out of the way. Then maybe we can all enjoy dinner.

A glimmer of respect flickers in his eyes. “Yeah, why don’t you.”

Austin plops next to me on the floor before I stand up and squeezes my hand. Blaire gives me a reassuring smile. I take a deep breath and head after Cole into the kitchen.

“Glasses are over there.” Cole points with the electric corkscrew he grabbed off the counter. I grab two stemless wine glasses and a highball glass for Blaire. Glasses in hand, I walk to where Cole is peeling off the wine wrapper.

“So,” he says.

“So,” I repeat, deciding I’ll wait and let him say his piece.

“You know I know what happened ten years ago and what’s happened since you’ve been back,” he says, his focus fixed on uncorking the wine.

I don’t think Austin has told him the details of our conversation from Friday night, but I’m not ashamed of it if he has.

“You know, why you left the way you did and all. Seems a little selfish to me.”

I nod. “At the time, I thought it was selfless, but reflection and therapy have shown me you’re right. It only stood to benefit me and what I wanted.”

He lifts his head, surprise in his eyes. “Oh.”

“Look, I get where you’re coming from. Austin means a lot to you.

But if you’re expecting me to have some ego where I can’t admit I was wrong, so you can stay mad, you’re not going to find it.

I took this job and came here hoping to have a chance to give us both closure.

Thinking he’d let me back in, give me more?

It was the stuff of dreams. I won’t waste it. ”

He pours us each a glass of wine, the dark red color a contrast to the light countertop. “So what happens after Christmas?” Cole takes several sips of his drink before topping his glass off. I lift my wine to my lips for a single sip, considering my words.

“Again, Cole, I respect the important role you have in Austin’s life.

He’s lucky to have a friend like you—I’ve never had that, and I can tell you how special it is to see.

But right now, we’re taking it day by day.

When I have a conversation about what’s next for the first time, it needs to be with him. ”

He looks taken aback by my bluntness.

“Know I care about him a lot. I hate the hurt I caused us both ten years ago, and I’m being nothing but honest with him about my feelings now. I can’t promise it won’t end with us hurt again, but if we do, it won’t be because I didn’t care enough.”

Another sip of wine, and then he speaks. “I can’t say that’s not fair. Just . . . if Austin wants to go with you this time, hear him out. He’s not the same person he was ten years ago either.”

A knock on the entryway to the kitchen draws our attention. “We’ve got about thirty more minutes before the girls start fussing. Are we ready to eat?” Blaire searches between us, satisfied there are no external wounds, at least. “Is that for my soda water?” Her gaze lands on the empty glass.

“Uh, yeah. We got a bit distracted.” Cole grabs the other glass and fills it with ice and pours the drink. “I’ll get the lasagna out of the oven now.”

Blaire takes a sip of the water, offering me a wink, sitting at the table set with festive placemats and Christmas dishes.

We maintain a steady conversation during dinner and through Austin and Cole doing the dishes while Blaire and I sit with the twins.

Eventually, it’s time for the twins to get their baths and go to sleep upstairs, for however many hours in a row they’ll give their parents.

Blaire gives us both a hug and heads up the stairs, a twin in each arm.

We’re putting on our boots and coats when Cole comes to the door with a bag in his hand. “Here, take the leftover tiramisu with you. We’re drowning in Christmas cookies and other treats this time of year from locals grateful for the work on the festival. We won’t miss it.”

He extends his arm toward me and I take the offering. “Thanks, Cole. Everything was delicious, thanks for cooking and inviting me.” Our eyes lock, and I see him give me the smallest of nods. It may not be approval, but it looks a lot like acceptance, and I’ll take it.

Cole wraps Austin in a hug, and I wave goodbye as we head out the door.

“Hey, Brody,” Cole calls, and I turn from where I stand next to the Bronco. He’s standing on the porch, hands shoved in his pockets, probably shivering.

“Yeah?”

“Same time next week?”

I smile. Maybe it’s a bit of approval after all.

“Am I invited too?” Austin snarks from the driver’s side.

“We’ll be here,” I respond, before climbing in the car, ready for Austin to take us home.