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CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

Rayleigh

Ever since Thanksgiving, Brick’s been acting strange. He’s always looking at me, which has me self-conscious that I’ve got something on my face, or worse, he has finally realized I’m a hot mess. As I wrestle with the green garland I’m trying to straighten enough so I can get the bar decorated, I worry I might have worn out my welcome.

“You know you could ask for help,” Brew grumbles before taking the garland from my hands and adeptly fixing it. “Now, where do you want it to go?”

“I was thinking just below the countertop, around the bar,” I reply. “That way, it will hopefully keep out of the way of spilled drinks. Plus, I can plug the end in right at the edge where we go behind the bar.”

He chuckles before yelling out, “Prospect!” Two identical young men come rushing over and he thrusts the garland into their arms and growls out, “Your job today is to help her. Doesn’t matter how big or small the job is, she’s your President’s ol’ lady so you fucking do it. Got me?”

Two voices immediately reply, “Yes, sir!” Turning to me, one asks, “Where do you want this, ma’am?”

As Brew stomps off to do whatever it is he does in his office, I can’t help the giggle which escapes. “I’m no ma’am, y’all. I’m probably just a few years older than the two of you, if that. Call me Rayleigh.”

“Sorry, Rayleigh, it’s just how we were raised,” the second Prospect states.

“What are your names?” I wonder out loud.

“We answer to Jaydn and Haydn or Prospect. Pretty much anything right now, though. I’m Haydn,” the first one says, grinning.

“Ah, so you’re the new Prospects,” I muse. “Okay, I want this around the outside of the bar, kind of underneath so it doesn’t get ruined. There’s a plug just on the other side of the bar you can plug it into. I also bought these hook things that will just stick to the bar itself so you can make it look pretty.”

While they set about that task, I hang the wreaths Cassie and I found on the front doors of the bar after I figure out how to use the hangers she insisted I buy. Once that’s done, I open the box for the pre-lit Christmas tree I want to put in the corner. I plan to ask Brick if maybe the patrons can donate unwrapped gifts or something for the kids in town who otherwise might not have anything under their tree. A secret smile plays on my lips when I think about what I’m getting him. Determined to make it look like Christmas threw up in here, I start putting it together and am soon joined by the two Prospects who take over the task while I glance at all that’s already been done.

The garland sparkles underneath the bar, the holly leaves and sparkly red ornaments grace the shelves where the liquor is set up, and fake snow now frosts the windows to the outside. Yep, I suspect Brew’s going to lose his shit when he sees what all I’ve done. He had no idea when he gave me permission to decorate what it would entail. Snickering, I start picking up the trash so the bar’s ready to open in an hour. “I’m headed to the tattoo parlor now,” I call out loud enough for Brew to hear me. “I’ll snag lunch and drop it off once I’m done over there.” I don’t wait for him to give me any money since I now have my own shiny debit card courtesy of Brick. Not only did he add me to his bank account, but he also helped me open my own despite having no identification. When I pushed him on it, he merely said the bank manager was an old friend of the club’s and not to worry.

“As soon as we’re finished here, we’ll walk over,” Jaydn, or maybe it was Haydn, replies. “I’m sure you’re planning to do the same there, right?”

“You’d be correct.”

I’m curled up on the couch in our sitting area, Hobbes snuggled behind my head as Calvin kneads my stomach when the door opens and Brick comes through, an envelope in his hand. “You got some mail, Sprite,” he says, walking to my side then bending down to thoroughly kiss me.

“What is it?” I wonder out loud. “It’s too soon to get the results of my GED, Brick. What if this means I failed?”

“You won’t know unless you open it up, sweetheart,” he says while sitting down on the other end of the couch and pulling my legs onto his lap.

Nervous energy floods me as I set my e-reader down then carefully examine the envelope. Taking a deep breath, I carefully pry it open and slide the piece of paper out. Turning it open, I gasp then shout, “I did it, Brick! I passed and am now the proud recipient of my GED!”

“Knew you would, Sprite. I’m proud of you.” He gently tugs on my legs until I manage to wiggle my way to his side where he promptly and thoroughly kisses me. “Let’s go celebrate, Sprite.”

“Celebrate?” My excitement raises and I ask, “Can we see some Christmas lights too, Brick?”

He chuckles while nodding. “Yeah, let’s get dressed then go paint the town red.”

“I’d rather get a pizza so we can eat it while driving around and looking at lights,” I admit. “I don’t need anything fancy.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do. Did you have any particular place in mind?”

“Cassie said there were several subdivisions that were all decorated, and there’s one house that puts out a lot of those inflatable things and you can walk through the displays!” I’m now bouncing up and down in my excitement which has him laughing.

“We’ll find them, Sprite,” he promises, helping me up so I can get changed. Glancing over my shoulder when I hear his growl, I see his darkened eyes and know instinctively that tonight’s going to surpass my wildest dreams.

“Thanks for helping me wrap,” I say to Cassie as she grabs another roll of wrapping paper. “I honestly didn’t think I bought much,” I muse, looking at the stacks surrounding me. “Maybe I went a little overboard.”

“You think?” Cassie teases, giggling. Then she starts laughing and pointing. I look in that direction only to see Hobbes tackling the bows while Calvin rolls around on the paper. “They’re going to be so much help.”

“Yeah, right,” I sarcastically retort, grabbing the roll of tape just as Calvin attempts to run off with it. “They’re going to end up wrapped in a box if we’re not careful.”

With Christmas movies playing, we begin tackling the insurmountable task of making order out of mayhem. Thankfully, Brick is out on a run right now because I don’t want him to see anything I got for him. One of his gifts will be wrapped when I’m alone, however. I want him to experience the joy I felt putting it together for him.