Page 23 of Take Me Home for Christmas

“I’m gladyoudo, because I’m really not sure how it all came down to this.” She swiped at her eyes. “I’ve dragged you into this mess,andI’m an awful daughter. I should have just told my mom the truth. I should have told all of them the truth.”

“Actually, I think you’re an amazing daughter.” I nudged her elbow in a playful way. That made her smile. A little.

If she were anybody else, I would’ve put my arm around her. But that would have been like lighting a match to a fuse. If only I could stop thinking about touching her. Instead, I gave her another paltry nudge.

As she glanced up, I realized that tough, strong, impervious Dr. D’Angelo looked uncertain. And very much like she could use someone on her side.

I shrugged, disguising my almost desperate need to make her feel better. “You kept up your mom’s spirits at a really hard time.”

She made a dubious sound. “Thanks for seeing some good in this.”

Trust me, I saw more than that. Her soft, full lips, those big, full-of-feeling eyes, and the glow of the Christmas tree lights on her hair were making me forget why I’d ever let her go.

“Brax, what did my mom say to you before we came in?”

“Say to me?” I asked, stalling. I knew exactly what she’d said, but repeat it? No, thanks.

“I know it was something. She whispered in your ear, and then you turned sort of red.”

“She thanked me for making you so happy,” I finally said, figuring I shouldn’t lie. I instantly regretted it. Why, oh why, didn’t I lie? Because that started Mia crying all over again. In a panic, I ran to the bathroom to grab a box of tissues. “Hey, it’s all right,” I said. “Better wipe those tears, or she’s going to accuse me of making you really, really unhappy.”

She didn’t even crack a smile, instead pulled out a couple of tissues and blew her nose sort of loudly. “She thinks I look happy. All a ruse.”

I sat down and put my arm around her, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to pretend she was Jenna. It didn’t work. “It’s not a ruse.” I opened my eyes and forced myself to be the friend she needed. “Look, you have a great reason to be happy. Your mom is doing great. Your family is here together. And when the time is right, you’ll be strong enough to tell her the truth. If I know your mom, she’ll understand.”

“I’m not strong enough to do it now. I’d ruin everyone’s holiday.”

“All right, then,” I said, giving her the most platonic squeeze I could muster. Believe me, it took everything I had to pull that off. “For the next few days, I’m going to be the best fake boyfriend you’ve ever had.”

That finally got me a tiny crack of a smile. And even that made me ridiculously relieved.

I was grateful for a rap on the door.

“Yo, Braxton,” one of the brothers called out before I could even open it. Hopefully the nice one.

I swung the door open to reveal Liam, all six feet five of him, grinning and quietly rolling up the sleeves of a red flannel shirt. With his beard, he looked like a burly lumberjack ready to chop something—hopefully not me, figuratively or not.

“Hey, Brax,” he said, giving me the once-over. “Mia, we’re borrowing him right after dinner tonight, okay? We’ll have him back by midnight.”

Borrowing? Was that code for taking me out to the barn, getting me drunk, and making certain I was worthy of their little sister?

Mia walked up behind me, her hand resting lightly on my upper arm, where it felt like a firebrand. “You’re not taking him out to the barn and getting him drunk.”

Great. I was right.

Mia’s mom came by. “Nobody’s taking anybody anywhere until the dishes are done.” She tapped Liam on the shoulder. “And by the way, I could use a few hands to help set the table.”

“We’ll be right down, Mom,” Mia said. Closing the door, she leaned against it and heaved a sigh.

I rubbed my neck. “The barn, huh?”

“Listen,” she said in a coach’s voice as she paced in front of the bed. “My brothers are going to interrogate you. We have to get our stories straight, or they’ll see right through everything.”

I leveled my gaze on her. How hard could this be? I knew her. I mean, maybe I didn’t know the details of her past, but I knew who Mia was on the inside as surely as I knew, well, myself. So, piece of cake, right?

Worry creased her face. “There are critical things you don’t know about me. Things my brothers will bring up.”

I counted on my fingers. “Jail time, previous marriages, grinding your teeth when you sleep?”

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