Page 33 of Tinsel in Telluride

“Good morning to you, too,” I greet, lifting my mug in his direction. When he doesn’t do more than deadpan, I continue,“I needed coffee, and then Bash was nice enough to make me breakfast.”

Luca scowls at Bash as he rounds the island and picks up a pancake and takes a bite. “It’s not your job to feed her.”

“Maybe if you did,” Bash mutters.

“I never got the chance,” Luca snaps, and the pointed glower he gives Bash has him raising his hands in surrender and quitting while he’s ahead.

I roll my eyes and lay on a thick layer of sweetness in my voice. “Don’t listen to him, Bash. You can feed me these fluffy slices of heaven any time you’d like.” Stabbing my fork into a pancake, I make a show of dipping it into syrup and slowly bring it to my mouth.

Luca’s eyes track my movement and flash with something that could either be desire or hatred, though if I had to guess, it’s the latter.

It shouldn’t be so satisfying that getting along with his friends gets under his skin—but it really is.

I swallow and smile. “Holt and Bash were just telling me about Bucket List Christmas.”

“Well, they shouldn’t,” Luca grumbles as he and his brother round the island and load up their plates with pancakes and bacon.

I shrug. “I think it’s sweet you guys do this. I?—”

“No one asked you,” Luca snaps, cutting me off.

“Damn, Luca. Who pissed in your Cheerios?”

Luca grunts in Holt’s general direction as he slides into the seat farthest away from me, but it sounds a whole lot like, “She did.”

My eyes dart between the four men sitting at the island. Holt and Bash glare at Luca, who is giving as good as he’s getting. Enzo, on the other hand, grins like a kid in a damn candy store,watching this all unfold. I get the feeling he might be a chaos gremlin at heart.

“Aaand on that note, I’m going to head back to the guesthouse.” I press my hands onto the counter and leverage myself up.

The second I take a step, Luca shoots up from his seat and, abandoning his food, heads toward the door. “Good, we need to talk before we head out.”

I freeze. “We?”

“I’ve got plans with the guys today and need to speak with you beforehand.” He jerks his head back toward the island.

“The only plans I have today are with the hot tub on that deck,” Bash counters. “My muscles are killing me from yesterday.”

“Suck it up, cupcake. The trail riders called,” Enzo explains. “The weather is better today for the horses. So if we want to see the mountains up close, today is the day.”

Holt shouts, “Yee haw,” while circling his hand over his head like he’s roping cattle.

In response, Bash starts on about how he’d be a much better cowboy than Holt because he grew up on a vineyard with horses. Holt vehemently disagrees, pointing out he went to Boy Scout camp once and was an excellent rider. They go back and forth and a minute later, there is a bet in place to see which of them is the better cowboy on their outing today.

It’s endearing and wholesome, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

Fucking men.

Thankfully, their discussion serves as the perfect moment for me to slip out while Luca is distracted.

I’m inches from the door to the mudroom when Enzo calls out, “Why don’t you come with us, Leigh?”

See? Chaos gremlin.

I stop in the doorway and look over my shoulder. “Uh, no, you guys go.I’ve got stuff I can work on, and I’ve got Zach to worry about.” My gaze lands on Bash and I smile. “Thanks for breakfast.”

He lifts his hand in a mock salute. “Anytime, Baby Momma.”

“Do not call her that,” Luca growls before spinning on his heel to follow me.

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