Page 43 of Tinsel in Telluride

Putting on my big girl panties, I scoot closer to him until my shoulder and bicep touch his. It’s simple and can’t be construed as intimate in any way, shape, or form. “I’m sorry I never told you. I should have.”

“Thank you for that,” Luca says, leaning into my touch, and I melt just a little.

“I wish I knew where we go from here,” I start softly, testing this uncharted moment of peaceful honesty between us. “I’m trying to be okay with being here. And like I said, if you’re his father, I won’t keep him from you. Zach will always be my top priority.”

“Me too. Always.” It’s an instant reaction, one with the weight of a promise behind it. Luca lifts his head and swivels it toward me. “Can we start over?”

It’s a loaded question.

He searches my face for an answer, but I can’t give it to him, because I don’t have one.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Too much has happened. I mean, of course, for Zach, we will figure out how to co-parent but—I don’t think you understand the way you hurt me.”

“I—”

I throw up a hand and stop him. “Don’t tell me you’re sorry. I know you are. You’ve made it clear you want to apologize for everything. But those are just words.”

Hollow. Empty. Meaningless without action.

“Then let me show you.”

Once again, he catches me off guard and I jerk back, brow raised. “You want to show me?”

“Absolutely.”

“How?”

His blue eyes lock on mine, filled with determination I didn’t expect. “Stay.”

“Where?” I play stupid because I know he didn’t just ask me to stay in Telluride.

“Here.” He reaches out and grabs my hand. “Don’t leave tomorrow. Stay here for Christmas.”

My heart flutters, but I ignore the useless organ and latch onto reason, snatching my hand free of his. “Are you crazy?We can’t do that. What about Bucket List Christmas? We’ve already intruded enough and everything I’ve gotten Zach for Christmas is in New York.”

He huffs a laugh followed by a dramatic eye roll. “First of all, the guys love you guys. I’m sure they’d ask you to stay themselves.”

I glance at where Holt and Bash have now joined Enzo and Zach, and the four of them are throwing berries up and trying to catch them in their mouths, sending my son into a fit of giggles.

I smile. “They love Zach. They tolerate me for your sake. But this is a special thing for you guys. We don’t need to be here.”

“Pshhh,” Luca huffs. “I have it on good authority that if you weren’t my baby momma, more than one of them would have already put the moves on you.”

It’s my turn to roll my eyes, biting my tongue to keep from reminding him we don’t know I’m his baby momma. “Was it Bash?”

He smirks. “You think I’m going to tell you?”

Eyes narrowing, I smirk. “I’ll get it out of them.”

“You’ll have to stay then,” he surmises, smug like he’s won the conversation.

“What about Zach’s stuff?” I counter. “I might not be big on Christmas, but I promised to make it special.”

“We’re going to circle back to that, but as for Zach, I’ll get the things sent here.” He tilts his head playfully and smiles. “Plus, what’s more special than Christmas in Telluride?”

“Christmas with the people who love him,” I clap back.

Luca explodes, knocking snow from the railing as he slams his hand down. “We could love him if you let us!”

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