Page 54 of Tinsel in Telluride

“I—” Luca looks away, and his voice trembles. “I didn’t know.”

I let out a frustrated scoff. “How could you? You were off at college making friends, celebrating Christmas, and working your way to the big show.”

“Leigh, I?—”

“I know you’re sorry.” My words catch on a sob. “I know you didn’t know. But as I said before, those are just words, Luca. This is my life, not some game.”

“I know.” His voice trembles, and then becomes a little steadier. “I know. And I promise if it takes till my last breath, I’ll make it up to you.”

I shake my head, and even though I don’t want to cry in front of him again over this, a traitorous tear falls down my cheek. “It’s not about me anymore. I’m a big girl. It’s about that little boy in there. If he’s yours, don’t fail him.”

Luca reaches up and catches the tear with his thumb. “I won’t.” It’s a solemn promise. Full stop. Do not pass go. He means it.

And I want to believe him.

But Luca isn’t done.

He tightens his grip on my cheek and pierces my soul with his candor. “But what if I want it to be about you too? What if I don’t want to fail you either?”

My jaw drops.

Me?

He wants it to be about me?

What does that even mean?

I’m saved from asking or answering when Zach comes running up and wraps his arms around me, followed closely by Bash, Enzo and Holt walking out of the cabin.

“You guys ready for a toast with the shittiest beer on the planet?” Bash asks, holding up the five cans of Coors Light cradled in his arms.

Enzo scrunches his nose and grabs a can from the pile. “I still don’t understand how Jack loved this stuff.”

“Listen,” Holt reasons, grabbing a can for himself. “The bucket list said drink a beer in the Coors mountains.” He lifts the can, lining up the iconic blue ridges with their real-life counterparts. “So here we are.”

“Looks like duty calls,” I say to Luca, nodding to the pile.

I turn, discreetly wiping my face so none of the guys see just what a mess I am when Bash chimes in,“Oh no, one of these is for you, baby momma.”

“No, this is your thing.” I backpedal, picking up Zach and heading for the cabin. “I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Holt smirks and offers me a can. “Come on, Leigh. Jack would have wanted you to.”

“And now that you know how we all met, and how Bucket List Christmas came to be, you can’t say no,” Luca adds.

“I—”

“Just give in, Leigh,” Enzo pipes up. “They aren’t going to let you out of it.”

I sigh playfully. “Fine. Give me the damn beer.”

The guys all cheer, and secretly I’m happy to be toasting to the man who brought them together. What they have is something so few get to cherish, let alone witness. It makes me miss Indie and Willow even more. Our sisterhood of the traveling smut is the equivalent of their bucket list boys.

“Anyone care to make this interesting?” Bash wiggles his eyebrows with an impish smile.

Holt doesn’t miss a beat and pulls out a set of keys from his pocket. “Shotgun race?”

“Last one to finish has to wearthecostume while we decorate the tree tonight.”

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