Page 96 of Not Your Average Vixen
Did she care about Soren?
No, she was there to run defense and keep an eye on the man. And so far, she’d succeeded, that is, until last night when Tom intervened and requested a guys’ night.
What was she supposed to do? Steal a Santa costume to go allKringle incognito, search the village until she found them, then eavesdrop on the pair? No, once they’d all gotten back to the mountain house,sansthe groom and the best man, Cole and Carly had kept her busy answering questions about Christmas fairies. There was no way she could have snuck back into the village.
She gathered a few stray pine needles from the bench. “So, that’s all they talked about—old times?”
“I think so. Why?”
Why?
Bridget twisted the pine needles into a zig-zagged bunch, then crossed and uncrossed her legs.
She was the absolute worst at faking calm and collected.
Thewhyrattling inside her head was because as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to know if she’d gotten to Soren the way he’d gotten to her. And if he were to confide in anyone, it would be Tom.
And one thing was certain when it came to her and the worst best man.
Something happened to the two of them when they were within arm’s reach of each other—and it had nothing to do with whatever Tanner had put in those gummy bears.
What had started out as pure wanton attraction the night they’d met in that darkened hotel bar had changed into this strange reality. Now, she couldn’t remember what life was like just a week before when she was blissfully dating a cheating creep of a boyfriend and busting her ass for a tiny French pastry tyrant.
“You don’t think Scooter dragged Tom to a strip joint or whatever the equivalent of that is in Kringle?” she asked.
Lori pressed her hand to her belly and chuckled. “No, Tom would have mentioned that.”
She stared at her sister, surprised by her lack of concern.
“But you were so worried about Scooter’s influence over Tom. Did something change?”
Lori glanced down and blew out a breath.
Bridget shook her head, feeling awful. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think that I’d ever assumed Tom would do anything to hurt you. It’s just that you were worried when we talked on the phone before I got here.”
Now Lori was the one shaking her head. “No, I’ve had a lot on my mind with the wedding and—”
“And I get it,” Bridget said, cutting her sister off. “This is an emotional time. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. How about we change the subject, and I open that gift, so we can see what’s inside?”
“Sure, let’s take a look,” Lori said, but something was on her sister’s mind. She could sense it. Still, she didn’t want to upset the woman. The fact that this was the first time they’d visited the Kringle Chapel without their parents was emotional enough.
She opened the box, then set it on her lap and removed the card.
“Who’s it from, Birdie? Do you have a secret admirer in Kringle?” her sister teased, sounding more like herself.
Did she have an admirer? Could it be from Soren?
She slid the card from the slim envelope, anticipation building. But instantly, disappointment panged in her chest when she’d read the note.
“It’s from the Kringle Cares organization. It says they wanted to share a token of their appreciation. They didn’t have to get me anything,” she replied, hating herself for hoping that Soren had sent the gift.
Her sister bumped her shoulder. “You did solve their cookie conundrum.”
She pushed all thoughts of that man aside. The day he gave her a gift would be the day reindeer flew over Kringle Mountain with Rudolph leading the pack.
“It was nothing.”
“You must know that it wasn’t, Birdie,” Lori said, and she could almost hear her grandmother in her sister’s voice.
