Page 83 of Never Sleigh Never
I manage a tight smile. Fuck me. This is not a conversation I want to have right this moment, but I know she’ll be hounding me for answers later.
“Well,” Mom says, far too pleased with herself, “I’ll let you two get back to it. I’ll be dropping Josie off at six. Just so you know.” She winks and shuts the door.
Through the closed door, I hear Josie in the hallway. “Dad! I want to tell you about the reindeer!”
“Your dad is busy right now, but you can tell him all about it later tonight,” my mom says. The clatter of feet descending the stairs followed by the click of the front door sounds through the house.
I lift the blanket; Brie’s staring up at me. “Sorry. Now there’s one more person who knows about this.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She crawls up my body, her chin resting on my chest, amusement sparking in her eyes. “You let Josie paint your toenails?”
“She likes the practice,” I mumble.
“That’s actually really sweet.” She tilts her head, suddenly shy. “Should I… go?”
“Why would you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe your mom walking in on us killed the mood?”
I roll her beneath me, pinning her with a grin. “You heard her. I’ve got until six o’clock. And I don’t plan on wasting a single minute.”
As much as I wanted to keep Brie in my bed all day, she had to get to the festival for the mini-reindeer race. People harness their dogs to mini sleighs with stuffed Santas, and the dogs race for the Reindeer Cup. She showed me pictures from previous years, and it looks fun. Some even have their dogs wear reindeer hats for authenticity. After Brie left, I got ready and went to the carnival to make sure everything was running smoothly. Before six, I arrive back home just as Josie barges through the front door.
“Hey Dad!”
“Hey Peanut! Did you have fun with Grandma?”
“I did! It was a blast! We got to pet the reindeer, and we went Christmas caroling, and then saw the reindeer race, which isn’t actual reindeer, but dogs!”
Glancing at my mom, a Cheshire grin fills her face. I shift my gaze back to Josie. “Why don’t you put your stuff away and then you can tell me all about it?”
“Okay!” she grabs her backpack and climbs the stairs.
“So,” my mom says casually, “who is she?”
“Just a girl.”
“Mm-hmm. Well, if you won’t tell me, I can always ask around town. You know how fast news spreads in Mount Holly.”
“Thanks for the blackmail, Mom.”
“That’s what mothers do.” Her smile softens. “So, are you going to tell me?”
I scrub my hands down my face. “I’m pretty sure you already know.”
She nods. “I wanted confirmation. I’m so happy for you. Beneath all that bickering and hostility, I sensed a burning passion between you two.
“Mom, don’t say ‘burning passion’.”
“Fiery lust.”
“Not any better.”
“Steamy connection.”
“Nope, you can just stop right there. We’re just seeing where it goes. No need to be saving any dates or anything.”
“Either way, I’m happy for you.” She wraps her arms around me in a tight hug only a mother can give. “You deserve a little joy in your life.”
