Page 54 of Maybe This Christmas
“We can start with the grasshopper.”
“Oh god, please don’t,” Kayla wailed.“I was puking green all night.”
Sabrina ignored this outburst.“Then the eggnog shot.Lastly, there’s the Polar Bear Snowshoe—the signature Sky House Christmas shot—made with the finest Virginia bourbon you can find.”
Emma stared at the tiny glasses in front of her.Ordinarily, she’d loathe having this much attention on her.But tonight felt different.
She stood, reached for the first shot, and downed it, which elicited a cheer from the other guests.She repeated the motion with the other two before collapsing back into her seat.
“That’s a girl, Emma!”Carlos gave her a round of applause.
“Oh god, that grasshopper shot is so gross.”She stuck out her tongue and shook her head.
Sabrina whisked the shooters away and plopped a bottle of water onto the table.“That’ll help keep them down.”
She tried to crack the seal on the bottle, but it fought her.Caleb took it from her hands, and it snapped open.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know.It’s just a silly Christmas tradition.”
She turned, finding his gaze already on her.It was the booze that had her considering hopping from her seat into his lap.
Thankfully, she wasn’t that drunk.“It was fun.Something I haven’t had a lot of lately.”She took a long sip of water.“Until I came here.And met you.”
She realized too late that all the conversation in the room had died down.
“Man, you small-town folks really are nosy, huh?”Emma said.
“You better get used to it,” Brandon said.“Speaking as one former city kid to another, it takes some getting used to.”
“Oh, you love it.”Sabrina sat on the arm of Brandon’s chair.
He gazed up at her.“You’re right, I do.”
They shared a kiss.Lainey reached for her purse and pulled out a handkerchief.“Oh, I just love seeing all of my kids happy.”
Caleb blushed.“Mom, seriously.Don’t get started on one of your sentimental journeys.”
She waved her hand between Emma and Caleb.“A mother knows!I was right about these two, wasn’t I?”
Emma placed her hand on Caleb’s arm.“I think it’s all happening a little fast, is what Caleb’s saying.Right?”
The deer-in-headlights look dimmed.“Right.I haven’t even known Emma a week!”
“Not to be a buttinsky, but me and your mom were engaged after a weekend,” Greg said.
“When you know, you know!”Lainey said.
Caleb’s arm tensed under her touch.“Caleb must be up early to help out with breakfast.Isn’t Santa going to be in attendance?”
“I better not be getting stuffed into that suit,” Caleb griped.
“Oh, it’ll be me.We should probably head to bed too, darlin’.”Greg gave Lainey’s leg a pat.
“I’d call you both lightweights, but Emma’s right,” Brandon said.“He is still technically a Sky House employee.And I’m pretty sure one of the biddies arranged for kindergartners to come in for breakfast with Santa.So you’ll need all the rest you can get!”
Caleb groaned but didn’t complain as Emma led him away from the table.She felt surprisingly sober, given the drinks she’d had tonight.
They were quick with the goodbyes—thankfully, since Emma was aching to kiss him.
