Page 25 of Puck the Halls
“This place is beautiful.” She gestures around us to the fully decorated dining room. “Christmas in Colorado is a vibe.”
“Are you missing the kids?” Alexsei asks Dani, sympathetically. “You haven’t spent much time away from them before this, have you?”
Dani shakes, slowly. “No, I haven’t. I do miss them.”
But…
I hear the silentbut. I understand thebut. It’s more that Nathan and Crew aren’t here yet. She both misses them and is worrying about them.
Cookie likes all her people together. When we’re not, she frets.
We’re at this gorgeous resort, having breakfast with some of our best friends, and I have a pit in my stomach because Dani isn’t happy. The view from the dining room in the resort’s main hotel is incredible—snow capped mountains and the beginner slope peppered with new skiers tentatively making their way down the hill.
The spread of food in front of us is five star. Normally, given my love of cooking, I appreciate the opportunity to indulge in great food prepared by a world class chef, but the smoked salmon feels like it’s stuck in my throat.
Luna, as usual, cuts to the chase. “Dani. Let’s get real. You’re missing my lovable but idiotic brother and the devoted but bossy as hell Nathan, obviously. Not just the kids.”
“Yes. I’m not trying to be a downer, but last night I was annoyed with Nathan.Seriouslypissed off.”
“That’s a strong statement from you,” Luna comments, reaching over and stealing a raspberry off of her boyfriend Cam’s plate. “Pissed off seems logical to me. Nathan was being ridiculous.”
Cam lightly smacks Luna’s hand. “You have raspberries. Eat your own.”
She smiles at him teasingly and sucks on the raspberry. “I like yours better.”
Cam gives her an exasperated but loving look. “It’s a good thing you’re cute.” Then he turns to Dani. “Sorry, you were saying?”
“Nathanwasbeing ridiculous,” Dani says. “Which was why I was annoyed. But now I’m getting worried. We haven’t heard from either of them since last night.”
I’m not overly worried. Nathan can make anything happen if he throws money at the situation, which he does regularly, andCrew has a way of skating through life—no pun intended—while everything goes his way.
But it was a bad snowstorm they were driving in and Nathan was wound tight from his decision to detour to Decatur.
Not to mention being teased by Dani with that very sexy display of me fucking her on a video chat. I know her well enough to know she’ll feel absolutely terrible if Nathan was driving distracted because of her.
So yeah. I’m a little worried.
Yet I say, “I’m sure everything is fine, sweetheart.”
Owen, Luna’s husband, glances at his phone screen. “It’s really early still. It’s only seven-thirty here. They’re probably taking a quick nap or something. But I understand. I worry all the time about Brady off at college. And I worry about this one.” He kisses the side of Luna’s head. “And her inability to slow down and stop working herself to death.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Luna protests. “To not work. While getting naked in our rental chalet’s hot tub.”
“I thought we were here to avoid having to do Christmas with multiple families,” Cam says. “That’s whyI’mhere, anyway.”
That makes me chuckle. Being in a polycule does make the holidays complicated.
“We’re still doing Christmas with everyone on the twenty-eighth when we get back,” Alexsei reminds him. “Don’t try to disappear and go to work.”
“That’s not Christmas. It’s the twenty-eighth. It’s just a party then.”
“Where’s Brady going to be for Christmas?” Dani asks.
“With his mom and his stepdad. He likes being around his siblings for Christmas morning.” Owen gives Luna a look. “Sincewehaven’t given him a sibling, I understand, though I’ll miss him.”
“We’re not having a baby yet,” Luna tells her husband, patting his arm. “Leave my ovaries out of this conversation, thank you very much.”
“I know that. I’m perfectly happy with our lives exactly as they are,” he reassures her. “I’m just happy to be here.”
