Page 74 of Christmas Crisis
“What the—?” I burst out, rushing to hold the door open for him as he dropped the tree in the doorway, resting his hands on his knees. “I thought you were having a date night?”
“They opened the tree lot for special deals since there was a PTA meeting, so we figured we’d get the best pick.” James huffed a laugh. “And by best pick, I mean the heaviest freaking tree in the lot. As far as date night goes, I’m sure you’re aware that buying a Christmas tree is your sister’s idea of the perfect romantic outing. We’re still planning to head over to The Landslide. Just wanted to drop this bad boy off first.”
Well, I supposed my conversation with Leo could wait a few more minutes. Lord knew I didn’t want to have it while my sister and James were around.
Leo maneuvered himself to the bottom part of the tree and helped James carry it inside. They brought it to the far end of the living room, then knelt to remove the netting.
“Where’s Marley?” I asked.
“Carport. I didn’t want her to help me because she’s wearing one of your mom’s old sweaters.” He glanced at Leo. “Nice that my lumberjack of a brother is staying with us. I’ll have to think of more heavy things to move while you’re here.”
“Why is she in the carport?”
“She left the tree stand there when we pulled all the stuff out of the garage last month.”
Marley needed to hurry because it was freezing outside. I was about to close the door against the temperature when my sister pushed against it, clutching the metal tree stand we’d used since I was a child.
“I found the tree stand,” Marley said in an odd tone. “And, uh, while I was out there, I found something else.”
Peering nervously behind herself, she pushed the door with her elbow, opening it wider.
“Hey, darlin’.”
Stone smiled at me as he walked in.
4 MONTHS AGO - AUGUST
Leo offered to pick me up in Coleman Creekso we could spend time together at his place before my flight to Los Angeles. We’d been texting and video calling almost daily since the wedding, and although he hadn’t been physically present in my life, he’d been a tremendous support to me—even if he didn’t know I’d spent my summer going back and forth in my mind about Stone.
Except he seemed unusually quiet when he arrived. I wanted to ask him about it, but my sisters and their partners surrounded us. Leo declined Marley’s offer to spend the night, preferring to make the long drive twice in one day rather than risk missing work tomorrow.
“I’m trying to get ahead on jobs and bank vacation time so I can be here for an extended period over the holidays,” he explained.
“Maureen and I are taking a trip over Thanksgiving,” Will said. “Buddy of mine has a cabin. It’s big and modern but totally off the grid. We’ve almost got Marley and James convinced to go. You two should come too.”
Since I’d spent the past seven weeks stressing over Stone, it hit me how the rest of the world saw Leo and me as a matched set. I tried to picture going on a couples’ vacation with Stone and my family, but the mental image failed to manifest.
“I’ll be back for Christmas,” I said. “But Thanksgiving is a no-go since I’ll be busy trying to make a good impression on my new team at work.” I wagged a finger at Marley. “Of course you guys are doing something semi-outdoorsy when I can’t go. My followers would probably love a cozy Thanksgiving in the woods.”
Maureen guffawed. “Cut the shit. The internet may be fooled, but we all know the real @theadventurousmiranda is just as happy at a four-star hotel. Maybe happier.”
“You mean like how the internet thinks your YouTube channel is full of good vibes when in reality it’s run by a cynical malcontent?” I retorted.
“Oooh.Cynical malcontent. Sick burn,” Maureen replied, winking at me.
“I’m putting that on a T-shirt,” Will said.
Climbing into the passenger side of Leo’s truck an hour later, I realized I looked forward to seeing my sisters again at Christmas. It had been a little touchy between us after my mom died, but we seemed to have found our way back to each other.
I didn’t notice the tense set of Leo’s shoulders until we were out of the town limits. It wasn’t easy between us like it usually was. His left leg bounced as he drove. He fidgeted with his playlists, skipping every other song.
We were halfway to the freeway when I called him on it. “Bear, what is the matter with you? I haven’t seen you in almost two months, and suddenly, you’re wound as tight as a bow. It’s not like you to be so nutso with the music.”
His jaw flexed. “I want to tell you, but I don’t want to risk pissing you off.”
My forehead rose at that enigmatic statement. “Well, now you have to tell me.”
He gripped the steering wheel. “Yeah, but…we don’t really talk about…Stone.”
