Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 124494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124494 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 622(@200wpm)___ 498(@250wpm)___ 415(@300wpm)
“It means so much that you’re my friend and you’re here.”
“There’s nowhere we’d rather be. Also, Connor in an elf suit is pretty fucking spectacular, and I plan to take many, many photos.” She inclines her head toward the living room. “Come on, let’s make some new memories.”
“Sounds good.” I’m so grateful I don’t have to handle today on my own.
“We’ve had this tree my whole life,” Callie explains. “My mom was allergic to pine sap, so we couldn’t have a real one. And all the ornaments are homemade. We make them for each other every year.”
“We do the same thing at the North Pole, don’t we, Elf Connor!” Roman exclaims.
“Yup. Sure do.” Connor inspects a clay snowman. “It’s a pretty bomb-ass tree.”
“It looks like an art project gone awry,” I whisper.
But I love it so much. Everyone else in our neighborhood had thematically decorated trees, and we had one in the front room that was for show, but we also always had the family tree after Fee and Callie were born.
“Can I offer anyone some coffee or hot chocolate?” I ask.
“I would love it most if you mixed the two together,” Connor says.
“That sounds delicious.” Roman pats his flat stomach and ho hos.
Dred helps me doctor up the coffees, and when we return, I pause at the threshold. “Why does he have to be so obscenely kind?” Callie is sitting on Roman’s lap, telling him about her dream.
“Oh, my dear friend. What a complicated world we live in.” She gives me a look. “I know you think you’re not supposed to have feelings about or for that man, but Roman was born to do three things: play hockey, be the best kind of dad, and love people. As I mentioned, this was his idea.”
“He’s just being nice for my sisters.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Lexi.”
I side eye her.
“You deserve someone like him.” She smiles softly. “But I’ll pretend I don’t see or feel the tension between you two.”
We pass out the drinks, and I set a tray of chocolate croissants on the coffee table.
“Santa brought us presents!” Callie exclaims.
“I’ll get Fee. She won’t want to miss this.” I head down the hall and knock on her door.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes!”
“Can I come in for a sec?”
I hear her groan, but she follows with a yes.
I slip inside. “Santa and his elves are here.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Uhh…”
“Let me rephrase that. Roman is here, dressed as a very convincing Santa.”
Her brow furrows. “On Christmas?”
“Yeah. And Dred and Connor Grace are here as helper elves. Callie fully believes he’s Santa, though.”
Her eyes go wide. “Oh my God. Connor’s so hot. Why didn’t you tell me they were coming?”
“I didn’t know until they showed up at the door. And Connor is way too old for you.” He may also have done something to Flip’s sandwich at some point that inspired a decade-long grudge, so I have questions, even if he’s choosing to be a nice guy today.
She rolls her eyes. “Hammer is with Hollis, and he’s twelve years older than she is.”
She has a point. And I’m over here lusting over a man a decade older than me. But I’m closing in on thirty and she’s still in high school. It’s not the same. “They weren’t dating when she was seventeen. In fact, they weren’t dating until she was almost twenty-one. That’s not the point. Just get your ass out there because Callie would like to open presents, and I’m sure you’d like to say hi to Dred since I’m not sure how long they’re staying.”
“Give me five.” She pushes me out the door.
As promised, she joins us in the living room five minutes later, fully dressed, wearing makeup.
“Fifi, look! It’s Santa! And Dred and Connor Grace are his helper elves!” Callie is happily perched between Roman and Connor. She’s still wearing pajamas, but I stopped in my room to throw on jeans and a sweater and brush my hair—and teeth.
Fee waves and blushes.
Roman winks, and Dred gets up to give her a hug.
“Perfect! Now that everyone is here, you can open your presents!” Santa ho hos as he rummages around in his red sack and passes gifts to the girls.
Fee waits for Callie to go first. She tears into the paper and squeals with absolute delight. “I’ve been looking at these gloves forever! Thank you, Santa!” She squeezes Roman’s neck.
“You’re welcome, Callie. I’m glad you like them. Every goalie needs a favorite pair of gloves.”
“These will be my lucky gloves! I just know it!”
Those gloves are unbelievably expensive. I’ve been waiting for a holiday sale so I can get them for her. She must have said something to Roman about it when we were out with the team for dessert. It’s the only way he could have known.