Her cheeks flushed a cute shade of pink. "Oh, you mean the thing with the ice?"
"Not just the ice," I said. "It was the way you barged in and didn't let Jenny run you off."
Lexie winced. "I bet she hates me, doesn't she?"
I chuckled. "No more than your sister hatesme."
"Harper? She doesn't hate you." Lexie paused. "Well, not anymore."
"I know," I said for the second time tonight.
Lexie's face clouded with new confusion. "But wait, how would you know?"
I hitched a thumb toward my house. "Because Harper showed up maybe an hour after you left."
"She did?"
"Oh, yeah. And she took the blame for everything, told me it was allherfault, not yours."
"But that's not true," Lexie protested. "It wasmyfault, not hers, honest."
Andthiswas one of the many reasons I loved this girl beyond belief. With a smile, I replied, "Not the way Harper tells it."
"So that's why you came over? Because Harper took the blame?"
"Nope." I pulled her back into my arms. "I would've been here, anyway. You want the truth?"
She nodded against my chest.
"I met your sister on my way out of the house."
"Yourhouse?" Lexie pulled back to study my face. "Seriously?"
"Oh, yeah," I said. "I open the front door to head over here, and there she is, getting ready to ring the bell."
"So you invited her in?"
"I had to," I laughed. "She wasn't gonna take no for an answer."
Lexie gave me a sheepish smile. "I guess that runs in the family."
"Maybe," I admitted. "But let me tell you something. It wouldn't have mattered what she said. Wild horses couldn't have kept me away."
Lexie closed the space between us and laughed softly against my chest. "Don't you mean reindeer? I mean, itisChristmas, right?"
I hugged her close. "It isnow."
Chapter 44
Lexie
I woke to the sounds of scratching at my bedroom door. It was Christmas morning, and I was warm and comfy nestled in Cole's arms.
I opened my eyes and leaned back to discover that Cole was awake and smiling. In a voice filled with amusement, he said, "It sounds like you've got visitors."
I gave him a sleepy smile. "Fred and George. Or at least, that's my guess."
He pulled me close and nuzzled my ear. "They'd better be cats, or you're in big trouble."
