10
Paige
Iawoke to the sound of laughter coming from downstairs. Deep, masculine laughter. And when I thrust my arm out, I was met with the empty, rumpled sheets on myleft.
I slipped into my jeans and a hoodie and made my way downstairs to find Taylor and Scott sitting at my kitchen table. Sitting. Talking. Andnotstrangling eachother.
Scott was laughing into his fist, his other hand, clutching a ceramic mug of coffee. “Oh my God, Mrs. Halbersten screamed so loud when she opened her filing cabinet and found that rubberspider.”
“You got detention for a week,” Taylor said, wiping tears from his eyes. “And you weren’t even in her class. Hell, you were only a freshman and you managed to sneak into the sophomore English class. It wasgenius.”
Scott’s chuckle diminished and he sighed. “Your forgetting one important facet to that story. You didn’t let me go to detention alone. You took half the blame and joined me for two days after school in detentionhall.”
Taylor shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. “It’s because I’mawesome.”
I cleared my throat, drawing the attention of both men. “I’m sorry… is this some sort of Christmas miracle happening right now?” I said, pointing my finger and gesturing between them. “The two of youtogether,and Taylor’s hands aren’t latched around yourthroat?”
Taylor smiled and even though it was beautiful, it lacked the easy grace I had witnessed last night. “Your words sunk in,” he said, standing and kissing me on the forehead before grabbing an empty mug and pouring mecoffee.
“I also showed up at nine a.m. to take you to breakfast. Taylor couldn’t exactly turn me away from my own sister’s home on Christmas Eve.” Scott winked at me. “So I guess you could say itwaskind of a Christmasmiracle.”
“Huh,” was all I could manage as Taylor placed the warm mug in my hand, this time bending and brushing his lips against mine. It was a sweet kiss; not long or lingering and yet, my body flushed with heat and desire as our lips made contact. I took a sip of the coffee. It was perfect. Made just to my liking. Half and half. And sweet. Sweeter than most people’s liking, but perfect for me. “How do you know how I like mycoffee?”
Taylor’s mouth curved in the sexiest half smile I’d ever seen. “There’s half and half in your fridge,” he said. “There’s really only one use for half and half—and that’s coffee. And the sugar jar had a couple little drops of coffee in it, meaning you probably use two teaspoons at least, causing the occasional drop of coffee in your sugarjar.”
“Wow. Very… astute ofyou.”
Maisey rushed toward me as I sat at the table beside Taylor, her cold nose nudging my leg. “So… what’s the plan for today, then?” I asked, still unsure of what I was seeing here between Taylor and my brother. Sure, he had said last night that he was going to make an effort with Scott. But honestly, that could have been all the whiskey talking. Or the sex talking. Pillow talk was a strange and powerful thing. I certainly didn’t expect to wake up and find them both having a civilized cup of coffeetogether.
“Ski trip, then tree lighting?” Scottoffered.
I scrunched my nose. He knew I didn’t ski. I was the person who sat in the ski lodge and had cocoa while everyone else went skiing. Taylor gave me a strange look. “You don’t ski? Not even alittle?”
I shook my headno.
“Not even the bunnyslope?”
Scott rolled his eyes. “Mom and I both tried teaching her so manytimes.”
“I’m not coordinated enough to ski!” I said, crumpling up a napkin and throwing it at Scott’sface.
“Says the girl who can do a triple pirouette,” Taylor murmured, hiding his mouth behind his coffeecup.
“That’s a very differentskillset.”
“Well, I could use a little shopping trip today,” Taylor said with a shrug. “There’s some added Christmas gifts I need to get. Of course, we’d have to split up for a little while shopping.” He casted a wink in my direction and butterflies swirled from my chest into mystomach.
“Does this mean you’re staying for Christmas, too?” Even after last night, I fully assumed he was going to pack up and leave before theholiday.
He took a deep breath, his gaze latching onto mine. “If that’s okay with you?” Then, he turned slowly to look at Scott. “And you. I haven’t had a family to spend Christmas with in over adecade.”
Scott swallowed so tight and hard that I could see it travel the line of his throat as his smile faded. “You always had the family. You just never chose to see it thatway.”
Every muscle in my body stiffened. “Scott,” I warned, my voice a lowhiss.
Taylor placed his hand on my knee, giving it a little squeeze. “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “He’s right. It’s not that I didn’t have family. My dad is alive and here in town. Scott was always here, always trying to make amends. I guess it’s more appropriate to say that my perception of family has changed. And I’d love to spend Christmas with my brother and…” his words faded slowly as he added, “girlfriend, if you’ll have me.” He arched a brow, and the word girlfriend was more of a question than astatement.
I caught my lower lip between my teeth to try to stop the stupid, giant smile spreading across myface.
