“Hey, yourself. Nice truck.”
He pulled back, Asher still giving him the scoop on every single thing, and smiled. “I like it. Figured if I was driving up here, I might as well be comfortable.”
“You look tired,” Ellie said, stepping away to pull her long sweater tight around her.
“Long drive,” he said. Asher was still rambling. Nick only caught every third or fourth word, the kid was talking so fast.
Her brows rose. “Uh-huh.” She knew him too well.
They moved into the foyer of the house and shut the door. He glanced around, taking in the high ceilings, gleaming wood floors, and little touches of Christmas. Mini twinkle lights and sprigs of greenery wove in and out of short, fat candles on a dark-stained wood entrance table.
He eyed the small tree with a grin. “How many trees do you have up and decorated?”
Ellie lifted her chin. “A few. One isn’t decorated yet.”
Nick laughed. Their mom would never let them get real trees because she didn’t want “something else to take care of.” Ironic, since Nick had been the one who cared for Ellie.
Asher tugged Nick’s free hand. “You should see my room, Uncle Nick. I hung up all my posters.”
Nick’s lips twitched as he met his sister’s gaze. “See, he’s handling the transition well.”
“What doesn’t he handle well?” Ellie asked.
“Are those my cookies?” Asher asked, eyeing the box without brushing back the strands of light-brown hair that fell a little long over his forehead.
“Asher,” Ellie said in that low, slightly drawn-out mom tone that still amused Nick. He didn’t know where she had learned it because their mother hadn’t ever spoken to them with that sort of gentle firmness. If she had bothered with them at all, it was to harp on Ellie for every little thing or to pressure Nick into working harder. As if that was possible.
“Of course they are,” Nick said, holding the box out, slipping his boots off and then his jacket.
Asher took the box and went running down the hall, yelling, “More cookies!”
More? When Nick hung his coat and put his boots away in one of the multiple closets along the wall, he moved to pick up his bags but Ellie stepped in front of him.
“I’ve missed you, Nicky.”
He rolled his eyes. She was theonlyone who got away with that shit. “Jesus, you’re still such a brat.”
She laughed and gave him another tight hug. “It’s a little sister rule. It’ll never change.”
Unsure if it was her or her house that smelled like cinnamon, he hugged her back. “You doing okay?”
She pulled away, looked up at him with blue eyes much like his own, only hers were a little brighter. “I’m good.”
Nick picked up his duffels. “He call? Contact you?”
Ellie shook her head.
“Asshole.”
His sister laughed. “You’re not wrong. But I just want to focus on Christmas and all the good things.”
He started to tease her about being such a Pollyanna but, in truth, he envied her ability to always look on the bright side. Her ex had not only cheated on her but elevated the level of his assholery by telling her it was her fault. It was best Nick not ever be in the same room with him again.
And to focus his thoughts elsewhere: “Where is Colt?”
She led him down the hallway. “Walking the grounds. He and his hubby arrived right after Jacob’s younger sister showed up, with cookies, and right before his other sister and her husband arrived. She’s pregnant. The older one. None of them have seen each other in a while so they’re all pretty excited and ready to celebrate. Jacob’s parents won’t be here until tomorrow though.”
Nick raised his brows at his sister sounding a lot like Asher withher details. Her enthusiasm for entertaining was something he’d never shared, but it felt damn good to be here and know he was going to be part of a family holiday.
