“What’s that?” Maisie tried to peek inside but Lexi was holdingthe bag up too high, plus she was several inches shorter than her friend. “We said presents tomorrow.”
Lexi looked at Nick, then at Maisie and pursed her lips. Her thinking face.
“What?”
Leaning in a little, Lexi told her, “It’s your men-suck-so-do-parents-Christmas-can-bite-it care package.”
Nick burst out laughing.
Lexi’s head popped up. She shoved the bag at Maisie and walked around her, arm out. “I’m Lexi Danby. You must be Nick.”
Sighing, seeing no way out of this, and not entirely sure she wanted one, Maisie watched them shake hands. She followed them into the living room and while Lexi took the oversize chair, Nick sat beside Maisie on the couch. Like right beside. No room for misunderstandings. Literally. There was only a layer of jogging fleece separating them because he wore athletic shorts.
“I’ve never been privy to this sort of thing,” Nick said, trying to peek beneath the tissue paper.
Maisie swatted his hand. “Hey. This is sacred. If you hadn’t shown up, whatever is in here would have been responsible for me picking myself up off the couch and carrying on with my life.”
Lexi snort laughed but Nick gave Maisie a cheesy grin and kissed her cheek. “Wow. Youreallylike me.”
“Enough that she didn’t say one word about you until this week,” Lexi said, somewhat aggressively, while removing her gorgeous waist-length dark-gray wool jacket.
“That jacket is stunning,” Maisie said, hoping Lexi didn’t say anything more.
A soft smile fluttered over her friend’s face. “A present from Will’s sisters.”
Maisie angled her body toward Nick. “Lexi and Will met in September. It’s a very long, fun story that I will withhold for now tomake sure that my bestie behaves herself. I’ll just say it ends with them being engaged. Will’s family owns Grand Babies, which is like a Seattle institution for families. Now, Lexi’s new family buys her swanky gifts which will likely make my present look boring.”
“Don’t say that,” Lexi said. “I love you. You know that. I’m just still finding it hard to believe I have a fiancé, soon-to-be sisters-in-law, and a whole big family. And I remember you not behaving at all when you met Will.”
She ignored that and asked her friend, “How’s Gwen?” She turned to Nick. “Her mom.”
“She’s good. We did Christmas morning with just us. Will came for brunch and then we got her over to his house for dinner for a few hours.” Lexi pointed to the bag. “There’s standard care package items in there. You need to get it in the freezer.”
Nick pointed to the bag. “I would have guessed ice cream.” He looked at Lexi, shoulders straightening. “I have a younger sister. Ice cream is a must for all things that evoke any and all emotions.”
Lexi shook her head. “That’s sexist, Nick.”
He started to apologize but Maisie laughed. “But not wrong.”
She pulled the tissue out of the bag and tossed it on the floor. Then she proceeded to empty out her care package onto the coffee table. A pint of chocolate chip cookie dough brownie ice cream. Warm, fuzzy socks. Two magazines, one that promised a home facial to change a person’s life. Two bags of candies, one sour, one gummy. A bottle of wine, two chocolate bars, a little bag of bath bombs, a box of tea, and a tiny palm-sized stuffed animal of a camera with eyes and a smile.
Maisie sniffed back tears. “This is the best. I can’t believe it’s not my Christmas present.”
“Why don’t I put the ice cream in the freezer?” Nick got up, kissed Maisie on the top of her head, and stepped over her legs.
Lexi leaned in from her spot on the chair. “Spill. Fast.”
Maisie stretched toward her. “He just showed up. He’s stayingthe week. I have no idea what’s going on but I’m in big trouble, Lex. Like Will and Lexi–style trouble.”
“Oh wow. Okay. Then he needs to meet Will.”
Maisie nodded. That was a solid idea. He’d met the family. Now the friends. If they wanted a chance, he needed to know Lexi and Will. Because, sometimes more than her own family, they were part of who she was.
Nick joined them again, hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Should I go back? Did I give you two enough time?”
Lexi grinned. “Plenty of time. Sit. I have three hundred questions.”
Maisie groaned, dropped her head back on the couch, and stared at the ceiling. Nick snuggled in beside her, put his arm around her, and smiled at her in a way that told her this didn’t scare him.
