Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Rowan managed to rope Wren into his plans, and the two of them happily laid out an elaborate hot chocolate bar with enough toppings for a dozen revelers. I took Oz for a brief walk and returned to find the living room transformed into a giant blanket fort, complete with pillows, mountains of fuzzy throws and blankets, and twinkling lights left over from the Christmas festivities. The hot chocolate bar was set up on the nearby oak coffee table. Luckily, Oz knew better than to go investigate and picked out a large cushion in the blanket tent to flop on.
As Wren and Rowan worked, they debated which movies to cue up, and I swallowed the impulse to remind them that all the linens and lights would eventually need picking up.
“What the…?” Declan wandered into the living room on his knee scooter, expression going from sleepy to perplexed as he swept his gaze around the living room.
“It’s New Year’s Eve. We’re having a party,” Rowan announced merrily.
“People coming over?” Declan groaned.
“No, just us.” Rowan attempted to steer Declan toward the blanket fort. “Don’t worry about balancing a plate with your scooter. I’ll bring the hot chocolate buffet to you.”
If Rowan got any more obvious with his hero worship of Declan, a halo was likely to appear around Declan’s auburn hair, which had grown back unevenly along his surgical scar.
“If I get down there, I’m probably not getting back up.” Declan wrinkled his forehead but obligingly moved closer to the blanket fort in front of the TV. “I am hungry though.”
“Perfect. And Jonas and I can help you up.” Rowan effortlessly volunteered me, not that I was about to protest another excuse to touch Declan.
“Let them have their fun.” I stepped next to Declan. “It is New Year’s Eve, after all.”
“Wow. Last year, I was in Vegas, a huge group of us, girl on each arm, smashed beyond…” Declan’s mouth twisted. “Sorry. Not PG content. But yeah, what a difference a year makes.”
“Sorry we can’t provide more excitement.” My tone came out a little clipped because Declan’s sadness underscored how much he missed his motocross lifestyle and how Mount Hope was merely a pit stop on his road to recovery.
“It’s okay. Guess I was due a sober New Year’s. Help me sit?” His crooked grin banished my irritation. I helped him settle next to Oz with cushions under his healing leg and behind his back. When I turned to back out of the blanket tent, however, Declan yanked me down next to him.
“Oh no, you don’t,” he whispered, voice unusually playful. “If I have to sit in the blanket fort, so do you.”
“All right.” I agreed, hopefully not too quickly. Declan likely wanted me next to him only as a buffer from the teens, but my cheeks heated and my chest lifted anyway.
Rowan gleefully served up hot chocolate and treats before starting the movie.
“What is this?” Declan’s forehead wrinkled like he’d never seen a holiday movie opening. The festive music, snow, quaint neighborhood, and holiday decorations made the genre immediately clear, at least to me.
“Only the queerest holiday movie ever!” Rowan was only too happy to push Pause to explain the plot of the geeky Christmas caper we’d already seen three times that month. “It’s rival neighbors, see, but the sunshine one has to help the grumpy one pull off a Christmas miracle to welcome his younger brother home. You’ll love it.”
“Sure.” Declan sounded pained and his mouth was a thin line.
“You okay?” I asked in a low voice. “We can switch movies.”
“It’s fine.” He offered the fakest smile ever before motioning at Rowan. “Continue, please.”
I half expected Declan to have sarcastic commentary for the movie, but surprisingly, he seemed wrapped up in the plot, leaning forward as the movie meandered along. He even laughed at the holiday hijinks and small-town humor. But as the movie wrapped, his expression turned to one of clear longing.
I’d know because being this close to him with our legs and shoulders brushing and his beachy scent hanging in the air had me doing my own pining. And like the yearning in my chest, Declan’s longing seemed to hurt. He huffed out little pained breaths and shifted uncomfortably, especially when the two male leads kissed as the closing credits rolled.
“My head hurts. I should go lie down.” Declan pushed himself away from our cushion nest, but Rowan made a clucking noise.
“Not yet. It’s almost midnight! Time to break out the sparkling cider and make our resolutions and—”
“The only resolution I have is to get back on the track.” Declan shook his head. “I’m gonna pass, kid. Sorry.”
Rowan’s face fell, but he collected himself enough to help me extricate Declan from the blanket fort. As soon as he was upright, Declan grabbed his scooter and made his way back to his room.