Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 58211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
By “everything else,” I know he’s talking about his childhood.
“See?” he says. “You’ve got nothing to be jealous of.”
“I never said I was jealous,” I whisper.
“You didn’t have to.”
“Okay, let’s imagine I am jealous,” I say. “Let’s go there. Let’s explore the issue. Why are you smiling, Asher?”
“When you get passionate about a project, you get so animated. It’s endearing and cute as hell. I won’t lie. It was the same thing when you were recording at the climbing center. You get electrified.”
I laugh. “Electrified?”
“My Snowflake becomes a giant Christmas tree.”
“How can you be so depressing and so silly at the same time?”
“You bring it out in me.”
“I’m serious. Let’s imagine I am.”
He chuckles. “Yeah … imagine.”
“What good could it do, huh? We both have to accept that nothing can ever happen. Nothing else, anyway. We’ve gone far enough. Dan loves me. He loves you, but he’d never love ‘us.’”
“You’re right,” Asher concedes. “We have to be stronger. Don’t pout. I agree with you.”
“I’m not pouting,” I lie.
It’s not the answer I wanted to hear, even if it’s the one I needed. There’s no future with my brother’s best friend.
His cell phone rings. “Would you answer that for me, Snowflake?”
I reach into his pocket, shocked at how the heat of his body affects me. I’m going toasty marshmallow again.
“It’s your mom.”
He sighs. “You can let it ring. I’ll call her back.”
“Asher, why don’t you just talk to her?”
“It’s draining.”
“It might be important.”
“Damn it. Fine. Answer. Put it on speaker.”
I slide my thumb across the screen and press the speakerphone icon.
“Asher?” she says, her voice full of heartbreaking hope.
“Hey, Mom,” Asher replies. To his credit, he tries to sound upbeat—a difficult feat for him.
“You’re going to think I’ve gone completely nuts. My local church is having a toy drive and is looking for a Santa. We already have an outfit. The previous Santa was around your height. I know you keep in shape, but we have pillows to fill you out. What do you think?”
Asher looks at me in disbelief. He mouths, Santa?
I grin and pinch his arm, nodding vigorously. Any bad vibes vanish at the notion of Asher Mitchell dressing up in a Santa costume. He shakes his head. I nod.
“Asher?” Brianna says.
“I don’t know, Mom …”
“Oh, okay.”
I quickly press mute. “Asher, come on. This obviously means a lot to her.”
“You just want to see me all in red, looking like an ass.”
“Think of the kids, then. Think of the toys.”
He groans. “Unmute the phone.” I click the button. “Mom, I’ll do it, but I have one condition.”
“Oh, sure.” She brightens up. “What is it?”
“You remember Holly?”
“Yes, what a lovely girl.”
“She’s got an elf costume, and she’s been talking about wanting to put it to use. If I do this, can I bring her along as one of my little helpers?”
“That’s an excellent idea. The more the merrier! Should I text you the details?” she says excitedly.
“Sounds good.”
“Love you, Asher.”
Asher swallows. “Love you, Mom.”
She hangs up. I slap Asher playfully on the arm.
“You absolute jerk. That wasn’t part of the plan.”
“If I’m going to look like an ass, Snowflake, you’re going to join me. I kind of like the idea of seeing you in Christmas stockings …”
CHAPTER 16
ASHER
“One week until the big day, sir,” Mia says, lingering at my office door.
She’s still looking at me in that uncomfortable way. We haven’t mentioned the run-in we had at the bar.
“Not long now,” I say neutrally. “Do you have the latest reports?”
“Yes, sir. Here they are.”
She places them on my desk, then lingers, toying with a loose piece of string on her sweater.
“Is there anything else?” I ask.
“I just wanted to say, uh, your suit looks good today.”
“I need to get on with my work, Mia.”
She quickly leaves the room, mumbling, “Sorry.”
I almost feel bad for her. If there’s one thing I don’t need this Christmas, it’s a blowout with a woman named Mia. Two in a row is more than any man can handle.
Yesterday, I purposefully avoided Holly as much as I could. She spent the morning and afternoon with her friends. I got some work done. In the late afternoon, when she returned home, I came to the office to get out of her space.
I overshared on Saturday, telling her I cared, that she meant more to me than my ex, the woman I almost proposed to. It’s true, but that doesn’t mean I should’ve said it. It was reckless.
I can’t avoid her later because I’m picking her up and then taking her to the church so I can put on the red suit, and she can slip into her elf costume. I wasn’t lying when I said I liked the idea of her in Christmas stockings, not that it makes it any easier.
My Secret Santa phone buzzes. The last text was me saying we should keep our messages about Secret Santa and nothing else.