“I don’t care. Just wanted to check in with you. Things are going well, don’t you think?”
She arched an eyebrow. “You mean Friendsgiving or us?”
“Both. But mostly us.”
Her fingers toyed with my tie, a wicked smile curling. “I’d say both are dangerously close to perfect. Except you’re supposed to be helping, not mauling me in Vivian’s pantry.”
“I multitask,” I murmured, kissing her again.
She melted into it for a minute, heat building between us, then shoved at my chest with a laugh. “You’re terrible.”
“Terribly efficient. Kissing, quality assurance of the china after washing—call it an inspection.”
A burst of laughter from the kitchen made her stiffen, biting her lip.
I sighed, resting my forehead against hers. “Fine. I’ll stop. Before we end up as the entertainment.”
When we slipped out, Vivian was setting out pies on the counter and shaking her head. “Why does everyone think my pantry is the best place for a make-out session?”
Richard came up behind her and stole a cookie off one of her perfect platters. “Because it is,” he said, grinning at us with a wink. “Don’t let her fool you—we’ve hidden in there from the kids plenty of times.”
Vivian swatted at him with a towel, muttering about men and their appetites. Penny flushed red beside me. I placed aquick kiss on her temple before following Richard downstairs to his man cave.
Surprisingly, among the guys, there was no talk of work, no talk at all of my love life, and that suited me fine. Later, when I came upstairs to replenish our snack tray, I stopped dead in the doorway.
The fire in the big stone hearth threw golden light across the room, spotlighting Penny sitting in a gliding chair. She held Everett in her arms, rocking as if she’d done it a thousand times. A smile so pure on her face… I couldn’t have designed a more unforgettable moment if I’d tried.
Rex and the others came up behind me at halftime and caught me staring. We all stood there for a second like idiots, watching the women and wearing the same goofy expression.
“So,” Rex said. “You bringing Penny to Christmas, or are we still pretending you’re single?”
I smirked. “Depends—what are the odds up to?”
Keaton grinned. “No bets this time, Arch. We’re just happy for you, man. Glad to finally meet her.”
“She’s amazing,” Brooks added. “Good to see you this way.”
“Which way?”
Richard lifted his beer stein. “Happier. Look, I know we all gave you hell before about her, only because we care. But it’s clear now—you’ve got something good going here with Penny. Don’t ruin it.”
“Be sure to invite us to the wedding,” Keaton tossed in, and they all laughed their way into the kitchen for dessert, leaving me speechless in the doorway.
Across the room, Penny looked up just then. Everett’s tiny hand was curled around her finger, and when our eyes met, time stopped. My heart flooded with something I couldn’t name.
Game over.
I’d built skyscrapers for a living, but nothing came close to that image—Penny Fair holding the future I wanted.
Later,we left Richard and Vivian’s and settled into their guesthouse for the night. I built a fire while she stacked blankets and pillows into a nest on the rug in front of the hearth. I stirred up some hot apple cider tea for us, a gift from Maisy, who loved to create all kinds of things with spices and fragrance. Last Christmas, it was a bottle of men’s cologne that came with a survey she asked me to complete, all in the name of her research.
By the time I turned on soft jazz in the background, Penny was cross-legged near the flames, staring into them. Her face flickered with light and shadow, lost in thought.
I sat beside her on the floor and startled her. “You okay? You’ve gone quiet.”
She smiled faintly, taking the mug in hand. “Just thinking about… Brier and Westley. He flew her out to Vegas for the holiday. It’s possible they’re heading toward marriage. I’ve never seen her this happy.”
“Yeah.” I stared into the fire too. Weddings, marriage and babies. After today, those ideas didn’t sound as foreign as they used to.
