“Then impress me,” I say, pushing out of his embrace and taking a step backward in the sand.
“This doesn’t count?” he taunts and I shake my head, looking up at the inky-black sky dotted with stars.
“Not even a little.”
“Well, I think I know just the thing.”
12
PHOENIX
Walking down the sidewalk, I can’t help thinking that being with Aspen should be harder than it is. She’s beautiful and kind, and I’d do almost anything to make her smile. Which is how we ended up ducking inside Mug Life Coffee for a cup of hot chocolate.
Aspen got hers with extra whipped cream and shaved peppermint on top, and I’d discreetly made that note in my phone for future reference. I’d gone for the white hot chocolate and she’d done nothing to hide how boring she thought that choice was as we maneuvered back onto the street.
“What’s your favorite holiday tradition?” she asks, holding her cup in both hands and looking up at me through her lashes.
Swallowing hard, I count the streetlights ahead, the answer hitting me harder now that I have to say it out loud.
“Bristol and Navy live with Talon, but I always spend the night Christmas Eve so I can be there when Navy wakes up.”
“That’s really sweet; I’m sure she loves it.”
“She does,” I say, licking my lips. “And I do the elf on the shelf.”
“What do you mean?” she says, taking a sip and humming as her eyelids flutter closed. It’s adorable and sexy, and I have to clear my throat before attempting to speak.
“It was never a thing when we were growing up, but my parents gifted one to Navy and she loves the damn thing. She didn’t totally get what it meant in the beginning, only that it was something silly. Bristol hates it. She’s exhausted trying to do it all, so I became the elf.”
“And what is your elf name?” She giggles and I snort because I totally asked for this. And strangely, I don’t hate it.
“Gaston.” My lips twitch at the memory. “Bristol, Talon, and I all played rock, paper, scissors and Talon won.”
“That’s not adorable at all.” She sighs as she drops her empty cup in the garbage. “So what? Do you sneak over to their house every night after Navy is asleep?”
“It depends on how elaborate the setup is. Sometimes, I’ll just leave Bristol with instructions, like when I made dumbbells using pieces of a straw and some marshmallows, and other times, like when I did a car chase across the counter, I went over to set up.”
“Do you clean up the mess too?”
“Talon usually takes care of it, but if I have to, I’ll make a big deal of stopping over to see what the elf did.” Throwing my own cup away, I give her one more truth. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my niece and my sister. It’s hard enough for Bristol being a widowed, single mom, and while Talon and I could never replace Davis, we still try to make sure Navy has our full attention.”
“She’s lucky to have you.”
“It’s cliché but we’re the lucky ones.”
“Who knew under all that grumpiness you’re just a big softie.”
“Nothin’ soft about me, Aspen.”
“Is that right?”
“Where you’re concerned? Definitely.”
“That sounds promising,” she muses, stepping just out of my reach when I hear footsteps behind me, and I know before I even look that there’s not enough time to get to her.
“Aspen, watch out,” I call a second too late as a teenager runs into Aspen, knocking her off the sidewalk and into the sand.
“Sorry, ma’am!” the kid calls out but doesn’t stop chasing his friend, and I’m already in motion.
