“Decided or was persuaded?” Ava asked.
“I didn’t volunteer you, so you’re welcome.”
“A lot of help you are,” Ava muttered. “That makes her completely mobile. C’mon, Brayden. We need to get that tree up.”
“Be sure to post pictures for Mom to share with two hundred of her closest friends,” Chase hollered from the sidewalk. “And Brayden?”
Brayden braced for the older brother’s warning finally headed his way. “Yeah?”
“Get a Christmas sweater. If you want to know the key to Mom’s heart, get one with cats.”
“Cats?” Brayden repeated as Chase entered the hardware store. He looked at Ava. “Your mom is a cat person?”
“That’s not really the biggest problem we have right now, is it?” Ava hopped into the truck and slammed the door shut, waiting for him to do the same.
Ava seemed extra rattled as Brayden drove through the downtown strip. Had they not both had their fill of coffee for the day, he’d offer to stop and get more. But his stomach demanded sustenance, and more coffee might make them both more jittery. “I can order something from Warren’s,” he said, turning into their shared driveway.
“If you’re expecting me to turn that down, you made the wrong offer.” A hint of a twinkle danced in her eyes before it fled. He yearned to reach out and touch her hand. To reassure her that no matter the mess they created, they’d be okay. Cat Christmas sweaters and all. Maybe he wasn’t her favorite person, but he certainly wasn’t her enemy.
“I’ll call in an order once I let Elsie out.”
“You don’t have to help with the tree—”
“Of course I do.” Brayden backed up to her side of the duplex and hopped out to unload before she could object. He had a couple of orders to finish before Christmas, and one of them was hardly started. But it felt wrong to abandon Ava now. He was no stranger to working through the night. He’d actually grown rather fond of watching the northern lights out the shed window as he worked. A few more late nights wouldn’t kill him. “We’re in this together now.”
Ava stared at him a moment longer than he could handle. His pulse doubled, then tripled, forcing him to look away from her soft lips. How many times had he imagined kissing her? Would they have to kiss to convince their moms this was real? Secretly, he hoped so. Maybe he should plant some mistletoe to ensure it. He pushed open his door, breaking the spell. “Let’s get the tree inside.”
He hefted the box up the concrete stairs, watching Elsie from the window as Ava unlocked the door. “I’ve never had a dog until I moved here,” he said, carrying the box into the living room, the pup’s tail wagging in earnest curiosity.
“Really? Not even when you were a kid?”
“Dad always wanted one, but Mom put her foot down pretty firmly. Said they were too much responsibility and we were never home enough.” He laid the box down so it’d be easy to bust open. Elsie sniffed at the package with rapt interest. “Needless to say, my mom won’t be overly thrilled with Elsie.”If she stays long enough to meet her.
Ava slipped into the kitchen, opening a cupboard. “Who couldnotimmediately fall in love with this bundle of adorable fur? She’s perfect in every way.” She knelt down and offered the golden a treat. “Aren’t you, girl?”
The sight melted his heart, reminding him why he fell for Ava all those months ago. Maybe, forced together as they would be with this fake relationship, they could repair their fractured friendship. Even if Brayden never got a real first date out of Ava, he missed the friend he made when she first moved in next door.
“Halibut tacos sound good to you?” he asked once Ava cut open the tree box.
Her eyes sparkled. “They sound like the best thing about today.”
“C’mon, Elsie,” he called from the sliding-glass door. “Time to go outside.” He turned back to Ava. She didn’t waste a minute getting to work unpacking the various branches and piling them along the floor. “Ava?”
“Yeah?”
He wanted to reassure her everything would work out. That they would survive this holiday season together. More than anything, he wanted to gather her into his arms and promise to help her through this bump in the road—the whole bump. The confession that he read her letter after all lodged in his throat. But she was only tolerating him because their simple plan backfired. If it wasn’t for Ed, she would still be avoiding him.
“What do you want to drink?” he asked instead.
“Dr. Pepper.”
“You got it.” He lingered a moment more, but the words didn’t come. He welcomed the cold air on the deck as he shuffled through the snow-covered planks to watch Elsie trot happily through the snow below.
Brayden pulled out his phone to call in their food order, but instead dialed his sister. He hadn’t spoken to Sarra in a few weeks, and he felt guilty about that. She’d sent him a text two days ago, asking him to call her when he got a chance, but he’d put it off. He’d forgotten all about it until he caught a glimpse of red garland falling out of a bag in Ava’s living room moments ago. It reminded him of family Christmases before Dad passed.
“Brayden, hi.”
“How’s my baby sister?”
