I take a sip of the delicious-looking latte and let out a soft moan as the taste of blueberry muffin hits my tongue. “B, this is incredible,” I say, taking another long sip.
As Jase casually reaches over to wipe the sweet cream off my lip with his thumb, I hear a deep groan from behind us. I can feel at least one pair of eyes on us, but with my brothers following behind, I know they’re all aware of how he’s touched me.
To make matters worse, Jase sucks the cream off his thumb, the whole time keeping eye contact with me, and smirks when he’s sucked it clean. “Delicious,” he murmurs under his breath, but I know everyone’s heard him.
The little giggle Brynn makes as she rushes past us tells me this little show he’s putting on is working.
Jase and I make our way around the table, looking for the name tags Brynn strategically set down over the table setting. The arrangement is beautiful, with a pastel red, white, and green plaid tablecloth under a burlap runner and bright red charger plates. Stacked neatly on top are white plates painted with pine needles and bunches of holly, and a cloth napkin folded like a Christmas tree in the center with our names on a gift tag. It’s impeccably executed and gives me the bright idea of maybe bringing Brynn on board at Monroe Avenue since she obviously has an eye for design.
My brothers are seated at the far side of the table, Bailey beside Nash and opposite them are Billie, Brynn, Camden and his wife. Jase and I, of course, are seated front and center, like we’re on display.
“So,” Monty says casually as we all settle into our seats. “How long has this been going on?”
I guess we’re getting straight into it. None of my brothers have a filter whatsoever, another curse to our name, but Monty usually has more tact than any of us.
Jase doesn’t miss a beat, straightening as he faces my oldest brother. “Since she moved in.” His hand slides over mine on the table, lacing our fingers together to show we’re together but also, I think it’s his way of comforting me.
My knees are trembling under the table. I hate lying to my friends and family.
I hear the gasps in the room as my best friends look as shocked as I expected them to. I simply nod, unable to do much else. “We just didn’t want to make it a big thing until we knew where we stood.”
Nash furrows his brow, but Bailey sets a hand on his shoulder to calm him. “And where do you stand?” he says, his tone much more composed than he looks.
Jase doesn’t cower, looking him straight in the eye and not hesitating as he faces his best friend. “Together. That’s where.”
The silence that follows is brief but thick. This is exactly what I was afraid of. My brothers look suspicious, my friends are way too eager to know more, and I can't shake the feeling that we’re making a horrible mistake lying to everyone. A lie that’s my fault because I let my jealousy cloud my judgment.
Brynn smiles as she tears a cinnamon roll in half. “Well, I think it’s wonderful. It’s Christmas, and you’re here as a family. This baby is already so loved, and that’s what matters.” Her smile drops when she says the word family, and it's then I realize her fiancé Tommy is nowhere to be seen. Bailey had mentioned she’s gone to stay with Cam and Holly, but maybe there’s more than just her father’s affair that sent her running from Crossroads.
I don’t blame her. I’ve thought about running away more than a few times in the last few months.
Luckily, the conversation quickly shifts to something more pleasant. Bailey and Nash talk about their plans to hopefully buy a house in the next year and move out of her apartment. Beau mentions possibly staying around longer than he’d originally planned now that he’s moved into the home I used to share with Monty and is working remotely. I’m looking forward to possibly spending some time with him when I go into the office. Theo still has another six months left on tour, but he’s hinting at some new music in the coming year.
I want to relax and settle into the conversation happening around me, but every laugh, every shared glance between Jase and me brings me back to the lie we’re telling the people we love.
By the time we move back into the living room to open presents, my cheeks hurt from smiling. Jase drops onto the couch beside me, his knee brushing mine. “You okay?” he asks, his voice low so that he isn’t heard by anyone watching us.
His fingers softly move back and forth over my thigh, and a wave of goosebumps covers my skin. He notices, and his smile widens, but he doesn’t stop. I pull the throw blanket over my lap, hiding my legs from view, but Jase doesn’t remove his hand.
I glance up at him, taken aback by desire burning in his eyes, and I know the same need is reflected in mine. “It feels like a performance.”
“Maybe,” he says, leaning in closer. His hot breath tickles my ear. “Or maybe it’s just us finally letting them see the truth we’ve been hiding from ourselves.”
My heart kicks into high gear, and I force myself to look away, focusing on the pile of wrapped boxes at our feet, but his words stay with me. For the first time, I’m not sure if I want the show to end.
“Jameson,” Monty calls out, handing him a glass of bourbon. “Looks like you could use a drink.”
Chapter Twenty
Jase
The Bishop Ranch was a shithole. At least it was after Franklin Bishop ran it to the ground. Now, after his passing, the ranch is almost unrecognizable. Thanks to the hard work and design of Monroe and her brothers, it looks like it belongs in a magazine spread. I’d never seen her talent firsthand, only heard about it when Bailey would boast about how incredible she was, but the amount of detail she added to the redesign of the home was perfectly tailored to fit the mood of the large space.
The farmhouse felt like a home that’s been lived in for years even though it had been basically empty for the last decade. It only makes me eager to see what she’s capable of turning our home into.
I’d spent some time here over the years, though Nash and I preferred to hang out at my family ranch instead of dealing with his alcoholic father. Today, with Monroe beside me, it felt different.
With every move I made from placing my hand on her back, lacing my fingers with hers, I could feel her brothers trackingthem like hawks. Monty’s stare was the sharpest, Nash’s the coldest, Beau’s the most calculating. Theo was the only one who seemed so preoccupied with his own thoughts to pay any attention. His nose was glued to his phone the whole time.
