She arched a brow and watched me after taking a few steps back then narrowed her eyes my way when I was done. “Are you playing me?”
“Nah, what you mean?”
“That’s not the work of a newbie.”
I smirked. “It’s light work. My mom used to put me and my brother on the task of decorating every year. I know a little something.”
“Then why are you acting like you don’t?”
“Just because I know how doesn’t mean I want to. This is my least favorite thing but watching you do it I might have to rethink that.”
Her pretty ass blushed and pushed her hair from her face before her eyes swept over me. “I can’t really complain about the visual either.”
I chuckled while she moved through the process of adjusting a few lights. “Why aren’t you home for Christmas? This isthefamily holiday.”
She peeked at me over her shoulder. “It’s just my brother, and honestly, he’s probably going to spend most of his time with a rotation of women. He’s not really all that sentimental, so instead of decorating and shit like this, he’s focused on how many women can bring him holiday cheer.”
“Mm, sounds interesting.”
“Interesting maybe, but also exhausting. He convinced me to try that shit one year and my only takeaway was never again.”
“Wow, maybe let’s not share so much.” She rolled her eyes and I chuckled.
“That was like ten years ago. I was twenty and dumb.”
“You’re thirty?”
“Yeah, how old are you?”
“Legal.” She grinned and I frowned.
“Howlegal, Reece?”
“Twenty-six.”
I nodded, walking back to the table to take another sip of my drink. “What about your parents?”
“Lost them when I was nineteen and Keron was twenty-one.”
Her hands paused and she turned to face me. “Keron is your brother?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry. I know what that’s like.”
“Thank you.”
She huffed. “My dad had an aneurism three years ago.”
Her words from last night came back to me.
“…that’s the only man who’s ever broken my heart and I miss him.”
“You never really get over shit like that. It lives with you in the worst ways.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“And your mom?”
