"You know, if you had let me do it when I asked originally, we wouldn't have this problem."
"You didn't sell it well enough," Greg said. "Call me as soon as she confirms."
There was a knock on the door, and I flung it open, expecting to see Chloe.
"Jack!" exclaimed my brothers. I hugged Matt and Oliver. My third-youngest brother, Jonathan, walked in behind them.
"Was the drive okay?" I asked as I hugged him.
He shrugged. "Traffic was fairly light. I think most people are out of the city for the holidays already."
"I thought there was going to be a party," Oliver said, dramatically flopping on the couch and turning on the TV. "There aren't even any decorations up."
"We're running behind," I explained.
"Where's your girlfriend?" Matt asked.
"What? That’s not—"
"One of the Svenssons lives in the dorm down the hall from me. He said that Liam said you had a girlfriend, and she made the best food ever," Matt countered.
"I'm hungry!" Oliver complained.
I rummaged around in my nearly empty fridge.
"There's two soup muffins left," I told them. I microwaved the muffins to warm them slightly, and my younger brothers ate them in two huge bites.
Jonathan snickered.
"When is Chloe going to be here to make some more?" Matt asked.
"Maybe this evening," I hedged.
But was she?
Maybe moving to Brooklyn was her final "screw you." Maybe she was angrier than I had thought. I hadn't realized Belle was that angry, hurt, and resentful until she'd left. Maybe the same thing was happening with Chloe, and I was too dense to see it.
Milo bucked at my hip.
"I'm going to walk him. I'll tell Owen to pick up some food for you guys since he's on his way over, so make sure you're downstairs waiting to help him carry whatever he buys you," I told them as I clipped the husky into his harness. My three brothers were glued to the football game on TV and grunted in acknowledgment.
I took Milo on a long walk to the park and back. I thought the dog could sense my anxiety, because he didn't want to stay and play in the snow drifts.
There was a Santa Claus in sunglasses standing in front of my tower when I returned.
"You have ten seconds to scram or I'm calling the police," I growled at him.
"Where is Chloe?" he asked.
"Not any of your concern." I studied him. "Hey, don't I know you?"
But his gaze wasn’t on me. The Santa was looking down the street, where a junky-looking car was slowly creeping towards Frost Tower. Then a door opened, and a familiar blonde baker tumbled out and ran towards me.
"Jack!" Chloe yelled, running into my arms. I held her close then swore as the Santas descended on the scene.
65
Chloe
