Page 111 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

Anthony shrugged. “Some guy thought he was clever and I needed to set him straight.”

“Okay, stop,” Delilah laughed, shaking her head at him, “you sound ‘cringey’ as my students would say. You are not the tough guy you pretend to be.”

“That’s not what you said when I was defending your honor against six ruffians—”

“Preppy snowboarders, you mean.”

“Lila, you’re supposed to support my exaggerations,” he groaned.

“Whoops, sorry”—she cleared her throat playfully—“it was actually two giants, an ogre, a Skin-walker, and two ruffians.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said, hugging her to him.

“Stop manhandling her, brother,” Bradley said, leaning back in the recliner chair. “Or I’m going to get a squirt bottle.”

“Oh, quit it,” Audrey said, grinning. “They’re adorable.”

“Nauseatingly so,” Bradley said, dryly.

Anthony pointed a finger at his brother, “Watch it!”

Audrey ignored them both, focusing on Delilah. “So, I take it you’re a teacher, Delilah?”

“Not quite. I sub at the middle school a couple times a week and I work as a freelance writer at the moment. I’m looking for a position that’s remote, so I can stay in town, but those are hard to come by.”

“Really?” Bradley said.

Lillianne returned with her pretty new doll and climbed into Delilah’s lap. “This is Lilli Two.”

Anthony watched Delilah ooh and aah over the doll. “Hello, Lilli Two. I’m Delilah One. It is a pleasure. That dress you are wearing is simply divine.”

“Thank you so much. I like your sweater,” Lillianne pretended to speak for Lilli Two in a high-pitched voice.

“Thank you!” Delilah caught him watching her and winked, “What do you think of Uncle Anthony?”

“He needs a haircut,” Lilli Two responded solemnly.

“Why am I getting picked on by everyone?” Anthony grumbled.

Lillianne giggled and hopped down. “Mom, can I play my game?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

The little girl scurried from the room, dragging her doll behind her. When the doll’s face bounced against the step, Anthony winced. “You’re going to break Lilli Two’s nose if you don’t pick her up!”

“Okay!”

Audrey shook her head. “I wonder if there is a limit on how many times a doll can be replaced.”

Delilah giggled. “I’d have a closet full of them until she outgrows them, just in case.”

“Good plan,” Bradley said, grinning. “Back to what we were talking about before our daughter came in and stole the show, if you’re looking to settle down and stop freelancing, there is a copywriter position opening with my company after the New Year. And it’s a remote position, great benefits.”

Anthony watched Delilah’s cheek flush, her gaze flicking between him and Bradley. “I … sorry, but wouldn’t that be weird? Working for you while dating your brother.”

Bradley shrugged. “Not for me. You wouldn’t be working directly for me anyway, but for a branch of my company out of Coeur d’Alene. I’d have nothing to do with whether you got the job or not, but I know they are always looking for good writers, so I could get you the information for where to apply.”

Anthony didn’t say anything to urge or discourage her, afraid he’d spook her if he seemed too eager. He hadn’t wanted to talk about the Colorado job, but it had been hanging over his head like an axe waiting to strike a chopping block. She hadn’t talked about it, so he assumed she’d turned it down, but if she hadn’t, that could be why she seemed stressed.