Page 10 of Mistletoe Mischief

Pike leaned back against his pillow, the knot in the pit of his stomach continuing to twist on itself. For whatever reason, the walls seemed to be closing in on him the last few months, and he’d realized a few days ago that his inadequate love life was making him antsy. Not his sex life, which was probably a little too healthy, but finding someone who didn’t use him as a placeholder for something better was more challenging than it should be. Pike liked to think he was a decent guy with a thriving business, but for whatever reason, the women he dated seemed to have one foot out the door, ready to run after whatever lawyer or doctor looked their way next. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was Good Luck Chuck or something, helping women find their true love after dumping his ass.

All his friends had taken the plunge and found someone special except for Anthony and Clark’s brother, Sam, but the elder Griffin wasn’t looking to settle down. They were the last single men standing in their group of friends. Pike couldn’t wait to find someone to spend his life with, but discovering something lasting continued to elude him. His last meaningful relationship with Sally ended over a year ago, and he’d heard rumors the guy she was with now might pop the question.

Meanwhile, he was staring at his phone as if willing it to ping with a notification.

Pike noticed the Instagram icon at the top of his phone screen, indicating someone had commented or messaged him. He tapped on the DM symbol sporting a little red number one. It was from Ryler.

That picture of the hot springs looks awesome. I saw that you offer snowshoeing and guided hikes, but what about hot springs? Could we book one more day of your time? I think we could all use a little relaxing with the holidays approaching.

Damn, they were going to make out like bandits this year. Even without Excursions coming, they had nearly a full schedule starting next week. If things continued like this, they might have to hire someone to work behind the counter during store hours so that Anthony and Pike both could take clients out.

Of course, the thought of seeing Alia in a bikini up close and personal was just an added bonus.

Absolutely. I’m attaching a few available dates. Let me know what works best for you.

He sent the message and smiled when Ryler immediately read it. The dots popped up, and then the assistant’s reply popped up.

I filled it out. We are on the plane headed home from Bali, so we might be a little jet-lagged when we arrive. Does your Lord of the Fries make lattes? 

Pike chuckled, typing, No, but Kiss My Donut does. And their maple bars are fantastic.

Mmmm, I haven’t had a donut in months! Thanks for the tip. 😉

Pike reeled back, smacking against the headboard, and yelped, “Ow!” Pike rubbed his cranium as he stared down at the emoji. Winks were flirtatious, right?

Anytime, my dude. It was a bro response, but he didn’t want to give the guy the wrong impression. While he may be an ally and joke around with his friends, Pike was a breast man to his core.

Pike backed out of the messages and tapped on the Excursions podcast, starting the season over. The new episode should drop next week, and Pike couldn’t wait to hear about Bali. In all honesty, Alia Cole could talk about mud drying, and he’d still listen. Her voice was like a warm cozy blanket on a cold winter’s night, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the comforting sound as he drifted off.

Chapter Four

Idaho!” Alia griped for what felt like the billionth time since Ryler told her where they were headed next. “Why would you want to go back to that crap show?”

Ryler sat in first class next to Neil and ignored his raised eyebrow, which acted as a silent I told you so. She leaned across the aisle to address her cousin, who hadn’t bothered to remove her sleep mask while she whined. The dim lighting of the plane allowed the passengers traveling overnight to sleep, so Ryler tried to keep her voice low, although irritation coursed below the surface. Alia had rarely visited Ryler’s home state when they were younger, so how could she talk about it that way?

“I have fond memories of it,” Ryler said tightly. “Besides, don’t you want to celebrate Christmas where there’s actual snow?”

Alia pulled off her sleep mask and sat up, her blue eyes narrowed. “Not really. I would rather spend the holidays sipping coconut drinks somewhere I won’t get frostbite.”

Ryler knew Alia was hungover and tired, especially since she had to be roused from her stupor in order to make their flight, but this was a bit overdramatic, even for her.

“Well, I can cancel your ticket and let you spend the holidays at the condo, if you prefer.”

For a moment, Alia’s eyes burned with frustration, but it faded just as quickly. It was a reactive quality that Ryler had gotten used to after sixteen years living with her cousin. Alia’s moods shifted swiftly, giving most people whiplash, but Ryler had learned early on if she remained calm in the face of her cousin’s emotional outbursts, they didn’t escalate. Ryler chalked up Alia’s behavior to her parents always jet-setting around the world, leaving her with nannies most of her life. When Ryler came to live with her aunt and uncle, Alia had been there for her, and Ryler had poured her broken heart over her parents’ death out to her cousin. It was the two of them against the world.

Even when Alia had started modeling and traveling as much as her parents, she’d Skyped Ryler daily. Alia stopped going home during breaks in her schedule once Ryler got into UCLA; instead, Alia crashed at her cousin’s off-campus apartment. After her fifth agency dropped her and she showed up on Ryler’s doorstep four years ago, they’d spent the night sharing a bottle of Malibu and talking about their futures. It was during that coconut-infused night of drinking that Ryler had come up with the plan: Alia would be the face of the podcast on Instagram and Ryler would continue to be the podcast’s voice. It gave Alia an adoring fan base and Ryler peace of mind, but above and beyond, it meant being with her family.

However, there was no way Ryler was going to let her ruin this holiday with a tantrum.

“I’m sorry,” Alia whispered, releasing a long breath. “I know I’m acting like a brat.”

Ryler reached across the aisle and squeezed her hand. “You’re my brat, and I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Alia slipped her mask back into place and turned her face away.

Ryler settled back in her seat, and Neil leaned over to whisper, “Way to lay down the law.”

“Shut up,” she said, playfully smacking him. Neil chuckled, placing his headphones back on and pressing play on whatever podcast he was binging this flight. Ryler sometimes worried Neil was bored with Excursions and longed for a change of pace, but she was too afraid to ask him outright. They’d started the podcast together, and Ryler couldn’t even imagine Excursions without Neil.