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“Two months. It’s still being investigated. It was tragic and unexpected. I considered him a really close friend, and he helped me in a time of need.”
“Sorry to hear that, man. I hope they find whoever killed him.”
The room grows quiet other than “Silent Night” playing in the background.
I try to change the subject. “Should we have checked these strands first?”
“Shit.” Tyler stops what he’s doing and plugs them in. Thankfully, none of the bulbs are burned out.
“Whew, thank goodness.”
“Come have some cookies.” Everleigh waves us over with a mouthful. “They’re so good!”
We go to the kitchen and find trays of gingerbread cookies along with what I think are wreaths.
“Okay, don’t judge the way they look.” She snickers when I eye her decorating skills.
We all snag one, and Everleigh holds her cookie in the air. “To family,” she says, and we all tap them together. Though they’re still warm, I nearly inhale it. When I look down at the tray, I burst into laughter.
“What?” Tyler asks.
“Do these gingerbread men have dicks?”
Everleigh smiles proudly. “I was waiting for one of you to notice!”
“Oh my God, I was too busy making the wreaths to notice.” Gemma laughs. “I totally didn’t see their little ding-a-lings.”
“Poor guy just hanging out with his junk out,” I muse. Everleigh’s kind eyes gaze at me, and I watch as her bottom lip gets stuck between her teeth. Her warmth radiates off her, and I can’t remember the last time I felt so happy and welcomed.
After we’ve filled ourselves with cookies, we hang the garland, then move on to the ornaments. Everleigh has a huge Santa Claus set up in the corner of the room that sings and shakes his hips when the sensor is set off.
After a couple of hours of listening to Everleigh’s Christmas playlist, Tyler and Gemma call it a night. We walk them outside and say our goodbyes. Everleigh hugs them both and kisses Scarlett, who’s fast asleep.
“Now y’all go to bed at a decent time,” Gemma says in a motherly tone.
“Yes, Mom.” Everleigh snorts, then waves as they back out of the driveway.
I follow her inside and realize how messy the place is. “I’ll help you clean up.”
“Oh, thanks.” She smiles, and I’m happy she’s finally letting me do my part. We put away all the cookie ingredients, and each time I see the little gingerbread, I think about the little dicks she added and chuckle.
It’s her sense of humor I adore the most. Not everyone is as free-spirited as Everleigh, and I love how confident and genuinely happy she is. I wish I could feel the same and hope some of that rubs off on me.
As we clean up the kitchen, we continuously bump into each other. One time, we crash so hard that I steady her to keep her from falling. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or exhaustion, but I’m not complaining about the opportunity to be close to her.
She looks up at me with big blue eyes. The connection simmering between us is almost too much for me to handle. I fight the urge to pull her closer and slide my lips across hers. Resisting her is getting harder by the day.
I’m not actually sure I could handle a woman like Everleigh.
It’s been five years, and though I fantasize about what it’d be like to touch her, I’d never disrespect Tyler. Everleigh deserves better than some ex-convict anyway. Someone who can give her more, and right now, that man isn’t me.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EVERLEIGH
Though I enjoy being at the boutique any day of the week, I really love the vibe we have on Saturday mornings. The farmers' market is every weekend from eight to noon, and people shop the stores regardless of the weather to enjoy the music, food, and energy in the downtown area. It’s especially fun when the holidays are near.
“Hey, Ev. Phone call for ya,” Heidi says as Dana sorts through some shirts. “Be right there,” I tell her. A group of ladies walks in, and I greet them, then ask Dana to help since Heidi’s running the register.
