Kissing my brother’s best friend has been my only Christmas wish for years. But now he’s on my permanent naughty list—and not in a good way.

I’ve been in love with Noah Drake since the day he showed up at our house for a sleepover in junior high. His tussled blond hair and emerald eyes were my obsession, as was his raspy laugh that always seemed to fill our house whenever he was around. When he finally kissed me this past summer, I thought it meant he felt something too. But then he acted like it never happened. And now that he’s the hot shot college hockey goalie with girls literally throwing their panties at him on the ice, he’s gone from being the object of my dreams to the nuisance in my waking nightmares.

To top things off, I’m stuck playing elf to his Santa all winter break. And while he seems determined to pick up where we left off, for some winter fling, I’m equally intent on being the one girl he can’t have. Not anymore.

But when he starts granting wishes to strangers to bring their holiday magic back to life, I can’t help but lend a hand. And soon, his good deeds start to overshadow his past bad ones. And a few slips of his tongue make me start to think maybe he wasn’t blowing me off after our summer kiss. At least, not because he wanted to. So, with so much mistletoe hanging around, maybe I’ll let him catch me standing under it . . . just once. In the spirit of Christmas, of course.

Football has been my life. Not that I ever had a choice in the matter. When your dad is a retired, future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, the gridiron tends to weave its way into your DNA.

I always loved the game, but I could do without the spotlight that comes with being Peyton Johnson, the great Reed Johnson's daughter. To make matters worse, when my dad retired from the NFL, he decided his second calling was to take over the head coaching gig at my high school, where he has coached my boyfriend for the last three years.

Correction—my ex-boyfriend.

While the fairytale high-school sweetheart story may have worked for my parents, I have other plans. And following a self-absorbed athlete to college is not part of them, no matter how hard my dad tries to push me and my ex together.

Thankfully, a new high school opens and draws a line through the center of our town, sending half of my dad's players to a new team. And apparently, their new quarterback is breaking all of my dad's old state records. It's the ultimate distraction, giving me the chance to land myself a spot on the cheer team at any college that isn't close to home.

But then I meet him. Wyatt Stone. The guy my dad considers our enemy. The best quarterback I've ever seen. A complete jerk who I can't quit thinking about. And running into. And rooting for.

Now, I'm the one who is distracted. And repeating my parents' love story doesn't sound so bad after all.

I've had a crush on my best friend, Alex Mendoza, for years, and I was finally going to tell him how I felt. But instead, I got cold feet. And now he thinks I'm interested in his teammate—my ex.

Of course, being the good friend he is, Alex has offered to make my ex jealous. What's wrong with a little play flirting?

Well, for starters, I'm not playing.

Alex's mom and mine are best friends, soul sisters forged together by growing up in the same small town. They say they didn't plan it, but the fact that Alex and I were born two weeks apart has always felt very much part of their plan. Our birthday parties were always together. First days of school were the same. And when Alex got his own car, the passenger seat was literally labeled with my name—Nikki Thomas. Convenient since we were inseparable.

For most of my life, Alex has been like the big brother I never had. He's always been my protector. And he's always made me feel safe. But somewhere along the way, he started to make me feel other things too.

Now it's his senior baseball season, and he has the talent to go pro. His dreams are all coming together. My life, on the other hand, is falling apart. I know Alex would support me if I told him my secrets. After all, that's what best friends do. But maybe it's my turn to be the protector. And if that means all I can have are a few pretend kisses, then perhaps that will have to be enough.

Unless it turns out Alex has been keeping secrets of his own.