Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Pierce

S he thinks I don’t see the way she looks at me, but I keep catching glimpses when she thinks I’m not looking.

I took a chance on her coffee, hoping like hell she didn’t strip cinnamon from her coffee because of me. Gwen confirmed it though—Brynn has drunk cinnamon in her coffee ever since she got back from London.

Everyone has eaten, and I really want to go shower, but Gwen and Abe stop Carter and Faith when they’re about to leave, saying we have business to attend to. I’m not sure what that means, but all three of their biological kids groan, then sigh dramatically. Kenzie, however, straightens in her chair and claps.

Andrew comes alongside me, holding his coffee mug. “Get ready for this.”

“What?”

“The competition thing I told you about. We’ll hit the slopes after. Kenzie said she’s staying back today with Nolan. She’s into some book that she wants to finish while he naps.”

“Awesome, can’t wait to ski after coming back from a full body workout.”

We rest our backs along the wall, each holding our coffee mugs, waiting for the announcement or whatever is about to happen.

Abe sets up his laptop while Gwen turns on the television, and they share a look that causes the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.

I’ve kept myself distracted in the kitchen, which is why I offered to help Gwen prepare breakfast for everyone. Then I cleaned the dishes with the help of Carter and Faith. Every day while we’re here, two people will be assigned to clean, and it’s never Gwen, which is fair since she says she’ll do most of the cooking. But keeping myself busy keeps me from interacting with all of them. They’re wonderful people, I just don’t know them well.

Brynn sits on the edge of the couch.

“Come on.” Gwen waves everyone over.

Ryah and Nolan are in their play area, and the rest of the people move over in front of the fireplace with the television over it. There are stockings hung along the mantel that appear to be homemade and each have a family member’s name. Andrew, Kenzie, and Nolan each have one too, although theirs appear to be newer than all the Russells.

“Hey, you two, you’re part of this too.” Gwen signals for us to join.

I stand behind Brynn, but not too close, while Andrew stands right next to Kenzie, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“Since our family is growing by the year, and we have some extra guests this year, our annual Christmas competition is going be in teams.” She presses a button on the computer, and a slide show starts on the TV screen.

She and Abe took the time to do a slideshow? Is this a normal thing families do?

Listed on the screen are the teams paired in twos.

“Mom…” Brynn says because she sees what I do.

“I’m sorry, but at the time, we weren’t aware of you both knowing one another with some secret past where he knows your coffee order. It made sense.”

Each team is made of one of the couples, except for Brynn and me. We’re a team.

“We should be drawing numbers,” Brynn says.

“Don’t be sour. Faith wouldn’t wanna be with any of you competitive jerks.” Carter kisses her cheek.

“Seriously? You’re the biggest competitor,” Brynn snipes.

“I’m not. Tre is,” Carter argues.

“Can we please not?” Gwen interrupts. “So, these are the events. We’re going to have a gingerbread house decorating contest, fastest couple to make a snowman, sugar cookie decorating contest, scavenger hunt, ski and snowboard switch, and since Carter won last year, he gets to pick the final contest. I emailed him last month, and…” Gwen puts out her hand as if Carter’s got the floor.

With his happy-go-lucky personality, I can only imagine what he’d pick.

He scoots Faith from his lap and slips out of the chair, running his hands together like an evil genius.

“Oh jeez, just spit it out,” Tre says, shaking his head.

“Yeah, get on with it. Just tell us what ridiculous thing you picked.” Brynn sips her coffee, and a small sigh slips out of her. It pierces something inside me I’m not ready to investigate yet.

“It has to be Christmas-related, remember.” Abe chimes in.

“Oh, it is.” Carter waggles his eyebrows.

“Let’s go, we’d like to get on with our day,” Tessa says.

“The competition will be to see who can melt an ice sculpture the fastest.” He laughs and turns to Faith, who joins in on his laughter as if they thought about it together.

“That’s easy. Hairdryer.” Kenzie rolls her eyes.

“Nope. Hands and mouth are the only things you can use. And thank Faith, because I wanted it to be mouths only.”

“Only you, Carter.” Brynn gets off the end of the couch, running right into me like she did at the airport.

My hands hold her upper arms to steady her, and she looks up at me.

“Sorry,” she says, garnering the attention of her family.

I release my hold, and she goes back to the drink station, making herself another coffee.

When I look away from her and back at the room, I find each family member staring at me. Andrew especially. I can already tell he’s going to ask me more questions about my time with Brynn.

“Mind your own business,” Brynn calls out behind me. “So, when does this start?”

Gwen gives me a soft smile and signals to Abe for the next slide. “Yes, I know you’re all itching to get out there. Tonight, we’ll do the tree decorating. After all, it’s not Christmas without a tree. Everything will be delivered to your villas. It’s a craft, so a lot of construction paper, glue, and other items. If you have anything bought from a store…” Everyone looks at Carter, and he groans. “You’re disqualified. Got it?”

“What do you get if you win?” I ask. I’m not hoping for some monetary value or prize, just curious. Since they all take it so seriously, it must be something big.

The entire room laughs except for the kids.

“Tell him what you won last year, Carter,” Tre says as if he’s razzing him, but it’s clear he’s just as competitive as his brother.

“You get your picture on the star on top of the tree the next year.”

“Which does bring up…” Gwen walks over to a box and digs out a gold star. “Go ahead and put it on the tree.”

“My pleasure.” Carter takes it from his mother, then grabs the ottoman next to the couch and stands on it to place it on top of the tree.

This family is bonkers. All of this for your picture on a star? Absurd.

Brynn walks by with her coffee and examines the gold star with Carter’s smiling face in the middle. “Did you get that professionally done?”

“I haven’t won in, like, five years. It was a big moment.” Carter grins.

“I think you need to find more purpose in your life.” Brynn walks past me, ignores me, and sits back on the edge of the sofa.

“Maybe my purpose should be to find out what really happened in London.” Carter puts up a finger. “Was Pierce more than your TA? Pretty sure he was, but we’re waiting for you to give us all the deets.”

“Shut up,” she says.

“Okay, you two,” Gwen says to them. “Every day, the competition will be presented to keep you on your toes. Go about your merry days now.”

Abe turns off the computer and Gwen the television.

Andrew comes over to me. “Let’s go. Who else is heading out?”

Carter, Faith, Abe, Gwen, and Tre all raise their hands.

“We’ll meet in, like, forty-five?” Tre offers.

“Perfect.” Andrew nods.

Brynn slides into the corner of the couch.

“You’re not going?” I ask her.

She shakes her head. “Not yet. Tre said he’ll be back at lunch, then I’ll go out with Tessa for a bit. Have fun on your skis.”

I bend down so only she hears me. Everyone else is busy talking to their significant other. “One of these days, we’re going to have a race, and if I win, I want a lot more than my picture on a star.”

Her breath hitches, but she schools her features. “Sure, and don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.”

I chuckle in her ear. “That’s a shame because I plan on giving it to you hard.”

I straighten and walk out of the main lodge, wishing she was coming with me. As it is, I’m going to have to rub one out in the shower to ease the tension in my body.

The woman drives me crazy. In the best way.