Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

A small woman with gray hair opened the door at Logan’s house. She had on the ugliest Christmas sweater Kira had ever seen, and that was saying a lot after she’d seen the sweater with Maureen’s dogs on it.

‘You must be Bennett!’ she cooed, scooping Bennett into a tight hug before pulling back to study him. ‘You are the spitting image of your sister.’

Bennett shifted next to her. ‘We get that a lot,’ he said, running a hand through his hair. Kira stood awkwardly beside him, ready to have this day over with. She’d stayed home with the dogs and bad movies yesterday on Christmas Eve, while Bennett visited his aunt Dot, but she’d already told Jeanie she would come to Christmas Day, so she was here even though she felt like she was intruding on Bennett’s family Christmas. But the thought of being alone on Christmas Day was too sad, even for her. She’d never liked Christmas, but she’d also never had to suffer through it alone. Chloe had always been there.

So now here she was, her fake smile plastered on her face and the pie she’d picked up at the bakery in her arms, wishing she was drunk in front of her own fireplace instead.

‘And here’s Kira.’ The woman, Logan’s grandmother, obviously, turned her attention to Kira. ‘Jeanie mentioned you two had been shacking up together.’

Heat flooded to Kira’s cheeks. Could anyone do anything in this town without everyone knowing about it?

‘We … uh…’

Logan’s grandma patted her arm. ‘Good for you, sweetie.’ She winked, and Kira didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or disappear.

‘Nana, stop making them uncomfortable.’ Logan appeared by his grandmother’s side, looking every bit the big, grumpy lumberjack. He’d looked the same picking out a Christmas tree, plowing her driveway, and discussing agricultural engineers with her, so she supposed it was fitting that he looked like that on Christmas Day as well.

‘I think it’s nice! Two consenting adults finding pleasure with each other, it’s lovely. Don’t be such a prude, dear.’ She looked up at her grandson with a beatific smile and Kira watched as Logan’s cheeks blushed red above his beard. His nana chuckled. ‘Come in, come in!’ She took the pie from Kira’s arms and hustled into the house.

Logan sighed. ‘Merry Christmas. I’ll take your coats.’

‘Thanks.’ They handed Logan their outerwear as Jeanie came over to greet them.

‘Merry Christmas!’ She wrapped Kira in her arms. ‘I’m so glad you came!’

‘Of course,’ Kira answered from inside Jeanie’s embrace. The woman was a good hugger. She had to give her that. ‘Thanks for inviting me.’

‘Hey, we crafted together. We’re officially friends. Besides, I’m sure Ben wanted to spend Christmas with you,’ she said, pulling away and turning her attention to her brother. ‘Right, Ben?’

His perfect mouth was tipped down in a frown and Kira wondered if he regretted bringing her. He’d been quiet all morning. Maybe she should have stayed home, stayed out of this part of his life. It was one thing to make friends with his sister on her own time, but a sex-only Christmas fling certainly didn’t involve an extended family get-together.

But again, she’d only been thinking of herself, of her own loneliness and now she’d put Ben in an awkward position.

Damn it, why hadn’t she considered this before they left?

‘Right. Of course.’ He gave his sister a hug. ‘Merry Christmas.’

‘Okay, well come in. Nana Estelle’s put out plenty of snacks, and Hazel, Noah, and Annie are already here.’ Jeanie took Kira by the hand and dragged her further into the house, leaving her no graceful exit strategy. Maybe she could feign a headache after a little while?

‘Hey, everyone, Kira and Bennett are here.’

Kira and Bennett , like they were a couple.

‘Merry Christmas!’ Hazel called from her spot on the couch. Noah sat at her feet and gave Kira and Ben a cheerful wave.

‘Hi, guys,’ Annie said, lifting her glass of wine in greeting. ‘Merry, merry.’

Wine. That seemed like a very good idea right now.

‘Hi, Merry Christmas,’ she managed, before zeroing in on where the drinks were laid out on the drink cart.

‘Hey, Annie, Hazel. Hi, Noah.’ Bennett moved away from her side as he said hello to his sister’s friends at his sister’s fiancé’s house. God, what the hell was she even doing here, crashing someone else’s holiday?

‘So how did your season go?’ Annie asked. She was curled up in a chair by the fireplace. The room was cozy and warm without the need for blanket doors. It was nice.

‘It went pretty well. We got a bit of a late start so hopefully it will go better next year.’

‘Next year? So, you plan to stick around?’

‘Uh … yeah.’

Annie smiled. ‘Great, because I sold a ton of cookies.’

Kira laughed. ‘Very lucrative for both of us.’

‘Come sit.’ Annie scooted over, making space for Kira and it was nice to be wedged in next to her. It was nice to be around people. God, why the hell had she been living like Quasimodo in his bell tower for the last four months?

‘Thanks.’

She was not cut out to be a hermit. And for the first time it was occurring to her that she didn’t actually need to do everything alone in order to be a self-sufficient, independent person. She could have friends. She could find people she liked here in this weird town.

Huh. What a novel idea.

Jeanie and Logan had rejoined the group after stashing their coats somewhere, and Estelle bustled in and out with more trays and platters of snacks.

‘You could sit for a while, Nana,’ Hazel suggested, but the older woman looked at her like she had eight heads.

Logan laughed. ‘You know she doesn’t sit.’

‘Where’s Grandpa Henry at?’ Annie asked, looking around as though the man in question was hiding behind the enormous Christmas tree in the corner. Somehow, it had the kind of lurid giant lights and silver tinsel that Kira hadn’t seen in real life ever. Didn’t that stuff go extinct in the seventies? Were those lights even safe?

‘He’s attempting a deep-fried turkey again,’ Logan said with a wince.

‘I hope you have a fire extinguisher this year,’ Annie said, dryly, taking another sip of wine.

Estelle waved away her concern. ‘Oh, he’ll be fine. His eyebrows grew back eventually.’

Jeanie looked up at Logan in concern.

‘I’ll go check on him.’ Logan strode from the room and Annie giggled next to Kira on the loveseat.

‘It’s always interesting here on Christmas,’ she whispered to her.

‘So, you don’t spend Christmas with your family?’

‘Nah. We do Christmas Eve together. There’s like a million of us and now most of my siblings have kids so they like to be at their own houses for Christmas morning. Santa and all that.’ Annie rolled her eyes and Kira smiled.

‘Anyway, Estelle and Henry have done this Christmas Day open house for years.’

Kira thought about her mother’s parties, all the guests they barely knew, political connections and business associates. It was a far cry from this worn but cozy living room filled with friends and family.

‘Who needs another drink?’ Noah asked, standing up and heading to the drink cart.

Kira raised her hand. ‘I’ll take one.’

Noah grinned. ‘Red or white?’

‘Red.’

‘You got it.’

‘Me, too!’ Annie lifted her empty glass. Kira smiled. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

She caught Bennett’s eye on the other side of the room, where he stood having an awkward-looking brother-in-law to brother-in-law chat with Logan, who’d apparently decided his grandfather was safe for the moment. Bennett’s lips tipped into a private smile at her and something warm and unfamiliar settled in Kira’s gut. Something comfortable, something content.

Was this what it would be like to be with him for real? To have someone to share a secret glance with across the room at a party? She’d spent so much time running from what her mother wanted for her: a stable man, someone who was ‘husband material,’ someone who wouldn’t embarrass her, that she hadn’t taken the time to consider how nice that could be.

Not that it mattered. What a shit time for that little epiphany.

‘Ladies…’

She took the proffered drink from Noah.

‘Cheers,’ Annie said, clinking her glass to Kira’s. ‘To a successful new year.’

‘Cheers,’ Kira said, dragging her gaze from the man she couldn’t have. ‘To a profitable new year.’

Annie grinned. ‘I like you.’ And just like that, a little piece of her heart slotted back into place. Maybe she was likable. Maybe she could find people other than her own sister who would treat her kindly. Maybe she didn’t need to be lonely.

‘I like you, too.’

Annie tensed next to her. ‘Oh, hell, no.’ Her gaze had turned to the hallway where a man had just arrived with a small blonde woman next to him.

‘What is it?’

‘He brought a date to Christmas?’ Annie’s hiss was not nearly as quiet as she intended, and the man turned and locked eyes with her. Kira’s head swiveled between the two of them.

‘Who is he?’

‘He’s a bastard, that’s who he is.’

He definitely heard her and responded with a smirk and a slight dip of his head like he was acknowledging that he was in fact a bastard. Kira could feel the rage emanating off of Annie.

‘An ex?’ Kira guessed.

‘Not exactly.’ Annie was still staring daggers at the man, but he’d turned to greet Logan and Jeanie. The woman beside him laughed nervously and Annie nearly snarled. There were clearly forces at play there that Kira didn’t understand, but she definitely wanted to.

‘Want me to slit his tires?’ she offered.

Annie burst out laughing, leaning against Kira’s arm. ‘No, but I like you even more now.’

Kira smiled, laughter bubbling out of her, too. With or without Bennett, she could still make a life here. In fact, she definitely would make a life here. It was what she had wanted from the start.

‘So, Hazel,’ she said, turning her attention to Jeanie’s other friend. ‘When’s the best time to start planting a cucumber garden?’