Christmas with My Best Friend's Dad: The Fixer Brothers Book 4 by Raleigh Ruebins

Author:Raleigh Ruebins [Ruebins, Raleigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-30T16:00:00+00:00

7

CASEY

Growing up, my mom had always said I was good in an emergency. There’d been a small fire in our kitchen once, and even as a twelve-year-old, I’d known to smother it instead of toss water at it and make everything worse. I remained calm and collected on the outside, even when I was completely freaked out on the inside.

And it was all I could think about now, as I casually walked around with Rome and Justin, sipping mulled wine and chatting like the three of us were all good friends.

Even though I was dying a little inside, every time I caught Rome’s gaze.

Every time I accidentally looked a little too long at his lips, and remembered how good they had felt on mine.

I tried to shove those memories out of my mind.

“I swear, he looked like he wanted to kill me for it,” Justin was saying, still laughing about a man who’d come up and snatched up a Christmas tree from right under his nose.

“You could have taken him, for sure,” Rome said.

“Dad, I’m a pacifist, and you know it,” Justin said. “I might not look like a hippie anymore, but I’m all about peace. Even when it comes to Christmas tree snatchers like him.”

I clicked my tongue. “You’re lucky I already have my tree set up, otherwise I’d be fighting you for that one at the front. I still think it’s the best.”

“Casey, don’t encourage him,” Rome said. “We still have the back half of the lot to check. And I have a working theory that that’s where they keep the freshest trees. Holy shit, speaking of which—look at those.”

Rome took off like a bloodhound toward the edge of the lot, where two guys were loading more trees fresh off of a long truck.

“That’s like catnip to my dad,” Justin said, nodding over toward him. “Trees so new they’re literally still loading them off of the pallets? He’s in heaven.”

For a moment Justin and I stood watching as Rome inspected all of the new trees across the way.

“I’m glad you’re back. Even if it’s just for a week,” I said.

“Me, too. Thanks for coming tonight, too,” Justin said. “I think my dad likes you. I haven’t seen my dad this happy in way too long.”

I felt a heat creep up to my cheeks, and I was glad for the dim light so Justin didn’t see me blushing for no damn reason.

I cleared my throat. “Likes me?” I said.

Justin nodded. “Oh, yeah. He’s having a great time, he’s getting along with you, and he’s in his element being in a Christmas tree lot, for sure. It’s good to see. To be honest, I’ve been worried about my dad.”

“Wait, worried about him? Why?” I asked. “Is something up with him?”

Justin’s face looked crestfallen as he stared off toward his dad, who was currently running a hand along a branch on one of the pine trees. “I mean, where do I start? Something’s been up with him for years, I think.”

I furrowed my brow.

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