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Talon was a mystery to his brothers. For the most part, he kept to himself, worked long hours in his shop, and rarely attended family events. But there was more to him than that. There was his history with his ex, Holly, an ornament designer, and his incredible success with his art.
I’d spent time poring over any article I could find about his work. His light fixtures had made their way into several reputable design and architectural magazines. I noticed that none of the reporters had dug into his personal life. Not that I wanted to do that; I just suspected there was more to him than work.
There was something that motivated him, and I wanted to know what it was. The reporter long buried inside of me was emerging. I’d published the blog post about Sebastian, and it had gotten some attention from our visitors.
Now that we’d taken the leap and were officially dating, I wanted Talon and Holly to find closure so they could be happy, too. Whether that was together or with someone else. When I helped out in the shop, I’d become friends with Holly, Ireland, Marley, and Sarah.
It was nice to talk to them about the farm, the business, and the Monroe brothers. They had insight that I didn’t. All of them either had dated or were dating a brother. The men were stubborn and slow to make any changes, so it was nice to compare notes with someone else in the same situation.
Sebastian squeezed my hand. “Are you having a good time?”
“The best,” I said, smiling at him. There was nothing better than a relaxing evening with him and Ember, unless you added in his family.
Marley fell into step with me. “I’m borrowing the neighbor’s carriage on Christmas Eve. We’ll be offering several hours of carriage rides.”
Sebastian frowned. “We only have one carriage.”
Marley grinned. “Actually, the neighbors bought a second.”
Sebastian tensed. “How did you manage to convince them to give us both carriages?”
Marley’s lips twitched. “I think we owe them a lifetime supply of Christmas trees.”
“That’s a good deal,” I said.
“You cleared that with Mom or Emmett?” Sebastian asked.
Marley rolled her eyes. “Of course, I did. Lori loved the idea. She said she wanted all her boys to take advantage of the carriage rides.”
“If we’re going to use it to make money that evening, why do you want the family filling them?”
“It’s not exactly to make money. It’s to increase brand awareness and to enjoy the evening. The farm will be closing for the season soon, and we should enjoy it.”
This was the second year that the farm would be open during the holiday week so that visitors could see the holiday lights. The addition of the carriage rides on Christmas Eve was genius.
Marley touched my shoulder. “I hope you’re free on Christmas Eve. It’s going to be magical. Have you talked to Talon about the lights at the pond yet?”
“Not yet. I’m trying to schedule a time to talk to him, but it’s been difficult.”
Marley rolled her eyes. “Good luck with that.”
“I’ll get the article done. Don’t worry.”
“You’re the best,” Marley said before winking at Sebastian. “You’ve got a good one. Don’t let her go.”
“I don’t intend to.” Sebastian’s voice rumbled around in my chest, dislodging any doubt about us that remained. Sebastian had said he was all in with me, and he hadn’t been afraid to hold my hand or kiss me around his family.
Any remaining worries had dissipated. I was looking forward to spending the holidays with him and Ember, even if we hadn’t discussed the exact details yet.
Was he ready to see my parents as my boyfriend and not a friend? Was he worried about what my parents would think?
When Marley wandered away, Sebastian leaned close and kissed me softly. “Thank you for coming.”
“Where else would I be?” I asked him, my heart feeling light as we smiled at each other, and then Ember’s squeal of delight stole our attention.
There was a new display, one with two yellow puppies with red ribbons around their necks. We paused in front of it.
“It’s Comet and Dash,” Addy said, pointing out each one.
