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Chapter 19
Merry
Once my hearthad lightened after my encounter with Mariah, I had been able to fully settle down and enjoy the Christmas festivities. Starting with the tree trimming party and continuing for days, up until tonight. The Big To-Do. The Christmas party to end all Christmas parties.
The great room was filled with people, and every inch of the room sparkled with twinkling lights. The buffet had been set up in the garage, because that was the only place there was room for it.
How Nan managed to host this many people and make each and every single one feel like her special guest, I would never know, but she did it with an ease that I was envious of.
Foster kids, spouses, kids and grandkids. She knew each one by name and took a genuine interest in their lives. With my panic and unease calmed down, I had even gotten to know a few of them who were close to my own age, like Audra's granddaughter, April, and Jane, who, apparently, had left the ranch only a few years before my arrival.
And these were women, who like me, did not have their lives all figured out. I learned I was a lot more normal than I gave myself credit for.
After bumbling my way through Nan's many introductions, I snuck away at the first opportunity, joining Jane and April near a punch bowl in the garage.
"Hey, girl, where are those two hot cowboys that you have pining over you?" April joked, giving me a knowing nudge. I had tried not to make the relationship obvious, but the two men had no such qualms. Which was one of the many reasons I was currently avoiding them.
"Who knows?" I shrugged. "I see them every day. I'm all about seeing other people, right now."
"Girl, quit. You have no idea how lucky you are. I wish I could have a hot man show up on my doorstep and drag me home to a place like this, only to find another guy waiting for me, and find out they are willing to share."
I sighed. "Well, when you put it that way…"
Jane scoffed. "Please, April, you're just boy-crazy. One man is more than enough. Who could handle two? Who would even want to?"
April and I both shook our heads at her and tried to hold back a giggle. Jane was coming out of a bad relationship and was a little gun-shy. She did like to look, but she had no interest in touching or being touched.
And when I say she liked to look, I meant she had a running commentary and scoring system going for every man who had stepped foot in her proximity over the past four days. As long as they were over the age of eighteen, of course. Slade and Blake had both scored very high, but the objects at the top of the chart were Derek and Devin, silver haired twins who were pushing fifty. The objects of her affections had just stepped into the garage and made a beeline for the punchbowl where we were standing.
As they drew near, Jane squeaked and scurried to hide behind me.
The men were not oblivious to her crush, it seemed, when they stepped past me and looked straight at her.
"Hello, Jane." They spoke in unison.
"I, um, hi." Her face was red, and she looked like she might faint dead away if she had to say another word.
"Oh, it's time for us to go help Nan put out more sugar cookies, and, um, make more eggnog!" I fibbed, stepping around them with a tight grip on Jane's arm. "Good to see you again!" We scurried through the garage, with both me and April holding one of her wrists, and somehow made it in the house. My plan was to hide in my room until Jane was able to compose herself, but getting there was the hard part. We had reached the bottom of the stairs when we all but collided with Slade's chest. Blake was right next to him. Shit.
Refusing to look at them and get sucked into a conversation, I hunched up my shoulders, and scurried past, leaving them staring at my retreating back. As I slammed the door behind me, safely ensconced in my own bedroom, I wondered if I would pay for it later. One did not simply avoid your Daddy and your Dom for two days and expect to get away with it. But, I might. I had an ace up my sleeve, after all.
* * *
Slade
I stared at Merry and the girls as they ran up the stairs, squealing and giggling the whole way, and wondered how much they had had to drink. I turned to Blake and slowly shook my head.
"You talk to Merry much in the last couple days?"
He frowned. "Barely at all since that night, honestly. Unless it's been work related or having to do with the party."
A knot formed in my gut, as I searched his face. I knew she had been acting weird, but I had been so busy, I hadn't thought much of it, until now. We had all been so busy.
"You don't think…" I trailed off, not wanting to speak the question out loud.
Blake shook his head slightly. It wasn't a denial, though. He just didn't want to discuss the fact that Merry might leave soon. I didn't, either, but it was starting to seem more and more likely, as the day approached.
"You think we should do something?" I questioned. "Maybe talk to her again."
