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Quinn snapped her head in his direction. “I thought you said you weren’t fighting.”
“We’re not,” Tristan mumbled before reluctantly putting his arm around me as lightly as possible.
It didn’t matter how light. I could feel his touch through the layers of clothes, right down to each of his fingers skimming my coat. Something in me said I was right where I belonged. My body tensed and tingled all at once. Why did I have to feel so at home with him?
Quinn leaned into me.
“Say cheese,” Jules sang.
For a fraction of a moment, Tristan’s arm relaxed around me, and he naturally pulled me to him, gripping my arm, begging me without words to open the door to him.
A war raged within me. Open the door and face the fury of this town or keep it slammed shut, bide my time, and probably lose some of my soul in the process. Regardless, his magical touch made my head lean on his shoulder. A contented sigh accidentally escaped my lips, leaving the door between us open just a crack. I knew I had to close it, but I wasn’t sure if I could. I realized I’d never really closed it all the way. Keeping those skis for so long was a testament to that.
Jules snapped several pictures. “Perfect,” she exclaimed.
The sound of the marching band playing “Sleigh Ride” brought us all back to reality. Tristan and I broke apart, not brave enough to look at each other.
Jules joined us and handed the phone back to Quinn.
I was more than grateful when Beckett pushed his way through the crowd to get to Quinn. Even if he wrapped my niece up tight in a big bear hug and said, “Hello, gorgeous.”
Were teen boys supposed to sound so smooth? Or look so grown up? The kid was sporting a five-o’clock shadow on his square jawline. I didn’t like it. Especially in light of Skippy, or whomever my sister was gallivanting around with. How did we know for sure this Beckett kid was who he said he was? Maybe I could ask Jules to snoop on him too.
Quinn snuggled right into the man-child.
Thankfully, Tristan cleared his throat loudly, a clear signal for the boy to back off.
I wanted to show some type of appreciation for Tristan stepping up to the dad plate, but I resisted.
Quinn snarled at Tristan before saying brightly, “Beckett, this is my aunt Calista. She’s the one who left the business cards all over school.”
Beckett nodded appreciatively. “That’s so CEO of you.”
My brow scrunched, not understanding what the kid had just said.
Quinn giggled. “It means you’re like the master of cool.”
“Oh. All right. I agree with that.” I grinned.
Quinn went back to cozying up to the slang-talking kid.
I planned on keeping a close eye on them. But my old friend Javier saw me from across the street and between floats made his way to us with his darling wife and two little boys. I didn’t know if he still lived in Aspen Lake, or maybe he was just visiting for the holidays. It had been years since I’d seen him.
“Dr. Chica,” Javier called out. “The prodigal daughter has returned to Aspen Lake.”
I wasn’t sure running off to medical school qualified me for such a moniker. And I for sure knew no one was going to be killing a fatted calf on my behalf. But I smiled and laughed all the same, so happy to see him.
He gave me a big hug and kissed my cheek. “It’s so good to see you. I tell my kids stories about you all the time.”
It was easy to hear in his voice how grateful he was for the time I put beef bouillon cubes in the boys’ locker room showers on his behalf. I would do it all over again to defend him. Joke’s on all those football players who tormented Javier. He grew up to be muy caliente, and last I heard he was a financial analyst for some big insurance company.
He introduced me to his wife, Gabriela, and his little boys, who were all just as cute as could be. Javier was a lucky man. I grabbed Jules and pulled her our way. “Look who I brought with me. Do you remember Jules Carmichael? She was in the year below us.”
Javier tilted his head and tried to remember, his brow crinkling with the effort.
Poor Jules bit her lip. “It’s fine if you don’t remember me.”
It wasn’t fine, and I felt terrible. Maybe Jules was right. She was invisible. How could that be? She was a knockout and incredibly nice. Definitely memorable in my book.
