“Here you go,” she said, turning to Lainey with a smile. “But don’t open it until Christmas day.”
Lainey grinned. “It doesn’t look like Ryan Reynolds. Unless you vacuum packed him.”
“Never say never.” Courtney winked.
“Well thank you.” Lainey hugged her tight. “And I’m sorry for asking too many questions. Even though as your best friend it’s kind of my duty.”
“It’s all good. They’re things I should be asking myself, anyway.”
“When the holidays are over,” Lainey reminded her. “Right, I’d better go and put vacuum-packed Ryan under my tree.” She gave Courtney a warm smile. “Merry Christmas, sweetie. Enjoy it. It’s your last one before the baby.”
“I know.” Courtney nodded, her lips curling up. No matter what happened, this baby – her and Logan’s – was the most important thing.
And if that meant working out what the heck was happening between her and Logan? Well, she’d have to do that, too.
Chapter Nineteen
The imposing black gates slowly opened, and Logan put his foot on the gas pedal, inching forward onto Gray and Maddie’s graveled driveway. His flight had arrived late that afternoon, thanks to a snowstorm that had lasted longer than predicted. He silently thanked the heavens for the fact the rental company still had some four-wheel drive SUVs available, rather than the usual sports cars he preferred.
Gray and Maddie had gone all out on the Christmas decorations. On either side of their expansive ranch house were two giant fir trees, their boughs wrapped with sparkling lights. The house was lit up, too, strings of bulbs lined across the eaves and around the windows. And in front of the sweeping steps that led up to the front door was a full-size Santa in his sleigh, pulled by eight nodding, lit-up reindeer.
“Oh my,” Courtney said, her voice breathless. “Remind me not to show them my tiny plastic tree. I have décor envy.”
“You’re one up on me. I didn’t even bother to put any decorations up.”
The corner of her lip quirked up. “You’re a philistine.”
“I’m just being green. Plastic trees are bad for the environment.”
“Kind of like giant SUVs?” She arched an eyebrow.
“You got me there.” He grinned. “But at least it’s safe. I don’t like the looks of these clouds.” He glanced out of the window at the grey-and-black colored sky. It looked ominous.
“I don’t either,” Courtney admitted. “I greased up the hens just in case.”
Was it wrong that he loved the way she had a thing for her chickens?
They’d reached the top of the driveway. He turned to the left, pulling into a space next to Tanner’s car.
“You have a big family,” Courtney said, looking around at all the vehicles parked in front of the house. “How many of you are there again?”
“Three brothers and a sister. Gray and Tanner are coupled up, so Maddie and Van will be there. And there’s my dad and Aunt Gina, and Maddie’s family, too.”
“Becca’s the youngest, right?” Courtney’s brows knitted together as though she was trying to remember.
“Yeah. Gray’s the eldest, then a year later came Cam and me. Tanner’s another year younger, and then Becca’s the baby.”
“I thought she was twenty-five.”
“She is.” He shrugged. “But she’s our kid sister.”
“I bet you’re overprotective where she’s concerned.” Courtney couldn’t help but grin at the way his lips twitched.
“She’s been through a lot.” He’d told her about their mom dying when Becca was a tiny child. He and Cam had been nine years old at the time. “We like to take care of her.”
“And I imagine she hates that. Only one thing worse than having an overprotective brother, is having four.” She shrugged. “Not that I have any experience.”
“Yeah, well you’re about to have an experience of a big, overprotective, nosy family. So brace yourself,” he said, his voice playful.
She turned to look at him, her warm gaze meeting his. “I don’t suppose you want to go home and curl up with me in front of the fire?”
He reached out, cupping her jaw with his hand. Her eyes looked up at his, wide and blue. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than curled up with you,” he said, his voice rough. “If you want to leave, then let’s go.”
She leaned her head into his hand. He loved the way she looked at him, as though he was everything right now. Slowly, he inclined his head until their lips were only an inch apart. “I mean it,” he murmured, brushing his mouth against hers. It was only a brief touch, yet it sent pleasure racing down his spine.
He was a fool for her. Whenever they were close it was as though all coherent thought fizzled out of his brain, leaving space for only her. The way she looked, the way she sounded, the way she smelled so damn good.
It had been this way from the moment they’d met. And if he was truthful he’d never felt anything like this before. It was almost chemical. Like the strongest drug in the world.
“We can go in,” she said, smiling at him. “It would be rude not to.”
“Sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure.”
He tried to push down the feeling of disappointment. She was right, he knew she was. But it still didn’t stop him from wanting her right now.
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
“This is for you,” Maddie said, passing Courtney a virgin snowball as she and Logan walked into the sprawling kitchen at the back of the house. Courtney looked around, her breath catching as she took in the expensive appliances and marble worktops. On the other side of the breakfast bar – that could seat ten people without looking cramped – was a den, complete with cream leather sofas, an eighty-inch flat screen television on one wall, and glass doors that led to the garden beyond. To the left of the den was the dining area, with a table that looked like it would fit another twenty people. Behind it was a floor-to-ceiling Christmas
