Perhaps she’d make that cake. She checked the fridge for the eggs and milk. Instead, she found a trifle in a glass bowl, and, next to it, a chocolate cheesecake. Hell, Chase. He was stealing the limelight.
“Cyra?” her grandmother’s voice called out.
She spun, shutting the fridge door with her foot, her breath caught in her lungs. Her grandma stood across the kitchen, leaning against a cane. Short, white hair spiked along the top of her head, and her gray eyes watered. Dressed in a green dress cinched at the waist with a black belt, her grandma reminded Cyra of when she was younger.
“Grandma.” Her throat choked up as she darted toward her. She hugged her, inhaling the familiar lavender perfume. Her eyes pricked with tears because she’d missed her so much, and suddenly felt like she was back on the farm where everything was perfect. Her grandmother seemed smaller in her arms—or maybe it had just been too long since she’d last seen her. She felt an ache beneath her chest that her grandma was getting older too fast.
“I can’t believe you’re here. It’s the best surprise,” Cyra gasped, still unable to believe it.
Grandma wiped her cheeks. “Dear. How could I not have Christmas with my two angels? I’ve missed you both.” She was small and pale-skinned, and had the most amazing smile that always brightened Cyra’s day. Right now, she had Cyra about to start balling her eyes out.
Cyra ran a palm across her grandma’s spiky hair and smirked. “You let Chase fix your hair, didn’t you?”
Grandma laughed and hobbled toward the oven. “He did a marvelous job. Now how is my lasagna going?”
Cyra trailed after her and opened the oven door, but it was Chase’s voice that responded. “It smells divine, fortunately, because I don’t see Cyra’s casserole anywhere.”
She whirled around and offered her brother a glare, followed by a smile. He’d shaved and looked younger than twenty-six. “For your information, I had every intention of making a casserole, but I had a late day.”
Chase slouched on one leg and ran a hand through his short, wavy hair. One of his eyebrows arched the same way it always did when he was about to spring some amazing insight and prove whatever point he had. Had someone already told Chase? God, this group of friends never kept a secret, like last year Chase told me Maddon thought he’d gotten his ex-girlfriend pregnant, and everyone had talked about it before the girl had even confirmed she was pregnant herself. Turned out she hadn’t been, but it hadn’t stopped the group from coming up with plans for Maddon. How he’d have to find a bigger place, buy a stroller and all this other crap.
Chase lowered his arms, revealing a green, long-sleeved top printed with a dancing reindeer, though it stretched across his chest and the fabric crawled up his stomach. Since he’d moved to Detroit, he’d bulked up.
“Cute shirt.”
“A gift from grandma.” His devilish smirk widened, because tradition at the farm had always been that everyone wore a silly Christmas outfit. She and Chase hated them but always dressed up, regardless.
“I’ve got yours,” her grandma wobbled out of the kitchen, her cane striking the wooden floorboards.
Cyra closed the distance between her and her brother and hugged him. “Thanks for letting me move in with you,” she began.
His arms tightened around her, and he lifted her off the ground. “Hell, yeah, I’ve been asking you for weeks, so I was super happy when you called and finally agreed last night. I’ve got the bigger spare room cleaned for you.”
Stepping back, she gasped. “The one with the bathroom?”
He nodded and slid a strand of hair out of her face. “Consider it a Christmas gift, sis. Besides, I’ve missed not seeing you every day and not having someone to tease. It’ll be great living together again. But why the change of heart?”
She shrugged. “Guess it’s the Christmas spirit.” The warmth in her chest spread through her entire body. Everything about today seemed perfect and how it should be. This was home and everyone she loved was under the same roof. “Hey, Chase, I need to tell you something. And please be open-minded about it.” She picked at her fingernails.
“Here you go, sweetie.” Grandma reappeared and placed a green sweater in Cyra’s hand.
Maybe having Grandma there might make talking to Chase easier? She always stood up to Chase when he got too hard on Cyra. But Chase had told their grandma they both worked for Argos and what the organization did, so demon hunting wasn’t new to her. Her grandma was opened-minded and rarely judged people, so she had high hopes for extra moral support.
“Give me two seconds. Let me get changed first.” Chase was going to embrace Gunn as her boyfriend, for sure, but she just needed a few more seconds to chase away her doubts. She turned and darted toward the corridor that led to the bedrooms. She pushed herself into the spare room, the one Chase had just given her and tried to slow her breaths. It was devoid of furniture, but the huge windows overlooked a line of skeletal trees. In summer, they would blossom and make for quite a breathtaking view.
She unbuttoned her white blouse with frilly sleeves, then slid on the sweater. Yep, she was going to just march back into the kitchen and tell Chase the truth, and then he’d have to deal with the news. God, if she could confront a demon, she could do this.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.” She quickly tugged the fabric down her stomach.
Gunn entered, his gaze settled on her top. “Adorable Christmas tree.” She glanced down to find a dancing tree. Damn, it was gaudier than Chase’s, but then she spotted what looked like a top in
