on as fast as possible.
“Open your presents, Jess.” She moved over in the bed to make room and then wished she hadn’t because Jess gestured to Tyler.
“You come and sit down, too, Dad.”
His gaze briefly collided with Brenna’s, and then he dutifully sat down on the end of the bed. “Those dogs shouldn’t have been sleeping in your bed, Jess.”
“They didn’t. They slept downstairs all night, and I let them come up two minutes ago.” Jess delved inside the sack and pulled out a package. She shook it and sniffed it. “I love guessing.”
“The dogs were on your bed all night.”
“You don’t know that.” She ripped off the paper, sneaked a look at him and sighed. “Oh, fine, so they were on my bed all night. How do you always know everything?”
“Because I am the head of the household.”
“Ash is the head of the household. Do you check on me in the middle of the night or something?”
“Santa told me,” Tyler drawled. “Damn dogs drove those reindeer crazy.”
Despite the way she was feeling, Brenna smiled.
“Wow—” Jess pulled out a large chocolate bar. Ash whined hopefully, and she snatched it out of the way. “Naughty boy. Sit.”
“He is sitting. On the bed.” Shaking his head in despair, Tyler shifted position. “You could open your stocking downstairs, then we’d all be a bit more comfortable.”
Without looking at Brenna, Tyler stood up. “I’m going downstairs to get breakfast started. Bring your sack down. There’s more room down there and more presents under the tree.”
He couldn’t have made it clearer how he felt, Brenna thought.
He was obviously terrified she was going to say “I love you” again or, worse, ask him to say it.
And she wouldn’t.
Not again.
His silence made his feelings clear, and now she had to think about herself.
Staying wasn’t an option. It was agony for both of them.
She rescued Luna from underneath a piece of torn wrapping paper and pushed Ash off her feet. “Let’s take it all downstairs.”
She slid out of bed, thinking how only a couple of weeks ago she hadn’t been able to imagine leaving Forest Lodge, but now she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Lake House.
Most of all she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Tyler and Jess.
Through the window she could see it was another perfect day, the snow dazzling white under a Mediterranean blue sky, as if nature was determined to mock her decision to leave.
Worried she’d give herself away, she kept her back to Jess as she pulled on ski pants and her favorite blue sweater.
“I smell bacon.” Jess sniffed the air and sprang off the bed along with Ash. “Come on.”
Ten minutes later they were sitting around the table eating bacon with waffles and maple syrup tapped from the trees around Snow Crystal.
Brenna didn’t feel like talking, but fortunately Jess talked enough for everyone and then they moved into the living room and she started tugging presents from under the tree.
“Your main present is behind the sofa.” Tyler stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, a smile on his face as he watched Jess scoot behind the sofa and gasp.
“Skis. Two pairs?” She lifted them, and her eyes went wide. “Dad. They’re the best. Thanks. Wow. This is amazing.” She smoothed her hand over them, studied them closely and put them down on the floor. “I want to go and try them out.”