James sets down the knife and comes to stand behind me at the counter. He wraps his arms around my waist and presses a kiss to my temple. “Hopefully we can make this a better Christmas for you.”
I close my eyes and relish in his warmth. “I’m happy to spend it with you.”
“Phoenix, I—”
“Oh, look at you two!” Denise saunters into the kitchen wearing a smile like the cat who ate the canary as James and I break apart. “Don’t mind me. I’m just coming in to steal a piece of bread.”
Madison bounces into the kitchen. “JJ, can we play Twister?”
James glances at the timer. “You’ve got seven minutes. Then it’s time for dinner.”
She squeals and yanks his arm until he’s out of the kitchen.
Denise sidles alongside me at the counter. “Okay, I know we just met, but I need to know the scoop because James tells me nothing.”
I laugh. “The scoop about what?”
“About you two.”
I slide the lettuce off the cutting board and into a bowl. “I don’t really know that there is a scoop. We’ve been… friends since I moved in last month.”
She pops a cherry tomato into her mouth. “But you like each other as more than friends.”
It’s a statement, not a question, and I can’t deny that my feelings for him have been growing.
“I’m not sure how he feels.” I shrug. “He hasn’t told me anything.”
“James doesn’t say it with words. He shows it.” She jerks her chin in the direction of the living room. “Like that puppy in there. You think he hands out puppies to everyone like Oprah?”
I look down at my feet and smile. The whisper of doubt still lingers in the back of my mind—why would someone like him want to be with me? What do I have to offeranyone? But James has done nothing but show me how much he cares, and his flirtinghasbeen more obvious lately. Maybe it’s time I believe the signs in front of me instead of going down the same self-sabotaging road I’ve been on all my life.
“That man has a heart of gold, but he locks it away behind a steel gate.” Denise frowns and lowers her voice. “My sister would hate to see how devastated he’s been since she left us. This isn’t the life she’d want for him.” She squeezes my hand. “Just be good to him, whether you’re a friend or more.”
“I will.” I say it with absolute certainty, because I know that’s what James deserves.
“Come on,” she says, linking elbows with me. “Let’s go see what kind of pretzel Madison has James twisted into.”
I burst into laughter as soon as we step foot into the next room. Leo is holding himself up like a crab with James’s ass in his face.
“Bro, I swear… if you fart right now, I’m kicking you in the balls.”
James grunts. “If you would put your left hand on red already, we’d be out of this position.”
Leo stretches his hand, and his fingertips are just shy of the red circle. “I can’t reach it.”
“Then fall and let me win!”
“Never!”
And all the while, Madison cackles with the spinner in her lap like it’s the funniest show she’s ever seen.
I slip my phone out of my back pocket and snap a quick picture.
Jim howls with laughter. “Send me that picture, Miss Bridges. I’m going to need it for blackmail one day.”
“You got it, sir.”
“Why don’t you come and play with us, Nixie.” Leo shoots me a wink. “I’d rather your ass in my face than my brother’s.”