Page 74 of Tempting the Player
He followed his younger brother in. The air smelled of Old Bay seasoning and beer—a Daniels’ Christmas Eve tradition. “She couldn’t make it.”
“Hmm,” Chase replied, putting the bags down by the tree.
Chad turned, hoping to make a hasty escape before his brother could start asking more questions. He was enveloped in a warm hug.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Mrs. Daniels said, squeezing the damn life out of him, but man, he loved those hugs. She pulled back, the skin crinkling around her eyes as she smiled. “Is it possible that you get more handsome every time I see you?”
“Ew, Mom!” Maddie’s voice carried from the kitchen.
“It’s entirely possible, Mrs. Daniels.” Chad winked.
Mr. Daniels swung an arm over his wife’s shoulder. The man was as huge as a bear. His apocalypse-ready Santa was at least three times bigger than Chase’s. “Sorry, Chad, I try to keep her paws off you.”
“Oh, he knows my eyes and hands are for you.” To prove her words, she grabbed Mr. Daniels’ ass.
Mitch poked his head out and curled his lips in horror. “Not something I wanted to see. Ever.”
Mr. Daniels huffed. “Yeah, well, you’ve obviously been grabbing a lot more than your wife’s—”
“Dad,” Mitch groaned. “Really?”
From beside the Christmas tree, Mitch’s wife Lissa grinned and rubbed her swollen belly. “It’s true.”
“My family’s insane.” Mitch disappeared back into the hall.
They were, but Chad loved them—loved the whole warm atmosphere. It was one of the reasons why he and his brothers had been drawn to their family. It was the complete opposite of theirs.
Speaking of family, Chandler came out and shoved a cold one in his hand. He noted that he wasn’t rocking a Daniels’s Christmas sweater. “Where’s your woman?”
Chad sighed, not wanting to think about Bridget. “She’s not here.”
His brother nodded curtly. With his hair pulled back in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck, Chandler looked like the kind of guy people hired security to protect them from. “What about the other one?”
“Other one?”
“Yeah—the one with glasses?” he clarified.
Chad’s brows shot up. “Miss Gore—my publicist? Who knows? I’m just hoping it’s far away from me. Wait. You’re not—”
Before he could finish that nightmare of a sentence, Maddie appeared with a platter of cookies, eyes narrowed. “Oh, what the hell? Where is Bridget?”
“She couldn’t make it,” Chase tossed over his shoulder, sending Chad a look as he took the tray from Maddie. “Or that’s what Chad claims.”
Maddie looked like she was about to throw something. “Every year I invite her, and this was the one year I figured she had no way of escaping.”
“Sorry.” Chad shrugged. “I guess she’s scared you guys will lock her in a bomb shelter or something.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s not why she won’t come.”
Curiosity was definitely piqued. “You mean she’s not afraid you guys are going to force feed her freeze-dried survival food?”
“Ha. Ha. No.”
“Then why does she bail?” he asked.
Maddie glanced over her shoulder. At that moment, Mr. Daniels had Chase and Chandler cornered, showing them some survival magazine. Maddie winced and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the empty kitchen. On the stove, a huge pot of shrimp steamed.
“Bridget doesn’t like Christmas.”
