Page 104 of Eight Days of Christmas
“So bossy,” Landon whined but reluctantly took the aspirin.
Shewasbeing bossy, and Leo found he liked it. A lot. Her no-nonsense attitude was hot, making him crave to snatch her up and take her somewhere they could be alone. “Thank you,” Leo whispered.
“Don’t thank me yet.” She sat the airpot on a table, pumped coffee into a mug, and handed it to Landon. “Here, drink this too.”
Landon slumped in a chair, accepted the coffee, and took a sip. “Did I ever tell you that you’re my favorite Whitley?”
“No, no you didn’t.” She crossed her arms and passed Leo a look.
Worry coursed through his veins. If Landon began spouting off his mouth regarding their earlier conversation, Leo would have to do something to shut him up real quick.
“Ya know why?” He sloshed the mug around. “Because you’re hardly around. That’s one less Whitley I have to worry about impressing.”
“I don’t mindanyof the Whitley’s.” Steve waggled his brows suggestively at her.
Isabella ignored him, keeping her attention on Landon. “Okay, just drink your coffee, will you?”
“With all the family stuff. All the traditions. All the happy, let’s-all-be-together-all-the-time-stuff. It gets tiring.”
“Landon,” Leo warned. “Drink the damn coffee.”
“If it’s so tiring, maybe you should’ve thought about that before you decided to marry into Norah’s family.” Isabella narrowed her eyes.
Leo was about to step in between the two of them.
“But I love her.” He tipped back the mug, gulping down the coffee.
“You may want to go easy on that,” Isabella warned. “You don’t want it all coming back up.”
“See?” Landon pointed at her. “Great advice. Another reason why you’re my favorite.”
“Okay, I should get back to Norah,” she said, breathing out a sigh. “You have less than one hour to sober up and get out there and marry my sister. If you screw this up for her, so help me I will rip out your heart, Indiana Jones style.”
Landon’s facial expression distorted, and he looked as if he might cry.
“I can’t handle drunk crying.” Isabella turned to leave, handing the airpot to Leo. “I’m leaving you in charge.”
“I’ll try not to let you down,” he said as he followed her to the open curtain, his eyes traveling over her backside. “And we’ll talk later?”
“Hopefully sooner rather than later,” she whispered, passing him a smile over her shoulder before heading back to tend to Norah.
Less than an hour later, Leo left Landon standing on the platform with the minister—somewhat sober. Thanks to Isabella. He waited with the groomsmen in the back of the tent for the bridesmaids to join them. He caught a glimpse of Norah in her wedding dress, a white beaded crown on her head, and a bouquet of red and white camellias clutched in her hands. Isabella kissed Norah on the cheek before she strolled toward him, her eyes were glossy but a smile stretched on her face.
Isabella linked her arm in his, and he felt a loss for words. When she’d entered the Groom’s Room earlier, he wanted to tell her then how stunning she looked.
“You look beautiful.”
She winced, shivering a little against the cold. “You don’t have to say that. This dress is hideous.”
“True, but I didn’t compliment the dress. I complimented you.”
Her cheeks blushed, matching her red nose.
He leaned into her and whispered into her neck, “You’d look even more beautiful without the dress on.”
She turned to him, grinning, and elbowed him in the side, pulling the shawl around her arms.
“So…do you think we should tell our families yet? About us?”
