Page 41 of Eight Days of Christmas
Unfortunately, the interruption didn’t stop Leo. He remained focused on the tedious task at hand. As well as on Isabella’s progress. She, too, kept precision eye contact on the needle and cranberries.
“Hey, maybe the rest of us wanted to get in on that action,” Landon complained. “What are the stakes?”
“No stakes,” Isabella muttered, annoyed, her fingers continuing to fly.
“That’s it. I give up!” Norah threw her string down. “That’s about the hundredth time I’ve pricked my finger.”
“Don’t give up. You could win,” Mom coaxed.
“I didn’t even know we were racing.” Norah pouted.
“I don’t think the rest of us knew either,” Dad said.
Isabella gave him a quick glance.
Dad eyed both she and Leo. “And if we did, we’re clearly losing.”
Norah picked up the remote and turned on the television. “Well, we can listen to some music while we let those two finish stringing the popcorn, I guess.”
Leo snatched a new needle from the pincushion and began on his fourth string, smirking at Isabella. Heat flashed across her cheeks. Why couldn’t he just let her have this one thing? He had to be so stubborn and couldn’t handle letting her win. She held in her frustration, pushing two more pieces of popcorn onto the needle and laid the full string onto the floor before reaching for a new needle and thread.
“Why don’t you just give up,” Leo muttered.
“Not a chance in hell,” Isabella whispered.
“Language,” Finn warned, covering Ava’s innocent ears with his hands.
Isabella winced but kept working, her heartbeat accelerating.
“There’s no way you can beat me,” Leo said.
“Wanna make a bet?”
“Okay you two, play nice,” Mom warned.
“I’ve got ten years on you.”
Oh, he went there, did he? Her body heated, flames licking up her neck. But she wouldn’t let his comment throw her off her game. That’s exactly what he wanted. And she needed to remind him just whose family this was. “Yeah? Well I did this for eighteen years. I could do it in my sleep.”
Tension filled the room, but Ava was oblivious to it. She jumped back and forth between Leo and Isabella, commentating the entire time. “Auntie Izzy, you’re losing. Hurry! Uncle Leo has four finished strings already. Go, go, go!”
“Alright,” Nina said, laughing and pulling Ava out of Isabella’s face. “Let’s let the grownups play.” She took her daughter by the hand and led her down the hall. “I think Grandma has cookies and eggnog.”
“I sure do,” Mom said. “Whoever wants snickerdoodles and eggnog, come with me. I think those two have the popcorn-stringing under control.”
Isabella tuned out everyone as they scattered. She could vaguely hear the Christmas music still filling the room. The only thing sounding loud in her ear was her own quick breathing and her pounding heart.
Leo scooted to the edge of the sofa, closer to where she sat crisscross on the floor. He leaned close to her, the heat from his breath brushing against the bare skin of her neck, sending goosebumps shooting down her arms. “This is pretty hot.”
“What?” Isabella’s fingers froze, and she whipped her head in his direction, blinking rapidly.
“Are you into this as much as I am?” He waggled his thick brows.
“Are you serious? Did you get into my mom’s rum for the eggnog?”
“No. Unlike you, I don’t require alcohol to get a rise. And yes. I’m absolutely into this. I’ve been reminded of what I used to like about you the most. What I still like, God help me.”
She gulped, her mind snagging on what he’d just said, like the wordsget a risefor one, but more importantly, he still liked her. “And what is that, exactly?”
