Page 133 of Now and Then

She’s going to kill me.

The world goes dark.

27

Sutton

The moment I step through Greer’s front door, the smell of fresh pine and cinnamon wraps around me like a hug. Twinkling lights drape the room in a golden glow, and a tree in the corner shimmers with colored ornaments.

I place grocery bags of food on the counter. My stomach flutters, a mix of nerves, hoping Hunter is okay after the fire last night, and excitement to be spending time with my people. I smooth the sweater Hunter picked out for me, feeling the soft fabric under my fingers. It was supposed to be an ugly sweater, but Hunter knows me well enough that he chose the least ugly sweater he could find. The sleeves are the right length, the color a little brighter than I expected, and, thankfully, there are no puffballs or jingle bells, only a beautiful sequined Santa.

“What the hell, Sutton?” Navy hollers from the kitchen. She’s elbow deep in gingerbread batter and wearing a sweater with a massive Frosty the Snowman plastered on the front saying Well, frost my cookies.

“I just walked in,” I say. “How can I already be in trouble?”

“That is not an ugly sweater,” she states plainly.

“Blame Hunter.” I shrug and blow her a kiss. I place my White Elephant gift among other gifts tucked under the tree and join Navy.

Greer’s house has been completely transformed into a winter wonderland, every surface adorned with lighted garland. Tonight is just for us, our family. Another seasonal kick-off event Greer eagerly volunteered for. If you’d have told me when I first met Greer that she’d someday be the Martha Stewart of holiday parties, I would’ve thought you were crazy.

“Hey,” Greer says. “A little help.” Grocery bags hang from her arms like fifty-pound weights. Navy and I quickly grab a few before she breaks an arm. Inside are bags of candy and frosting, a few bags of chips, and . . .

I look up at Greer, brow furrowed. “Why do you have enough Cool Whip to feed an army?”

“For pie and hot chocolate and . . . other stuff.” Greer practically whispers the last part.

Navy burst out laughing. “Don’t tell me you and Luke are into food in the bedroom?”

“I’m not telling you anything,” Greer says. The color of her cheeks gives us all the answer we need.

I shiver in mock disgust. “This is information I do not need to know about my brother.”

Navy rolls her eyes. “Says the woman who—”

I rush forward and press my hands against her mouth. “Say another word, and I’ll murder you.”

Greer pours a glass of sparkling rosé into a stemless glass and passes it my way. With my free hand, I take a huge gulp, my throat burning from the bubbles. Navy grunts against my hand and nudges me with her hips. I let my hand down.

“Am I missing something?” Greer asks. “Says the woman who what?”

“Nothing,” I shout at the same time Navy says, “Has super hot office sex.”

Wine sprays from Greer’s mouth as she doubles over in laughter. “That is so hot,” she says. “I wish Luke had an office. Or I did.”

Navy groans. “This is depressing. I’m the only one of us not having sex.”

At that exact moment, Luke walks into the room. He looks between the three of us, sets down a veggie tray, and leaves.

Luke’s hasty exit sends us into another fit of laughter, but eventually it fades into the warm, crackling buzz of evening. Greer adjusts a strand of garland for the fiftieth time, Navy wipes gingerbread batter off her sweater, and the room hums with the kind of comfort I used to think only existed in movies.

The rest of our friends arrive all at once. Coats pile by the door, A Christmas Story plays as background noise, and the soft glow of the lights makes the moment feel like a Hallmark movie. But Hunter is nowhere to be found. I check my phone but don’t have any missed messages from him.

Me: Everything okay?

“Look at you,” Grace says from across the island, her smirk sharp but playful. “Someone sure looks happy.”

“I am.” I don’t deny it. I can’t. It feels like I’ve done nothing but smile lately, and I let myself lean into it. For so long, I avoided my feelings for Hunter because I was too afraid that if I admitted them out loud, he’d be gone before I took my next breath.