My Life as a Holiday Album (My Life as an Album #5) - L.J. Evans Page 0,35
in my opinion, but I know you pretty much hate Baldwin.”
Dad took her in and smiled.
“Maybe you don’t need Blake after all.”
I returned his smile, pulling Maleena into my chest and kissing the top of her head. My heart about soared out of my body when she didn’t resist me. The fact that she didn’t care when I was declaring our relationship as much more than friendship filled my heart to the brim once more.
“She’s pretty much the only thing I need,” I spoke the truth.
Dad’s smile widened until it about split his face in two. “That’s probably the best thing you’ve told me all day.”
♫ ♫ ♫
We’d made our rounds to the Brennan’s, Swayne’s, and Phillips’ houses before we ended at Aunt Cam and Uncle Blake’s. The ranch was the place we’d all gathered more than any other growing up. When we were younger, after we’d finished with the Christmas trees and eaten our fill of the desserts, we’d go out and play in the barn or ride the horses that had made the ranch famous.
These days, the kids usually congregated with beers, cocktails, or hot cider around the pool table. There were plenty of us who still weren’t twenty-one, but no one seemed to make a fuss as long as we weren’t driving.
While my chest had eased from the weight of telling my family about the draft, it tightened back up at each stop with the strangled looks and hushed talk that Eliza and Brett were exchanging. I’d liked Brett every time I’d met him back at UTK. He’d been a gentleman to Eliza and seemed to truly care for her. Like he was looking out for her.
Now I wasn’t sure what to feel, because Eliza was more wound up than usual.
Mayson eased up next to me, watching Brett and Eliza’s exchange. “We need to kick someone’s ass?”
I shrugged. “Not sure yet. He’s always been good to her.”
Maleena pulled at my hand. “You are not going to insert yourself into her business.”
“I won’t. Not yet. But if it looks like he’s going to break her heart, I’ll be threatening his balls, his dick, and his brains.”
“Isn’t that exactly what you told that skinny-ass kid who was harassing her in high school?” Mayson asked.
“And every other sick little shit who tried to mess with Ginny, Eliza, or Khiley,” I said.
Mayson laughed. “We never really had to worry about Khiley.”
We both looked over to where the lovebirds were sitting, tangled together on the windowseat, each with a protective hand over Khiley’s belly.
“True. She had a built-in shield.”
“We could plunge Brett into the ice-cold lake like we did the guy who’d dated Edie and slept with her best friend on the side.”
“God, that guy was an asshole. What was his name?” I asked, and Mayson shrugged.
“Edie,” I hollered out, and she looked over at me.
“What?”
“What was the name of that double-crossing twit you dated in high school?”
“Cayden, why?” she asked with a furrow to her brows.
“Mayson and I were just remembering the time we dunked him through the partially frozen lake,” I was teasing, but my eyes settled on Brett’s face as he took in our words.
He didn’t look away, didn’t back down, so at least he had that going for him.
“I still can’t believe you all did that. He was so much older and bigger than you,” Edie said, shaking her head sadly.
“But there were four of us with Dalton, and he was a pansy-ass waste of a human being, no matter his size,” I continued to make my point to Brett.
“Your testosterone is oozing out all over the floor, and it looks rather ugly,” Maleena said, flicking me on the shoulder, and that was the only reason I removed my gaze from Brett’s.
“You telling me you wouldn’t chop off someone’s dick if they messed with your sister?” I asked.
She laughed. “Are you kidding? They wouldn’t be able to find any of the pieces of him when I was done.”
“This is why I love you,” I muttered. Maleena stilled for a minute as if adjusting to the fact that I was declaring more than just my affection for her in front of everyone, and Mayson choked on his beer.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “Make sure this asshole doesn’t try to hit on you.”
“After that announcement?” Mayson responded. “I’d deserve my own dunking in the lake.”
Mayson and my eyes met for a moment before I left with him grinning at me.