Chapter 24 Something Worth Gossiping About
Twenty-Four
Something Worth Gossiping About
Logan
Brie wanders from one group to the next, her breath visible in the cold air as she inspects each snowman like she’s running a covert investigation.
Honestly, I have no idea how someone cheats at a snowman competition—but if anyone could find a way, it’d be the Dillards.
I’m convinced they’ve got secret spray bottles in their pockets to polish the snow until it gleams. She stops by a cowboy snowman and smiles, bright as sunlight hitting fresh snow.
“Dad! Dad! You’re not helping.” Josie’s mitten smacks against our snowman’s torso.
Her voice jolts me out of my staring. “Yeah. Right. Sorry. What do you need me to do?”
“He needs more snow on the back of his head. It’s not round.”
“Got it.” I crouch and patch the back with handfuls of snow.
“Hi Brie!” Josie chirps.
My head shoots up.
“Hi, Josie. Wow, your snowman looks amazing.” Brie’s gaze lingers on Josie’s creation… and then slides to me.
“No thanks to my dad,” Josie adds with a dramatic sigh. “Maybe you can help me instead. He’s kind of useless.”
Brie laughs, and my dick jumps. Her laughter shouldn’t be so sexy, but damn if it doesn’t do me in.
“I’d love to,” she says, “but I’m judging the contest. If I help, it’s cheating.”
“So when do we get crowned snowman champions? I already cleared a spot on the mantel for the trophy.” I playfully rub my gloves together.
Brie teases, “Confident, are we? You’ve got stiff competition. But over the next few days there will be a judges vote and a community vote. After those are tallied, we’ll make an announcement.”
“How about you come over tonight and we can build a snowman together?” Josie turns her attention to me, big hazel eyes boring into mine. “Dad, can Brie come over later?”
“Uh.” Brie’s gaze whips to mine. I rub the back of my neck. I glance from Brie to Josie and back to Brie, praying Josie gets distracted and forgets she asked, but she’s like an unwavering stone. “That’s up to Brie.” Ha. Deflection. Now it’s in her court.
“Um.” Brie pinches her lips together.
“I had so much fun building one with you the day we baked cookies. And my dad can even make his famous chicken and wild rice hotdish,” Josie pleads.
Brie chuckles. “Oh boy. That’s hard to turn down.”
Her finger taps her bottom lip, and my focus zeroes in. God, I want to kiss that spot.
“Alright,” she says softly. “Snowman building and hotdish it is.”
Josie jumps up and down. “Yay!”
Shit. She said yes. My palms sweat in my gloves. Date? Not a date? Either way, I’m wildly out of practice. “Um. What time are you free?”
“I can be at your place at four. That will give us a little time to build a snowman before it gets dark. Is that okay?” Brie drops her gaze to Josie.
“Yes!” Josie exclaims.
“Since my snowman-making skills are lacking, I’ll cook dinner,” I say.
Brie’s eyes catch mine, something sparking there. “Then I’ll see you at four.”
“Bye, Brie!” Josie waves her snow-covered mitten.
“Bye, Josie.” Her dark-brown eyes lift to mine. “Bye, Logan.” She flashes me a sultry smile.
Fuck. I want nothing more than to tackle her in the snow and do what we did in Santa’s Workshop, but this time with Frosty watching. Santa’s definitely putting me on the naughty list.
Four o’clock on the dot, Brie’s walking up my driveway.
My heart thunders in my chest like it’s seeing her for the first time, and it’s only been three hours.
I glance at the street, but it’s empty. No SUV.
My brows draw together. Did she walk? If it was summertime, sure, our houses are only a mile apart, but it’s winter.
I yank open the door. “You’re punctual. I like it. ”
She holds up wine and cookies. “Luckily, I had these at home. Didn’t have to make a pit stop.”
“You didn’t need to bring anything.” I take the offerings and stand to the side to let her in. “Where’s your car?”
Her shoulder brushes mine as she slips past, close enough that my blood heats. “Parked around the corner.
“You could have parked it in the driveway.”
“Then the speculations would fly about why my car is in your driveway.”
“So you’re my dirty little secret?”
“Only if you do dirty things to me.” She gives me a salacious grin.
Fuck. Don’t think about last night. Do not think about last night. I adjust myself and shut the door before she notices. A part of me enjoys bickering and arguing with Brie because she’s quick-witted, but the sexy flirting with Brie is way better.
She follows me into the kitchen, and I set the wine and cookies on the counter. “Josie put together a snowman-making kit.”
Josie climbs onto a stool. “I didn’t have a top hat, but I have one of my dad’s hockey hats.” She points to a knit beanie. “I also got a scarf, some charcoal for eyes, and even a carrot for the nose.”
“Wow, this is perfect.” Brie’s eyes sparkle as she looks over the collection.
“Josie, why don’t you get your stuff on, and we’ll go outside,” I say.
Once outside, Josie scoops snow into her mittens and squishes it into a ball while Brie does the same. I stand off to the side, supervising, where it’s safe.
“Let’s start with yours, Josie.” Brie collects the snowball from Josie’s grasp, sets it in the pristine snow, and rolls it. With each turn, more and more snow collects, growing the ball. “Now the trick is as you’re rolling, you also shape it. It’ll help save time later.”
Brie smooths the sides of the ball before she continues rolling it. As Brie bends over, her ass is straight in my line of sight, round and perfect. She glances over her shoulder and catches me staring, I bite back a laugh. Busted.
“Why don’t you start another snowball for the head?” Brie asks.
“Alright.” I grab a handful of snow and carefully compact it into a ball. “There you go.” I hold out my open palm with the snowball nestled on top.
“Dad, your ball is weird!” Josie scolds as I present my lumpy, egg-shaped effort.
“Can’t we shave it down later?” I study the lump of snow in my palm.
“Dad! You’re doing it wrong. It’s best to start with a ball,” Josie huffs.
Brie giggles. “Here, let me.” She takes my hand, molds it over the snow, then covers it with hers. “Like this.”
My heart stammers in my chest. She’s focused on the snowball, but I’m focused on the warmth of her hand over mine. On the flush in her cheeks. On the smile tugging her lips.
When her gaze flicks up and collides with mine, I nearly lean down and kiss her right there.
Instead, I clear my throat. “Looks like you two have this covered. I’ll, uh, get dinner started.”
From the kitchen window, I watch Brie and Josie smile, laugh, and playfully throw snow at each other.
Josie deserves this kind of joy that I can’t give her alone.
I hate she’ll miss out on pivotal mother-daughter moments.
First school dance. First boyfriend. First heartbreak.
Wedding dress shopping. I’m a poor substitute, even though I’d be by her side if she wanted. Brooke would be better.
The sizzle of chicken and onions fills the kitchen, the scent of garlic and butter drifting through the air. When I glance out the window, Brie and Josie are in the yard, already laughing over their third snowman. I shake my head, grinning. They look like they’ve been doing this together forever.
A little while later, the patio door bangs open, and the pair tumble inside, dusted in snow.
“Alright, alright,” I laugh. “Brush it off before you track half the yard into the kitchen.”
They stomp their boots in unison, giggling as they swat snow from each other’s coats.
“Dinner smells delicious.” Brie shrugs out of her jacket.
“Dad always makes it with extra cheese,” Josie pipes up proudly.
“You can’t go wrong with extra cheese.” Brie winks at me.
I fake a groan. “Hey, don’t go giving away all my secrets.” That earns me another round of laughter—Brie’s light and warm, Josie’s bubbling over.
“Josie, why don’t you wash up? Dinner’s almost ready,” I say.
“Okay!” She bolts for the bathroom.
When she’s gone, Brie leans back against the counter, arms folded, eyes tracking me as I chop a tomato for the salad. “You know, I kind of wish I’d stayed in here to watch you cook. There’s nothing sexier than a man who knows his way around the kitchen.”
I set the knife down, heart thudding harder than it should. “Next time, I’ll make sure you’ve got a front-row seat. I’ve got more than one famous dish.”
“Oh, so you’re already assuming there’ll be a next time?” she teases, voice lilting.
“I’m hoping,” I counter, stepping closer.
Her teeth catch her bottom lip, and I forget how to breathe.
“You’ve got that look again,” I murmur.
She tilts her head. “What look?”
“The one that makes me believe I need you more than air.” My gaze flicks to her lips. I’m leaning in, seconds away, when the oven timer beeps, interrupting our moment.
Brie’s whisper is amused. Breathless. “Dinner’s done.”
I blow out a laugh, dragging a hand over my face. I’ve never had my willpower tested so many times in one day. “Yeah, it is. Go grab a seat before I lose all self-control.”
“You’re serving me too?” She raises her brows. “Careful, Crawford, I could get used to this.”
“Just one of my many talents.”
“Oh, I’m definitely learning what they all are.”
Josie races back into the kitchen, grabs a chair, and places it right next to Brie. “We made three snowmen today.”
“I saw that. You two were busy.” I set a bowl filled with salad and a plate with hotdish in front of Brie, followed by a plate for Josie.
“It’s a family. One’s me, one’s you, and the other’s Brie.” She digs in like she hasn’t just dropped a bomb.
Brie and I exchange a startled look, then she gives a tiny shrug and a soft smile, rolling with it. At least she’s not high-tailing it out of here.