Twenty-Six
Saint
People always say time flies when you’re having fun, but they don’t tell you time flies when you’re busy falling in love. Between helping at the Evergreens’ farm and wooing the crap out of Winter, time is truly flying by.
Despite Gene’s accident, Douglas goes back to school the Monday after Thanksgiving.
With Evaline hardly leaving the hospital, Winter has taken on a larger role in caring for her younger brother, and it’s not been easy.
High school is a precarious time for a lot of teenagers, and Douglas hasn’t been the exception to that.
He’s been acting out more frequently than he ever has in the past.
Winter, Cypress, and I had a couple of secret meetings to discuss our worries about Dougie while he was at school.
Somehow, I was the one nominated to try talking to him.
I’m not sure how I got volunteered for that job, but I wasn’t able to shut them down.
I’ve tried getting him to open up a couple of times, none of which worked out well.
We’re all worried about Dougie, but tonight he’s Cypress’s problem.
Both Winter and I made up fake stories, explaining why we couldn’t be at the house.
After all the work we’ve been putting in and her brothers always being around, we’ve hardly gotten a chance to be alone.
That changes tonight. We’re going to be staying the night at my house, alone.
First, we just need to make it through the events being held at the farm.
Today kicks off the first event of the Christmas season at Evergreen Farms. People from all over Colorado will flock to the farm in search of the perfect Christmas tree and a healthy dose of holiday cheer.
Evaline usually runs all the events, but Winnie took on the task.
Don’t get me wrong, every single one of us is going to work our butts off today, but Win will be running the show.
She’s been painstakingly planning, organizing, and coordinating this event within an inch of its life.
We’ve all tried to help take the pressure off of her, but I think she’s using this event to punish herself.
She has admitted to feeling guilty about avoiding home for so long and not helping her parents more.
If her parents heard an inkling of any of the things she said, she would be getting an earful.
Her parents would say they’re not ‘that old’ and would tell her they are not only proud, but also happy to watch her live out her dreams in New York City.
I’ve told her all of this, but she’s still been stressing how perfect this first event needs to be.
She doesn’t want her parents to be disappointed.
All our friends have volunteered to help make today a success, and despite Winter stubbornly refusing, we eventually got her to agree to the help.
There’s a knock on the front door, and I’m up from the couch quickly to answer it. Winter might plan to micromanage the majority of the day, but she doesn’t know about this—this was all me.
“Come in.” I wave everyone into the house.
All our best friends are here, and they’ve brought with them a catered breakfast I ordered. They were kind enough to pick it up in town before driving out to the farm.
“I think everyone is still in their rooms,” I tell them as they set down the pastry boxes and disposable carafes of coffee and juice.
Opening one of the boxes that was on top, Royal turns to show it to me.
“These donuts were fresh from the fryer when we got there. If you don’t hurry up and get everyone down here, it’s likely I’ll have eaten them all.
” He pretends to wipe drool from his mouth while waggling his eyebrows.
Having grown up being best friends with Royal, I wouldn’t put it past him to down all the donuts.
His family always called him the bottomless pit because he had an insatiable appetite.
I shake my head at his antics. “Don’t you dare,” I say firmly while narrowing my eyes at him.
“Hey, if a donut or a dozen call my name, who am I to resist?” He chuckles.
“Someone better watch him while I wake Win. This is for her, after all. No donuts till she’s here,” I command.
“Oh. I see how things are,” he replies. “This is for her,” he mocks in a high-pitched tone.
Before I have a chance to react to his taunt, Ella Mae takes things into her own hands—literally—by whacking him in the back of the head.
“Hey!” he yells in mock offense.
Everyone else busts up laughing, except Royal, who rubs the back of his head, pout firmly in place, acting wounded.
“Go get Win,” Ella Mae instructs. “She’s going to be hard enough to wake up as it is. I don’t wish her morning grumpiness even on my enemies. I’ll stay and look after him.” She thrusts a thumb in Royal’s direction.
Knowing the donuts are safe, at least for now, I head to Winter’s room.
Quietly, I shut the door behind me, just in case the others get loud in the dining room. I do my best to stealthily walk across her room, but with the lights off, that doesn’t work out so well.
In true Winnie fashion, her room is a chaotic minefield of clutter. One second I’m being sneaky, and then the next I’m tripping over a sneaker I couldn’t see in my path.
I fall to the hardwood floors in a crash of noise. I’m not above admitting I might have also let out a high-pitched shriek when I was falling—definitely not one of my finer moments.
I’m a tangled pile of my limbs and random objects as soon as I hit the floor.
In the bed, Winter sits up in a flash, and without turning on her bedside table, a half-full water bottle is thrown my way, hitting me square in the forehead.
“What the?” we simultaneously exclaim.
Hearing me, she turns on the lamp on her nightstand. I shield my eyes at the sudden change of brightness.
“Saint,” she hisses in a whisper after looking at the clock, which shows a glowing 6:00 a.m. “What are you doing? I thought you were a burglar.”
I squint, testing my resistance to the lighting. Seeing as it isn’t so drastic anymore. I open my eyes and untangle myself from the clothes that somehow wrapped around me when I tripped.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” I insist, making my way to the bed.
Sitting on the edge, I reach over and push a lock of her wayward hair from her eyes, “Good morning, Win.”
Her eyebrows knot in concern before she gently prods my forehead where the water bottle hit me.
“It looks like that’s going to leave a lump,” she says as she inspects the injury. She chews on her lip for a second before sighing out an apology.
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” she whispers. “I really did think you were a burglar.”
I wave her off. “Good thing I wasn’t a burglar. I don’t think a water bottle to the face would deter a real, hardened criminal,” I tease. “But what a throw! If you ever want to play some co-ed softball, I have a pitcher position with your name on it.”
My comment makes her scowl, and just like that, the sorry, concerned expression is a fleeting memory.
Sitting up more comfortably, she crosses her arms over her chest, eyeing me like I’m the harbinger of the end times.
“Well, I was momentarily sorry for causing a bump on your head. But I’m not too sorry anymore, Mister Smarty-pants.
Now the only thing I’m sorry about is that everyone who lays eyes on you today will be disappointed that I’ve marred your gorgeous face.
Anyways, what are you even doing in here this early? ”
Instead of answering her about what I’m doing, I choose to push a little more, seeing as riling up Winter has been one of my favorite games for as long as I’ve known her.
“You think my face is gorgeous?” I smirk.
Her cheeks are pink, and I can see the anger rising in her. God, it’s the most beautiful sight, one I’d happily see for the rest of my life, even if it means being the one the anger is directed at.
“That’s neither here nor there now that there’s that terrible lump,” she snipes.
I chuckle, but I can’t help but lean in for a kiss. Being the man who can bring her to anger one minute and lust the next leaves me feeling powerful.
I kiss her deeply, passionately. Trying to convey all the things I can’t say for fear of her running.
When I break the kiss, I pull back and tell her, “There’s a surprise out in the dining room. Get dressed and come out.”
She tries to ask questions, but I just smile and wave on my way out of the room. Knowing Winter the way I do, curiosity will send her out shortly.