12 Days of Mistletoe

26. Elliot

TWENTY-SIX

elliot

This car is warm. I’m ready to step out into the sun and cold Wyoming temperatures when we finally reach the farm.

“Whew. Thanks again, Elliot. I’m sorry to sit between you and Bonnie,” Evelyn says, following me out of Mom’s SUV.

“No problem. How are you feeling?” I blink, taking in my sister. While I should be exhausted after sleeping so little, I’m pretty awake after my text conversation with Bonnie.

“Ah, remember that summer I went to camp and caught that weeklong stomach bug?”

I cringe. “Oof. Yeah, I remember.”

“Like that, only ten times worse.” She gives me a closed-lipped grin and rests her hand on her still-flat stomach.

I’m still struggling with the idea that my sister—older than me by a year—is going to be a mother. A mother . I’m still playing kickball with a bunch of eight-year-olds and she’s about to have a child.

“Bonnie?” A girl with a green plaid shirt peeking out from her coat, army boots, and a red beanie hat on her head glimpses around us to see Bonnie. Long, wavy hair rains its way down her back, almost to her waist.

“Hi, Autumn.” Bonnie makes her way through the crowd that makes up my family to stand in front of the shorter woman. Noel stands at Bonnie’s side on a leash—though I’ve learned now she doesn’t need it. It’s for the people around her more than the pup. Noel wouldn’t leave Bonnie’s side even if tempted with a juicy ribeye steak.

Autumn crouches to pet Noel on the head and then folds Bonnie into a quick hug. “Have you talked to my best friend lately?”

“I’m guessing not since you have.” Bonnie lifts one shoulder.

“I’m still mad at her for not coming home for Christmas.” And Autumn looks like she means it.

Bonnie lets out a small humorous huff. “Me too. But I guess Kal’s mom needed a turn. Sharing Meg is so annoying.”

Autumn’s face softens and she laughs. “Yes! It’s very annoying.”

Mom clears her throat and Bonnie’s shoulders straighten as if called to attention. “Oh! Um, Autumn.” Her brows narrow. I can tell that this is a person she doesn’t like lying to. “This is Elliot. He’s my…”

“Her very lovable boyfriend,” Mom finishes for her.

Bonnie’s eyes widen. She smiles, but the movement is forced. “Yes… my boyfriend . And this would be his family.” Her words are slow and clipped. I slip my hand into hers—more for support than show. She shifts from her right foot to her left. “This is Autumn Green—she runs the place.”

I’m not exactly a fan of lying to people either, despite the fact that this mess started because of me and my big mouth. Her breathing eases, and I’d like to think it’s because of my hand in hers—I think I’ve helped. At least, I hope so.

“Nice to meet you,” Autumn says. Her smile twists crookedly. “And it’s Bennett , actually.” She winks at Bonnie. “I got married last Christmas.”

Shaking her head, Bonnie breathes out a laugh. “That’s right. I forgot. Old boyfriend. Whirlwind romance—at least the second time around.”

Autumn beams—she doesn’t seem to care that Bonnie’s forgotten her name or her marriage or that she’s sharing more than she needs to in this moment. “It was a whirlwind.” Her smile grows. “It was also small and planned over the course of a couple days. Honestly, Ezra would have had us married a day sooner except that I insisted we wait for Meg’s flight so she could be there.” She nods, getting to her point. “Had we actually sent out invitations, we would have invited you.”

Bonnie shakes her head, her lips pressed in on one another, making me wonder what she’s thinking. But all she says is, “I’m not offended. I’m very happy for you.”

Autumn’s hands find her hips and she looks around the group. “So you’re here for a tree?”

“Or two,” Mom says. “Did you want to get one, too, Evelyn? Possibly three.”

“Can we fit them all on the car?” my sister asks, looking back at Mom’s SUV.

Autumn steps closer, telling my sister and mother all that the Linus Tree Farm has to offer and just how they can help.

I take a second to snatch Bonnie’s hand and pull her to the side. Something wasn’t right—at least it wasn’t a minute ago, I’m sure of it.

“Hey,” I whisper. My family is distracted and yards away, which I’m hoping will keep them from overhearing us. “Are you okay? You seemed a little… off. For a minute.”

Bonnie swallows—and worry lines reappear on her forehead. “Autumn is my sister’s best friend. I didn’t think this through. In telling her about you, I’m also telling my sister about you. I don’t want to lie to Meg about us.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t thought about any of that, seeing how I am currently lying to my entire family. “You think Autumn will tell her?”

“No doubt. There’s a chance she has texted her while simultaneously talking to your mother.”

“For real?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her. She and Meg might be linked psychically.”

“Your sister lives in Hawaii?”

Bonnie nods, worry still etched across her face.

“Then tell her the truth. She’s not going to give us away. Gran and Bill know. Why not Meg?” I shrug. Gran can’t argue with that. And if it’s causing Bonnie this much stress, she should just tell her.

The wrinkles around her eyes soften. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, it’ll be okay.” Instinct has me leaning down, and without thought of fake or pretend, I press my lips to her cheek and breathe in that Bonnie raspberry sweetness.

“Is your family watching?” she whispers, holding my hand close to her body.

“I’m not sure,” I flick my gaze up to my siblings and parents.

“May said you had to kiss me in front of someone or it didn’t count.”

Is Bonnie asking me to kiss her? Or is she reminding me that we have an assignment due? Gran did indeed say that. But I’m still trying to decide which column this request goes in.

“Um—”

“Come on, you two. We have a tree to find,” Mom calls, interrupting my thoughts and making me hyperaware of our audience.

Autumn walks us through rows and rows of pine trees—scotch pine, white spruce, sugar pine. So many kinds of trees. Noel walks on one side of Bonnie and I walk on the other—we make up a Bonnie sandwich. I keep a hold of Bonnie’s hand in mine. I do so for three reasons: it’s cold (and I feel like I can, in some small way, keep her warm like this), it’s part of our deal with Gran, and I think it might help her when she’s nervous. That’s it. There are no selfish motives involved. At all.

And then, I hear Bill White’s voice in my head— nope , of course there are selfish motives involved.

My family walks ahead of us, not seeing any of my non-selfish hand-holding when Bonnie pulls me to a stop. “How are we going to do this?”

“Do what?” My brain is on the simple, small act of my hand in hers, and I’ve forgotten everything else.

“Kiss. In front of your family. You know?” She rolls her shoulders and her cold, rosy cheeks somehow grow pinker.

“Oh.” My brows pinch. “Um, naturally? I don’t know.”

“There’s nothing natural about this setup,” she says.

She’s right. And yet, her kisses feel real.

She blows a puff of air out, leaving a chilly trail of smoke wafting in the air. “Next time we’re in the middle of your family, just lay one on me.”

“Lay one on you?” I start to sweat despite the chilled air. I stare down at her.

“Yeah.”

“That isn’t something I would do. I think it would feel forced to us and them.”

Bonnie rolls her head back and strawberry-blonde falls down her back. “Ughhh. We need May here to tell us what to do. She’s our trainer.”

I laugh. Can she hear herself?

“Shut up,” she says, but she’s smiling. I think she’s holding back laughter too.

The whole situation is laughable.

“Elliot?” Mom calls, peeking her head around a blue spruce.

Bonnie bounces on her toes, her brows lifting, asking with one simple look my way, is it time yet?

“Are you two coming?”

“Yes,” I say, giving Bonnie wide— not yet —eyes before dragging her along behind me.

After an hour of browsing the farm, we have three trees strapped to the top of Mom’s SUV.

Autumn brushes her gloved hands together—the woman may be small, but she’s strong. “There’s cider and hot cocoa in the shop, and if you’re hungry the bistro opens for lunch in half an hour. I’ve got my husband helping my sous chef on prep, so I could meet you here, but I better get back to the restaurant.” She gives Bonnie a small wink. “It was very nice to meet you all. Merry Christmas.”

There’s a chorus of thank-yous and Merry Christmas from my family, and then Autumn is gone .

“Should we check out the shop?” Mom asks.

“I’m up for it,” Evelyn says.

We all start toward the barn when Bonnie squeezes my fingers. I feel like I am on the clock. There’s a bomb that needs diffusing and time is ticking down. Kiss the girl now or blow your cover.

Who knew tree farms and kissing could be this urgent?