We’re here.
It’s happening.
Lights, camera, action… Showtime.
A shiver runs through me as I stare at the forest-green front door whose threshold I’ve crossed every Christmas for the past decade. My fingers itch to straighten one waxy holly leaf that’s half escaped from the oversized wreath and is currently hanging droopily, ruining the whole, perfect, round formation of the thing. I feel for the little leaf—out of place and making everything messy.
Man, it’s cold out here. Is it always this cold?
It’s snowing, like it always is. So… probably.
A warm presence suddenly fills the empty, chilly space beside me, and I take in the now-familiar scent of Sebastian—clean and woodsy and manly and delicious in this understated way that makes you wanna breathe in deeper so you can have more.
“Mads?”
I look at him where he stands next to me on the stoop with all the bags he insisted on unloading from the rental car by himself. “Yeah?”
“You okay?” His voice is soft, his breath forming a white cloud in the frigid air.
“Yeah.” I give myself a shake. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Um, because you’ve been staring at that door for the past five minutes like you want to kill it?”
“Oh.” I laugh nervously, whisps of white surrounding my face. “Sorry. I’m nervous to see everyone. Adam and Elizabeth.”
“Awh, Mads. Elizabeth ain’t got nothing on you.”
“How would you know?”
“Instagram, duh. Did some research before coming here.”
I blink, surprised that he took the time to do this. “That was… thorough of you.”
“Of course. That’s my rule number one: never hit the ice unprepared.”
“Always with the hockey.” I peek up at him quizzically. “And do you really mean that—about Elizabeth? Or are you just trying to pump me up?”
“I always mean what I say.” He looks down at me and gives me a goofy, soft smile. “And I might be biased, but I know that she isn’t half as great as you are. Plus, you have way better boobs.”
My eyes go wide and I slap his arm as he laughs, but I’m laughing too. His cheeky teasing helps me relax, and I have a feeling he knows that. “Thanks. I think. If all else fails, I’ll just tell myself that.”
He looks at me for a moment, and then slides our bags off his shoulders. Puts a big hand on each of my arms and looks me dead in the eye. “In all seriousness, you can do this, Maddie. I’m here for you. I’ve got your back, no matter what goes down. I’m on your team, remember that. Okay?”
“Okay.” I nod slowly, suddenly overcome with happiness that he’s here. “Good pep talk, Hockey Man.”
“Gotta practice for when I’m captain one day.” He gives my arms another squeeze. “You ready?”
“Ready,” I confirm.
He picks up the bags again, and rings the doorbell before I can chicken out.
Oh, Lordy.
“And if you feel like killing someone, I’m not above stabbing Adam’s gingerbread man with a toothpick.”
“Excuse me?”
Seb raises a brow at me. “Didn’t you say you have a tradition where you make gingerbread people in everyone’s likeness for Christmas? One cookie per person?”
Wow. I mentioned that once, weeks ago. This guy listens.
“Uh-huh,” I reply.
“Well, I’m bringing a new tradition.” Seb shoots me a cheeky grin. “Voodoo cookies for anyone who upsets my wife.”
I don’t even get a chance to process how simultaneously unhinged and, well, sweet that is, because the door flies open, and suddenly, I’m face to face with the woman I spent most of my adult life thinking was going to be my mother-in-law.
“Madelyn!” Mrs. Plumlee gives me a quick, only slightly awkward embrace before nodding up at Seb. “Come in, come in. We’ll get you out of the cold before we do introductions. Don’t want you freezing to death out there.”
Seb smiles cheerily, and with the few rogue snowflakes caught in his tousled hair, he looks like he belongs in a Hallmark Christmas movie. “No worries, Mrs. Plumlee. I’m from Canada, originally. Used to the cold.”
“Oh, is that so?” She peers at Seb curiously as we step into the cabin. I’m hit with a dizzying wave of nostalgia—from the scent of the crackling applewood fireplace to the squidgy, dated red carpet beneath my feet.
“Yes, ma’am,” Seb replies, all sweet and polite and angelic all of a sudden as he unbuttons his gray wool peacoat. He hangs it up, then helps me out of my bulky parka. The perfect gentleman. “But I have to say, I like living in Atlanta. Much hotter.”
He looks right at me as he says this, his eyes briefly traveling over me before he winks. Alicia gives a short laugh, shaking her head, and when she turns away to hang up our coats, Seb gives me a little thumbs up.
Mrs. Plumlee has us leave our bags by the door, and then leads us down the hallway and into the living room, where I know the rest of the crew will be sitting. Waiting for us. I take a deep breath before I round the corner, knowing that once everyone sees me with Seb, there’s no going back…
Season’s schemings are officially upon us.
I trail behind Alicia, heart throbbing in my throat, and as I step into the familiar living room, time slows. My eyes travel over the old, overstuffed plaid couches blindly, the myriad of colorful garlands (hung up successfully on the wall where they belong, unlike the attempts I made last night), the fireplace adorned with Christmas stockings. I notice my parents—my brother hasn’t arrived yet—and the rest of the Plumlee family.
Finally, my gaze lands on Adam, who’s hand in hand with Elizabeth in the corner loveseat.
The gut-punch I’m waiting for as my eyes meet his… doesn’t come. It’s more like an uncomfortable pinch. I mean, I’m still quivering at seeing him for the first time since The Incident, but it’s more like getting in a fender bender than a plane crash.
Which isn’t a morbid analogy at all.
“Hello, everyone,” I say woodenly as everyone gets to their feet.
“Maddie.” Adam’s voice drips condescension. “Glad you could make it. Mom told us you were bringing a… SEBASTIAN SLATER?”
Adam’s voice turns into a choked, fangirl-like strangle, and I’m gloriously thrilled to see my ex turn the pasty-white of the ghost of Christmas past as my gloriously handsome husband comes to stand next to me.
Man. Seb looks good in that wool sweater.
Adam’s blinking his big, round eyes rapidly behind his glasses, looking not unlike a malfunctioning Furby. I have a momentary urge to smash him against the stairs, which is how I fixed (read: permanently silenced) my own broken, hyper-blinking, childhood Furby toy.
Instead, I smile. A big, wide smile. “Oh,” I say innocently, looking from Adam to Seb. “Do you two know each other?”
“What’s going on, Madelyn?” My mother’s face is pinched and her voice shrill.
“I told you. She said she was bringing a new friend,” Alicia hisses to Mom.
“You didn’t tell me that friend was Thor!” Mom hisses back.
Seb, meanwhile, turns to Adam with a friendly, relaxed expression. He’s got about six inches and forty pounds of muscle on my ex. I’m not usually so shallow as to judge solely based on appearances, but boy oh boy, am I enjoying this particular observation.
“Sure we do,” Seb says confidently. “It’s Eugene, right?”
“Eugene?” Adam stutters, apparently still starstruck enough to be entirely dazed. “Who’s Eugene?”
Seb turns to me with his forehead wrinkled, but I don’t miss the evil twinkle in his eye. “Didn’t you say that your ex was named Eugene, love?”
“Love?” Mom and Adam say simultaneously, their faces identical masks of confusion.
“No, it’s Adam,” I correct Seb happily.
“My bad, my bad. Hi, Adam.” He puts a hand out, and Adam takes it. Seb’s big, tan, callused hand totally dwarves Adam’s pale and soft one, and if I’m not entirely mistaken, I could swear that Adam winces from Seb’s grip. “I am Sebastian Slater, yes, but you can call me Seb. And I hear congratulations are in order for you, too.”
Seb nods towards Elizabeth, who’s come to stand behind Adam. She looks chic as ever in a silk shirt and chinos that emphasize her tall, slim frame, but her pretty face is screwed up in concern as she watches her fiancé practically spontaneously combust.
I, meanwhile, can barely contain my glee.
How did I ever think this was a crazy plan? This is the most fun I’ve had in months.
“Too?” Adam looks from me to Seb and back again. “I don’t understand.”
Seb grins like he and Adam are the best of friends, and then steps next to me and puts his arm around me. Draws me close and looks down at me like I’m actually the love of his life and he couldn’t bear to ever lose me. “You know. You two getting engaged, and me and Maddie getting married.”
A shocked silence falls over the room. I expect it’s the calm before the storm.
And man, I’ve never been more excited for a storm.
I snuggle into Seb’s side. “Oops.” I spread my left hand over my husband’s chest, flashing my ring for the room to see. “Did I forget to mention that Sebastian’s my husband?”
