“Yuck.” Jules sticks her tongue out and shudders and I can’t help but laugh.

“Are you nine?” Isaac asks.

“Shut up, Isaac,” Jules responds.

Suddenly, Isaac grips the lapels of my wool coat and gently pulls me up to his lips, kissing me hard and deep. I hear Jules gag, and I giggle, wrap my arms around his neck and give into his passionate embrace, mindful that Sophie is now snuggled between us.

“Good one, Isaac,” Natalie remarks, impressed as we separate.

“Why should you guys get all the fun?” Isaac asks, still smiling down at me.

Why indeed?

“There are children here, you know,” Jules reminds us.

“I want to feed the reindeer,” Maddie jumps up and down and her sister joins her.

“Okay, reindeer it is,” Isaac says and motions for everyone to walk further down the pathway. Brynna looks over her shoulder, toward the way we’ve just come and frowns.

“Brynna’s been looking over her shoulder all evening,” I whisper at Isaac. He glances over at her thoughtfully.

“Hey,” Isaac drapes an arm around her and gives her a squeeze, then pulls away. “You’re safe here.”

She offers him a small smile. “I know. I just can’t help but stay alert.”

I take her hand in my free one as the three of us lag behind the rest. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

Her face drops and she stares down at the ground. She bites her bottom lip and turns her dark brown eyes up to me and shakes her head, her dark curls bouncing around her pretty face. “No.”

“Why?” I ask in frustration.

“It’s just better for you if you don’t know.”

I look over at Isaac. “Do you know?”

He shakes his head and scowls over at Brynna. “No. She’s a stubborn mule.”

“Matt and I have it under control,” she mutters.

“Right, so looking over your shoulder everywhere you go, getting a new disposable cell phone with a new number and changing your hair color are keeping it under control? What’s next, Bryn, you gonna change your names and social security numbers too?”

She glares at me and I think I see tears start to form. I feel like a bitch.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” I shake my head and exhale deeply. “That was horrible. I’m just worried about you, and you’ve never kept secrets from me before.”

“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

“Okay.” She looks up at me, surprised. “Okay. When you can tell me, come tell me.”

“So, Brynna,” Isaac starts. “I’m assuming you could use a job.”

She cringes. “Yeah, but I don’t really want to start applying and having prospective employers run a background check. It’ll draw attention.”

“Right.,” Isaac nods. “Well, I need help in my office. I need someone to answer the phone, take care of billing, things like that.”

“I thought you already had someone for that,” she frowns.

“I do, but business is good, and we need more help. You in?”

“You’re offering me a job?”

“Yep.”

She bites her lip, considering his offer.

“Under the table, Bryn.”

“Really?”

He just smiles over at her, and I just love him so much.

“I can start tomorrow.” She smiles big, the first true smile I’ve seen on her beautiful face since she got home almost two weeks ago and launches herself at him, hugging him as closely as she can with Sophie strapped to his chest.

“Hey, watch your hands, sister,” I mutter playfully. “And don’t crush my baby.”

She laughs.

“If he wasn’t yours, I’d claim him.”

“Ladies, no need to fight. There’s enough of me to go around.”

We both bust into giggles, and Isaac frowns. “Trust me babe, you’ve got your hands full with what you have.”

“Killjoy.”

“Mom! Mom! I’m gonna feed the ‘deer!” Josie screams and runs up to her mother in excitement.

“Great, Jose! How many are there?”

“Eight.”

“What are their names?” Luke asks her and winks at Brynna.

I can’t help but laugh at Brynna’s response to Luke. She blushes like a teenager whenever he looks at her. She still can’t believe that Natalie is married to the Luke Williams.

“Donner, Dasher…” Josie starts.

“Blitzen and Cupid…” Maddie adds, and scrunches up her face, thinking hard.

“Comet and Vixen and Dancer and… and…” Josie and Maddie look at each other, counting on their little fingers.

“And Lucky!” Maddie cries!

“Lucky?” Luke asks with a surprised laugh. We all try to hide our snickers behind our hands, but fail miserably.

“Yep.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Auntie Stace, Sophie wants to feed the deer,” Josie says earnestly.

“I think Sophie is too little to feed the deer, sweetie,” I smile down at her and pull her soft, long raven braid through my hand.

“Well, can I look at her then?” she asks and Isaac squats, letting the sweet little girl look in the sling at the sleeping baby. Both girls have been a bit obsessed with their little cousin since meeting her for the first time. “Oh, she’s sleeping,” she whispers loudly at Isaac.