Page 55 of Blizzards and Brews

Lindsay

“Shoo! All of you! I’m here to see my daughter, not the three pesky sons who can’t even make time to see their own mother!”

“Ma, we told you we had some things going on,” Adam said.

“Oh I know all about the things you have going on, Adam Franklin Drake, and I had to hear about them from the grapevine instead of my own sons.”

“Is she talking about us?” Spencer asked cautiously in my ear.

“Oh most definitely. Brace yourself, she’s a hugger,” I said, with a smile.

Alice Drake was one of my favorite people in the world. When my parents had died when I was sixteen, she and her mate Frank had taken me in without another thought.

She’d been my mother’s best friend after all, my friendship with her sons written long before I was born. I was always treated like one of her own, and even on my darkest days,and when I decided to move out after high school once our designations had hit, she had supported me all the way.

It had been too long since I’d seen her, and she was a sight for sore eyes.

“There she is!” Mama Alice said, pulling me into her arms. “And here is the handsome consultant I’ve heard so much about. You must be Spencer.”

“Guilty as charged,” Spencer said, returning her affection. “And you must be their sister?”

“Oh hush, you charmer!” she said, giving him a good-natured slap on his arm. “I expect you and your flattery at Sunday-night dinners from here on out, you hear me? Don’t make me track you down. I’m part of the Holiday Hollow Welcome Wagon.”

“Why do I feel like I should be afraid of that?” Spencer asked under his breath as she took a turn hugging Ollie.

“Because you should,” I told him seriously. “They even have trumpets.”

His eyebrows lifted, not in horror but in interest. Why, oh why, could I see our charming new alpha joining the bandwagon mix?

“Are you ready to go?” Alice asked, turning back to me.

“Go?”

“Yes, we’re having a girl day,” Alice said. “No boys allowed. It’s been too long since we’ve had some time together.”

She was right, plus, it would be nice to have a break. As attentive as the guys were, all the focus sometimes made me feel anxious. Like it was only a matter of time before I fucked up and pushed them all away.

And yes, I was well aware that my brain was a bitch. I was still waiting for my body to catch up with the logic and proof they showed me each day.

“I’d love that,” I told her sincerely. “What do I need to grab?”

“Just yourself,” Alice said happily.

Spencer took me in his arms, not portraying an inch of shyness as he kissed me deeply in front of their mom, before pulling over Ollie with an arm around his shoulder.

“Have a good time, Linds,” Ollie said shyly, his eyes darting to his mother who was no doubt paying close attention to us.

Putting him out of his misery, I gave him a kiss, albeit a much politer one than Spencer had given me before excusing myself to go and grab my purse.

Dustin and Adam were both waiting for me by the door, the latter pulling me in harshly for a kiss before Dustin threaded his hand in mine and walked me out to the car where their mom was waiting.

“Text us if you need anything, babe,” Dustin said, before giving me a kiss. “And don’t worry about being back in time for your shift. I’m covering it tonight.”

“You don’t have to–”

“He does,” Alice interrupted. “Bye, number two. You’re number one in my heart today.”

Dustin laughed. “Bye, Mom. Bye, babe. Have fun.”