Austin closed the cover on the fireplace and sat back on his heels, admiring the flickering flames and how with each new twirl they grew bigger and brighter. They’d all arrived back at the cabin a short while ago, weary-eyed and achy, flopping onto couches and nests on the floor. Not much had gone down since they’d trudged their way back through the dense falling flakes from the lodge to the cabin, but for some reason, an unsettling fog had floated down over top of everyone. Maybe it was the fact that it was Christmas Eve and they were all away from family. Perhaps it was that another night was upon them and no one knew what was going to happen behind closed doors once they’d all muttered “goodnight.” Austin certainly couldn’t get last night’s awful debacle out of his head. Was he doomed to repeat it? Probably.

Fascination filled him, and he struggled to keep his bottom lip from dropping and his groin from tenting as Hunter’s whole body stretched and tightened with a big yawn in front of him. Her arms drifted up above her head, and her mouth opened wide while her feet flexed in her slippers. The hem of her shirt escaped the top of her tight black yoga pants, revealing a tanned patch of soft skin. She continued to stretch, and the shirt continued to hike up. A glint of something sparkly made Austin’s pulse thrum. She had her bellybutton pieced.

Damn!

He licked his lips, unable to look away from the ring on her midriff. Her big, beautiful breasts pushed demandingly against her baby blue T-shirt, the fabric stretching and straining with the pressure. At that moment Austin was desperate to have them in his hands, in his mouth. What color were her nipples? Were they as red and perfect as her lips? Hard and achy and desperate to be touched? He shifted uncomfortably and inconspicuously brought a pillow over his lap. But Will caught him, and the cantankerous doctor just shook his head and snorted.

Shut up! You struck out last night too. I don’t see you playing footsies or holding hands with Amber.

His eyes fell back to Hunter. She’d repositioned herself on the floor and was busy playing cards with Amber in a bunch of blankets and pillows. Austin was working up the courage to ask if he could join them when a knock at the front door had everyone jumping. Had Daisy and Riley decided to come and celebrate with them after all? Abandon the sun, sand and surf for food, friends and flurries?

Rowan was the closest, puttering away in the kitchen, so with a quick wipe of his hands on the dishcloth over his shoulder, he went to see who could be coming by on Christmas Eve.

“Hello and Merry Christmas!”

Everyone’s eyes flew to the door to see who owned the deep and confident voice.

Big amber eyes went wide and blonde hair flipped around. “Sam!” Hunter cheered, springing up from the floor and beelining it to the attractive man on the threshold. The hackles at the back of Austin’s neck sprung to life.

Who the hell was this guy?

Hunter invited “Sam” in, but he didn’t take off his coat or shoes.

“I’m not going to stay,” he said with a chuckle, letting Hunter go after she’d practically tackled him in a hug.

Austin’s face was on fire. No, seriously, who the fuck was this guy?

“What are you doing here?” Hunter asked, her eyes sparkly and darkening to the color of warm bourbon as she glanced up, practically swooning over the tall redhead with rugged good looks, chin scruff and rosy cheeks. “Did you bring the kids?”

Sam smiled. “They’re with my parents down the road at our other cabin. My parents just bought another one, so we’re spending Christmas at the new house. Though I think they intend to fix it up and rent that one out. This one has been in the family much too long to not call it our home away from home.”

Slowly, the rest of the houseguests put down their drinks and stretched tired and sore limbs, prying themselves up off the couch and wandering over to greet the newcomer.

Juney leaned in and hugged Sam as well, the two chuckling low as they pulled apart, smiling. A move that did not go unnoticed by Rowan.

“Good to see you again,” Juney said, moving to the side so the others could say hello. “It’s been a while. Years, I think.”

Sam’s bright blue eyes glowed. “Would have been nice if we could have caught up at the wedding, but when your sister elopes, there’s not too much you can do.”

“I’m still not sure I’ve forgiven her for that, yet,” Hunter grumbled.

Sam shook his head with another warm smile. “Me either.” His eyes took in the people who obviously didn’t know who he was, and he extended his hand toward Will. “Hi, I’m Sam, Daisy’s brother.” Slowly Sam’s hand made the rounds. “Daisy sent me to check up on you guys, make sure you have what you need and that no one has killed anyone or braved the weather and tried to head back to their car because the company wasn’t to their liking. Her words, not mine.”

A few uncomfortable guffaws drifted around the group as they continued to stand there and stare at Sam.

“No, I think we’re all grownup enough to make it work,” Will said finally, rising to his full height and simultaneously taking a half-step closer to Amber.

Sam nodded and smiled. “Good, good. I figured as much. But I’m doing my brotherly duty and checking in. If you guys need anything, my number is on the side of the fridge. And we’re all only a few doors down the way.”

Rowan had suddenly appeared next to Juney, and his hand was rhythmically kneading her hip. “We’re all good, man.”

“So, how is it going?” Sam asked, a sly and understanding grin curling his full lips as he took in the way both Will and Rowan had staked their claim on two of the women.

Austin clenched his fists and jaw. Hunter was not his. As much as he wanted her to be, she wasn’t, and he couldn’t do the same thing. He couldn’t touch her, couldn’t even take another step closer.

“When my sister told me what she was up to, I called her crazy, but by the looks of things, Daisy’s algorithm is proving fruitful.”

Hunter made a noise in her throat before answering. The noise was not lost on anyone, especially Austin. “Crazy Daisy and her harebrained ideas. What about you, Sam? Any lucky lady won the heart of one of Vancouver’s most eligible bachelors yet?”

Sam grinned. “No, not yet, I’m afraid. But I’m not really looking. The kids keep me busy. Landon is determined to walk before he’s one, I know it. And Gemma, well, Gem is a spirited one, that’s for sure. The kids are going to give me gray hairs before I’m forty. I’ve already found a few in my beard.”

Sam’s gaze flitted to Austin, and he shook his head. Austin shifted awkwardly foot-to-foot, standing behind the rest of the Christmas lovebirds, glaring, yes, glaring at him. He took in the way Hunter ogled Sam, the way her eyes glimmered, her cheeks flushed, and how her smile slipped when he mentioned he wasn’t looking for anyone.

Sam drew his gloves from his coat pocket and pulled them back onto his hands; something above him caught his eye.

More fucking mistletoe. Had that always been there? The ulcer in Austin’s stomach burned as he hoped Hunter wouldn’t feel compelled to lunge forward and kiss Sam on the cheek. Or worse, the lips.

Sam smiled and stepped out from under the hanging twigs. “Well, looks like you’re all set here. Things seem . . . interesting. I wish you nothing but love and happiness on this joyous holiday, and I hope you all find what you’re looking for. What you want.” And with a curt nod and the flash of a grin, followed by a very poignant look at Austin that lasted no more than two seconds, Sam spun on his heel and was out the door.

Rowan snapped his fingers as he headed back into the kitchen. “I bet you any money that’s how the television is turning on on it’s own. Sam has one of those universal remote phone apps. He was probably sitting out in his car with his phone and turned the television on earlier.”

Everyone nodded. Made sense. Austin had the same app and used it daily at home.

“I didn’t know Daisy had a brother,” Will said with a shrug, not appearing to care about how the television was turning on and off on it’s own.

Hunter followed them into the living room and found her way back to her cocoon of blankets on the floor. “Yeah, older brother. Sam is great.”

“Divorced?” Amber asked.

Hunter nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not what you think. His ex, Meegan, just up and decided one day that being a mother and wife wasn’t what she wanted. I think their little boy was only a few months old at the time. She gave Sam full custody, signed over her parental rights, divorced him and moved across the country.”

Juney, who had resumed her post in the kitchen with Rowan, stopped what she was doing, sending a big metal ladle clattering to the floor. “She did WHAT? I knew Meegan was out of the picture, but Daisy has never filled me in on the details. I thought it was just a run-of-the-mill separation.”

“There’s nothing run-of-the-mill about a separation. Especially when children are involved,” Will muttered under his breath before he tipped up his scotch and drained it.

Hunter’s brows pinched for a moment and she studied Will before nodding and turning back to face Juney in the kitchen. “Anyway, yeah. She just took off. Now Sam raises both kids alone. I mean both sets of grandparents are in the picture and help out a lot, but he’s a single dad.”

“A hot single dad,” Amber added, making sure to catch Will’s reaction. His green-eyed monster was out, that much was obvious.

“You two . . . ever?” Rowan asked innocently, his bicep bulging slightly as he hinged forward and started grinding herbs in a mortar and pestle.

Hunter’s head jerked up as though someone had delivered her a swift uppercut. “Did we ever what?”

“You know . . . ” he said, waggling his eyebrows. Juney snorted next to him. Austin’s face and ulcer burned hot and painful.

“Did you and Daisy’s big brother ever bone?” Will asked, clarifying things. “Apparently, all of a sudden, we’re back in middle school and Emeril Lagasse over there doesn’t think he should say the word sex.”

“I’m trying to have a filter!” Rowan snapped, but not without the hint of a grin. “I’ve been told I lack a filter. Besides, you just said ‘bone.’ How old are you?”

Will’s mouth split into a big smile. “Touché.”

Hunter’s face turned a beautiful shade of pink, like the peonies in Austin’s mother’s garden. “No!” she finally said. “No, Sam is quite a bit older than me and has never been anything but a gentleman.”

Rowan snickered. “I noticed you never said that you didn’t want to.”

“Filter!” Juney chastised.

Will and Amber chuckled while Austin just sat in the La-Z-Boy fuming.

“New topic, please!” Hunter sang. “I’ve never slept with Daisy’s brother, ever, thank you very much. Yes, he’s attractive. Yes, I’ve always had a tiny crush on him. But, no, we’ve never had sex. Never even kissed. Drop it.”

Suddenly all eyes fell on Austin, who sprang to his feet and took off at a brisk stalk through the living room and down toward his room, his door slamming seconds later.

He needed to get a fucking grip. Hunter wasn’t his. He had no claim. Yet the way she’d looked at Sam, giggled and blushed at his words and jokes, it’d sent Austin’s blood boiling, and steam threatened to rush out of his ears. Such feelings had never plagued him before. But he also wasn’t an idiot and knew that it was jealousy. The cannoning thoughts in his brain, the sweat on his palms, the heat in his face and the tightening in his chest. The burning in his gut. When Hunter lunged at Sam and hugged him, Austin saw nothing but red. This was jealousy.

Then fucking do something about it, you ass. She’s been looking at you that way, too, only you’re too big of a Sheldon to make a move.

Austin ran his hands through his hair and over his face, dragging it across the stubble a couple of times before stopping in front of the vanity to give himself a hard once-over. Dark brown hair, a tad long and curling over his ears, auburn beard with six days’ worth of growth, greenish-gold eyes that everyone always commented on and said how beautiful and unique they are. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy. In fact, some, excluding his over the top complimentary mother, had even called him handsome. Only when Austin stared at himself in the mirror, all he saw was the gangly teenager bumbling awkwardly through the quad looking for his classroom as big, scary college students, adults in comparison, glared down at him and wondered if he was lost, if he’d been separated from his mama.

It hadn’t been easy to make friends in school. The age gap, the intelligence gap, neither had done him any favors with his peers. He was always the smartest and always the youngest. There wasn’t anything people hated more than the young wise-ass in the corner with pimply cheeks and a squeaky voice correcting their equations. If he was honest with himself, Austin would say that Reggie and Riley, Daisy’s husband, were two of his only real friends. However, Reggie was his boss, and Riley had been his next-door neighbor since they were kids. He was the only person who, despite their slight age gap, seemed to tolerate and enjoy spending time with Austin. And over the years, through high school, and Austin moving back east to do his masters, while Riley went to med school down at Stanford, the two had always remained friends, and he was grateful for that.

Frustrated that he would have to leave his room again to use the washroom and splash some water on his face, Austin took a couple of calming deep breaths, swallowed a few times, then put his hand on the doorknob. His gut ached. It had to be the ulcer, not just the jealousy. It had to be. He snatched the Tums bottle off his nightstand, tossed two back before swinging open the door only to find Hunter standing there, fist poised, ready to knock.

“You okay?” she asked, her cheeks burning an even brighter and more beautiful pink than before. The way it offset her golden curls made Austin want to grab her by the back of the neck and smash his lips against hers and taste every luscious inch of her warm skin.

Instead, he only nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just . . . work stuff. I had an idea, and I had to run in here to send myself a voicemail message so I wouldn’t forget it.”

Liar!

She didn’t believe him. He could see it in her eyes, the skepticism, the hurt. Fuck, the last thing Austin wanted to do was hurt her.

Her lips pursed, and she gave him a tight smile, one that didn’t even make it close to her amber eyes. “Oh. okay, then. I guess. I just came to tell you that dinner is ready.”

Busy chastising himself for his behavior, Austin’s head snapped up from where he’d been studying his feet. “Oh! Uh . . . all right, then. Thanks.”

She gave him another nod, then spun on her heels before turning back. “You know, you can talk to me. I’m not a bad person. In fact, some people have even gone so far as to say I’m nice. If something’s bothering you, we can talk about it. I’m a pretty good listener. If it’s work problems, maybe I can help. I’m no engineer with a fancy degree, but I’m a pretty good problem solver. First to get out of the escape room. I find Waldo before anyone else.” Her lips turned up into a smile that made Austin’s heart swell in his chest.

He licked his own lips, wondering how hers might taste. “Thanks. I will keep that in mind.”

Taking a step forward she rested her hand on his arm. Austin’s temperature ratcheted up, and his cock leaped in his jeans. “We could be friends,” she said.

Did her eyebrow just lift a little? Was she implying something besides friendship? Lord knows Austin wanted more, even if he knew it was impossible.

Even if she wasn’t implying anything sexual, Austin’s head immediately went there, and paranoia swamped him that his erection might now be visible beneath his jeans. “I don’t have a lot of friends,” he whispered.

Her smile grew wider and warmer as she squeezed his arms a little harder. Austin’s insides dissolved to mush. “I’m a good friend to have.”

“I bet you are. You’re incredible. You seem like the sweetest, most caring and genuine person I’ve ever met. I didn’t know they still made them like you.”

Where the fuck did that just come from?

Her eyes went wide.

His mouth dropped open. Oh God, what must she think of him?

“Uh… what I mean is, yeah? Discounts on organic clothes and handcuffs?”

Hurt clouded her face.

Fuck. Filter, Austin! Think before you speak.

Her lips pursed again into a thin white line before she spoke. “Yeah, discounts. Call me when you need new underwear.”

Austin opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut. Hunter eyed him suspiciously, sadness and disappointment coming off her in waves.

She let out a loud, long exhale that said so much. “All right then, well. Dinner’s ready.” Then, wringing her hands in front of her, she turned around and softly scuffed her cute little slippered feet down the hallway back toward the kitchen.

Austin smacked the heel of his palm to his forehead and closed his eyes.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID!