“What?”
“We find a guy to distract Sierra.”
“A guy? She’s basically a nun at this point—you know, other than her committed relationship with the brothers Winchester.”
“No, I have the perfect guy—guys, actually. They work with Reid in the park.” Katie’s boyfriend works as a ranger in Yosemite. “There’s a whole group of them that have to work over the holiday. I bet they’d love to have something to do.”
“Whatever it takes. It may take a handful of guys, but if it keeps her from spying on me all night, that would be amazing.”
She pulls out her phone and starts texting, a devious smile on her lips. I love how Katie commits to a plan. “Oh, and there’s one last thing we need for the party.”
“What’s that?”
“Tom needs to make his world-famous eggnog.”
“Why?”
“Sierra loves it and it’s heavy on the bourbon.”
My eyes widen. “You want us to distract Sierra with a bunch of men and booze?”
She laughs and continues with her text. “Merry Christmas to her, am I right?”
23
Starlee
I drive down to June Lake to pick up Claire, and we head to Mammoth Lake to the Village Resort. I’ve only been in this area a few times, but not since it’s been decorated for Christmas. The resort itself is massive, with a hotel and lodge. The entire town of Lee Vines could fit in the parking lot. There are rows of shops, specialty. The visitors to the lodge obviously have money to spend and are looking for a high-end vacation rather than the rustic feel of our tiny place.
Everything is lit up, trees, windows, doorways. Stores are ready for holiday shoppers. Claire and I walk down the crowded cobblestone streets, taking it all in. “Okay, who do you need to shop for?”
“I already ordered my grandmother a blanket,” I say, zipping my coat up higher. It’s chilly. “It’s a Supernatural one. It’s got her boys on the front.”
She laughs. “I love that your grandmother is into that. I can’t imagine what would happen if I asked mine to watch it. She’d drag me to church for an exorcism.”
“Leelee’s pretty cool. It’s been nice getting to know her better.”
We decide to enter a shop that focuses primarily on hats. I pick up a thick stocking cap. “Do you think Dexter would wear this?”
Claire looks at her reflection in the mirror, a rainbow-colored felt hat on her head. She looks adorable—and completely out of character. “You haven’t bought his gift yet?”
I sigh. “I haven’t bought any of their gifts yet.”
“Wow.” She takes off the hat and hangs it on a hook. “So what kind of gift do you want to get them?” She eyes the hat in my hand and takes it from me. “You all have a pretty special relationship.”
“I want to show them how much I care about them—how awesome it is that they’ve accepted me. Coming here last summer was hard and they’re really the first friends I’d made in a long time.” I run my fingers over a fuzzy hat. “You know they wrote me the whole time I was back in North Carolina?”
“Emails? Texts?”
“Letters.”
She looks up. “Seriously? Like, actual letters. Even Jake?”
I nod. “How do I find something that shows how much I appreciate them?”
“Hmm. Let me think on it.”
We walk back into the cold and go in and out of a few shops. I do find a necklace for Katie and when Claire isn’t looking, a pair of purple fingerless gloves for her. We stop for coffee and I feel a like