“Yes, sir.” I wink at him and trudge through the snow that fell all day to my car.
The engine doesn’t want to turn over, but it fires up after a couple of tries.
“Must be the cold,” I mutter and briefly wonder if I should have an engine block heater installed. I’ve never needed one on this car before, but it gets damn cold here, and a dead car is the worst in the winter.
I mentally add it to the long list of to-dos in my head and take off toward Nina’s house on the lake. Less than five minutes later, I pull through her security gate and make my way through the front door, cookies in hand.
I love this house. The first time Monica and I came here when Ellie invited us over to help her seduce Liam, we were stunned by the beauty of the inside of the home, not to mention the stellar views of the lake.
It’s a fantasy, really. And one I get to take part in regularly.
How did a girl like me get to be good friends with the royal family? It’s a question I ask myself often.
But I’m not complaining at all.
When I enter the foyer, a server holding a silver tray full of what looks like hot chocolate martinis approaches.
I’m officially in love.
“Miss,” another server says as she takes my cookie tray from me. “I’ll just set these with the others. Please, be at home. We have the hot chocolate martinis here, peppermint martinis in the great room, and there is plenty of festive charcuterie to eat, as well.”
“Thank you,” I murmur as someone slips my coat off my shoulders. The next thing I know, I’m walking into the living room with the best martini I’ve ever tasted.
“You’re here,” Ellie says with an excited smile. “And you look marvelous.”
“I think you mean underdressed,” I reply as I glance around and see that everyone but me is in either a dress or slacks. “You should have told me that I shouldn’t wear jeans, El.”
“You’re gorgeous. There is no specific attire, my friend.”
“You mean, everyone but me just knew to wear something fancy? How did this escape me?”
“You’re in the middle of your first holiday season as a parent,” Nina says as she joins us. “I’m shocked that you’re conscious and not weeping.”
“Oh my God, you guys. Why is it so hard?”
“So hard,” Nina agrees. “And we have help. I would be lost without Jordan to help with things.”
“God, we love Jordan,” Ellie agrees.
Jordan is married to Nina’s personal security guard, Nick. She came on staff when she married Nick, and as a nurse, took care of all three of the princesses when they were pregnant. She stayed on as medical staff and to help with the babies.
Nina, Ellie, and Aspen all insisted that they didn’t want full-time nannies. They wanted to raise their children themselves.
But Jordan has been a huge help over the years and became part of the family.
“Is someone talking about me?” Jordan asks as she joins us.
I love that the royal family befriends their employees—especially those who work closely with them every day.
“We’re simply grateful for you,” Ellie says with a smile and then waves toward the doorway. “Oh, Cara and Jillian King just arrived. I’ll go welcome them.”
“She loves to host a party,” Nina says.
“Aren’t you co-hosting?” I ask and sip my amazing beverage.
“No, I just provided the venue. This is all Ellie’s doing. The cocktails, the food, the décor. All her.”
“She’s been nervous,” Jordan confides. “She wanted it to be just so.”
“Well, she didn’t need to worry,” I reply. “It’s all gorgeous and delicious.”
I know that I told Sam that I’d be home early, but this party is just too good to leave early. People I’ve known all my life are here, and the food is amazing.
Monica would have loved this.
“This is the best holiday party I’ve been to all season,” I inform Ellie later when most of the guests have left.
“Really?” She turns hopeful eyes to mine. “I so hope the others enjoyed it.”
“Are you kidding? The cocktails alone were special, but then we didn’t have to fetch our own cookies. This is the only cookie exchange I’ve heard of where the cookies were divvied up for us and handed back to each guest when they leave.”
I sip the peppermint martini I switched to.
“Will you be able to drive home?” Ellie asks me.
“Oh, absolutely. I’ve only had three martinis over the course of that many hours. I’m just tired, not drunk.”
“Are you sure you won’t come up for dinner tomorrow night?”
Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve. “No, thanks. Sam and I decided we want to stay in and start making some new traditions with the kids.”
“I think that’s wonderful,” Ellie says.
“Speaking of Sam and the twins, I should go. But thank you so much for such a fun party, El.”