Wicked Night Before Christmas by Tierney O’Malley Page B

her goggles, tapped them on her thigh to shake off the snow then tucked them under her armpit. “Yeah, you said that already."
    "More than that."
    "What?"
    "As if you were chasing someone or someone was chasing you. You look pissed, too. I hope not with me."
    Oh dear, now her emotions showed on her face, too. She'd better put her act together and pull a happy face later. No way would she let Lucas know she was jealous of his high school sweetheart. Cara couldn't help but wish she were staying in a different cabin instead. Better yet, she shouldn't have come here. She'd rather be alone than share dinner, breakfast and lunch with Lucas. Cara looked at the restaurant where Lucas and Rochelle were probably sipping hot cocoa. Her stomach clenched at the prospect of being in the same room with him.
    "Why would I be pissed at you? Besides, I am not pissed. I just didn't want to lose—again."
    "You want me to believe that? I think it's either you're scowling because of my numbskull brother or you regretted breaking up with gorgeous Rick?"
    Rick. Going out with Rick, the guy she met at one of the Glass Blowing conventions in Oregon, happened because of her rebellious nature. When Amy called and said Lucas hooked up with his high school sweetheart, she felt a jealousy so foreign to her that it dragged her down until she couldn't concentrate on her work anymore. She began to question Lucas's reason for leaving. That perhaps his job wasn't the only motive why he left in a hurry. That he wanted to see Rochelle, to watch her parade herself at a beauty pageant.
    For days she moped, worked mindlessly for hours on end, which helped camouflage the pain and feeling that everything was wrong. But all that was temporary. When alone, nauseating despair smothered her. So when Rick called on her cellphone, she thought why suffer when she could even out the game. And so she began dating Rick.
    "Rick is okay. Where did you get the idea I'm pissed because of Lucas?"
    "Aside from how you keep looking at the restaurant? Well, let's see. You couldn't wait to leave the house when Rochelle and Lucas arrived. Also, every time I try to tell you something about Lucas you frown and turn bright red. And when you think no one's looking, you shoot daggers at my brother with your stormy gray-eyed gaze. Not that I mind you shooting daggers at him. I do that, too, when I'm mad at him."
    "I'm not mad at him."
    "Oh? You haven't seen each other for a month and today you acted as if you never knew him. He must have done something to upset you. What happened between you two?
    We shared bodily fluids . “Nothing. Like you said, I didn't see him for a month. Just lost that friend connection, I guess.” Last thing she wanted to do was tell her friend, Oh, after giving me a ride home, he stayed to check out my special collection of glass vases. We thought about having coffee, but when we looked at each other coffee flew out of our minds. The staring progressed to removing clothes. And then he broke my hymen and gave me the most wonderful night I've ever had .
    "Cara, I'm your friend. You can tell me. Is my brother the reason why you broke up with Rick?"
    And the reason why I dated Rick . Cara dropped her lashes to hide the truth in her eyes, then took a deep breath and let out in a whoosh. She could tell Amy anything except the truth, but as perceptive as she was...everything she'd tell her would slide off her back like water on a duck's feathers if she thought of them as fabricated. Besides, it might help ease the bitter jealousy that had been weighing her down if she told someone about what and who was bothering her. And Amy would be that someone.
    She broke up with Rick because deep inside—stupid as she was—there was still hope she and Lucas would continue what they had started. “Yes."
    Amy squealed and clasped her hands together. “Yesss...Cara, you love my brother."
    "Don't tell Lucas. Maybe by the end of this week, whatever I feel for him will go away.” She