Mistletoe Not Required by Anne Oliver Page B

‘Relax, bro.’
    Slipping a hand around his arm, she steered him to the Christmas tree with its glossy wrapped parcels beneath.
    He reached for the swing bag with its exclusive store logo etched in silver. ‘This is for you.’ He held it out to Brie. ‘It’s probably not the right sort for a beauty therapist...’ He shrugged, feeling awkward.
    She grinned. ‘French label, are you kidding? I’ll love it. Thank you.’
    He turned to Olivia. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’ He realised he meant that in more ways than one as he handed her the tissue-wrapped crystal vase he’d purchased in the hotel’s gift shop earlier this morning.
    She met his gaze with a smile in her eyes that said she was as surprised as he. That maybe she’d forgiven him for the moment. ‘It was all kind of last minute, wasn’t it?’
    ‘I’ve waited a long time to share Christmas with you,’ Breanna said. ‘So here you are.’ She reached down, picked up a box, held it out. ‘Merry Christmas.’
    He took it from her hands but it felt weird. ‘Thanks.’
    ‘Merry Christmas, Jett.’ Olivia held out a smaller packet.
    ‘Hey, I didn’t expect—’
    ‘Why don’t you sit on the couch and open them?’ Breanna suggested, sitting down herself and patting the space beside her, then reaching into her swing bag. ‘I can’t wait to smell this perfume.’
    He sat next to his sister. Since it was on top, he opened Olivia’s gift first. A pair of soft kid gloves.
    ‘For Melbourne’s winter,’ she told him. ‘I hear it gets cold there.’
    ‘Thanks. They’re great.’ He admired the deep charcoal colour, her thoughtfulness. ‘You’ve never been to Melbourne, then?’
    ‘Never got around to it.’
    ‘Less than an hour’s flight from Hobart?’ He glanced at her, surprised, and caught a wistfulness in her eyes before she blinked it away.
    ‘Never seem to get time to travel these days.’
    ‘You’ll have to visit some time. You’d love the boutique shopping. I—’
    ‘Shopping’s not one of my priorities.’ Her voice was brisk. ‘At least not the indulgent kind of shopping you’re referring to.’
    ‘You’d enjoy it anyway,’ he assured her, turning his attention to Breanna’s gift. He lifted the lid on the box. Inside was a home-made Christmas cake. The enticing aroma of brandied fruit filled his nostrils.
    He nodded and said, ‘Family recipe?’ then wished he hadn’t.
    ‘No. One of your tropical fruit specialties, actually.’ She rose and walked to the tree and picked up another box. ‘One more.’
    ‘Breanna. You shouldn’t have.’ Damn, he really meant it. She had no idea how uncomfortable she made him feel, and with Olivia watching on, he just wanted to walk out and leave the pair of them to their sentimental traditions.
    Beneath the wrapping paper he found a beautifully bound album. Old leather. The kind that might have been a photograph album a long time ago. Its pages were empty. ‘What’s this for?’
    ‘I thought maybe if you had some old photos, you could put them in here with some of mine around the same time period. A kind of combined effort. And I’m hoping that we’re going to make some memories together to fill the latter pages.’
    ‘I don’t have any photos.’ Photos were memories and he didn’t want them. He didn’t do sentimental and nostalgia. Especially not for Christmas. ‘Excuse me, I’ve remembered I’ve got to make a couple of business calls.’ Pushing up, he strode to the door.
    ‘Where are you going?’ Olivia’s voice. ‘What about tomorrow? Are you in or out?’
    He didn’t turn around. ‘Later.’

FIVE
    ‘That didn’t go so well.’ Brie grabbed up a cushion and hugged it close. ‘The album idea was a mistake. I didn’t expect him to react that way.’
    ‘Not a mistake. He’s a chef—unpredictable—need we say more?’ But Olivia didn’t know his past so how could she judge? But business calls on Christmas Day? ‘Give him time, Brie.’ She sat next to