Elf Against the Wall: A Holiday Romantic Comedy (The Wynter Brothers Book 2)
Elf Against the Wall: Chapter 57

“This is nice. We should hang out more,” Jake said happily as we walked in a group down Main Street. The Christmas market was in full swing even though it was almost midnight, and people were out.

“I don’t like you all that much,” I growled.

“He got his poor heart broken, and now he’s bitter and damaged,” Talbot joked.

It was, of course, a beautiful night. Some clouds were moving in, and it wasn’t too cold for snow. The decorations in the quaint shop windows made Maplewood Falls look like one of those miniature Victorian Christmas villages. We just needed a little train with a smiling girl in a red coat.

“Most people are home with their families. I don’t think it’s a flex to be out drinking on Christmas Eve,” I told my siblings.

“We’re out with family.” Elsa grabbed my arm.

Family—what I thought I was going to have with Evie.

“A dog would be good for you,” Lawrence suggested.

“He doesn’t have time for a dog. He should get a cat,” Hudson said.

“No, get a cool pet like a snake,” Talbot suggested.

“This is where we’re getting drinks?” I frowned when we stopped in front of one of the ubiquitous Christmas-themed establishments in Maplewood Falls.

“I want french fries,” Jake explained.

“We can make french fries at home.” Hudson opened the door to the Christmas-bedecked pub.

“Okay, Mom.” Lawrence rolled his eyes.

“Please. Mom would never.”

We followed Hudson into the pub.

Something small and white rocketed through the restaurant.

“Is that a Furby?” Jake asked then the little white dog jumped into my arms, licking my face and yelping happily.

“Oh my god, it’s so cuuute! How do you know my brother?” Elsa cooed at the dog. “Anderson, you have a cute little friend.”

Snowball immediately growled at my sister when she tried to pet her.

“You don’t let up at all, do you, Snowball?”

She went back to being a happy cute dog as I hugged her to my face.

“Snowball, no! Shit.”

“You aren’t supposed to have dogs in the restaurant,” a patron chastised.

“Restaurant? Really?”

Then I was face-to-face with Evie.

She had melting snow in her hair and a bright-red scarf around her neck.

I should cup her face, tell her I was sorry, and beg her to forgive me, but instead, I stood there drinking her in, wondering if it was the last time I’d ever see her.

“Oh.”

Evie stared down at her shoes. “Anderson, you’re here! I didn’t think… Must be the magic of Christmas.” She forced a laugh.

I didn’t even smile.

My heart was breaking all over again. “Evie…”

“Oh hell no.” Elsa unzipped her jacket and quickly tied up her hair. “I’m about to cut this bitch right here.”

“For fuck—” I held out an arm, but Elsa threw down her bag and her jacket and took off through the narrow path between the tables.

“Stop her!” I bellowed.

“Why?” Hudson asked with a shrug. “Fuck him.”

“They’re going to kill Henry!” Evie screamed as Jake, Lawrence, and Talbot followed Elsa, sprinting over tables and sending plates flying. Diners screamed.

Sawyer picked up a chair and swung it at my brothers as Lawrence threw a punch at Henry.

“You sold out my big brother!” Elsa raged, ducking the chair and going after Henry.

I charged through the crowd of drunk patrons, Snowball bouncing like a mountain goat off of surprised drinkers.

Sawyer had one of my brothers in a headlock. The triplets were ineffectively throwing coasters at Lawrence. Snowball took a chunk out of my middle brother’s hand, making him pull the punch he’d been aiming at Henry.

Talbot continued to pummel Henry and got a kick in the face from Ian. Evie jumped on his back before he could grab Ian. Declan hit Jake in the face with the napkin dispenser as he tried to pry Sawyer off Lawrence.

“Get the fuck off!” I waded through my brothers, blocking one of Jake’s punches. I kicked my foot out and swept him off his feet. He landed in a heap on the floor. “Elsa, I’m warning you…”

She gave me the finger. When she tried to go for Henry again, Snowball blocked her.

“Oh no, adorable little doggie, I wanted us to be friends!”

Snowball showed more teeth.

“Hudson, are you going to fucking help?” I threw myself in front of Henry before Talbot could stomp on him.

My eldest brother helped Henry up, dusted him off, rolled his shoulders, then hauled back and slammed an uppercut into Henry’s jaw.

Henry grunted and staggered back, knocking over a table full of drinks.

I grabbed Hudson’s arm. “Gracie is going to kill you if she has to bail you out of jail,” I warned my brother.

“I think she’ll understand.”

“Out!” The bar owner, heavyset and dressed like Santa, came after us, swinging an axe.

My siblings and the Murphys all dove out of the way.

“I didn’t get my french fries!”

“You’re banned for life!” the bar owner hollered, hefting the axe. “I don’t ever want to see you here again. And no,” he said to Evie, “you can forget about ever getting a job here.”

“Dammit, that was my one lead,” Evie said as we were thrown out of the bar.

My siblings milled around on the cold sidewalk.

Jake, ignoring the blood running down his nose, immediately started flirting with the giggling redheaded triplets.

“Open your mouth,” Sawyer instructed Henry and pulled out her phone flashlight. “You better still have all your teeth. People who just gave up their dental insurance shouldn’t be bar fighting.”

“You were fighting,” Henry protested.

“I didn’t get hit, because I don’t fight like a little bitch.”

Evie pulled out an oversize embroidered handkerchief and dabbed at Henry’s face, making concerned noises.

I guessed she really did mean what she’d said. She was choosing the Murphys over me. What we had—well, what I’d thought we had—wasn’t real. It was just my own delusions.

“Let’s go,” I said to my siblings.

“Wait,” one of the triplets called to Jake. “We were going to go party tonight.”

“Oh yeah?” he grinned.

“No.” I dragged him back by his collar. “They are too young and inexperienced for you. You don’t want to waste your time on someone like him,” I shot at over my shoulder at Evie’s sisters. “Find men with real jobs and retirement savings who don’t get in bar fights.”

“Anderson,” Henry called as I followed my siblings down Main Street.

He was whispering something to Evie and pointing at me.

“What?” It came out harsh.

Evie cringed.

Henry gave her a gentle shove in my direction.