Hapless Read Online Free PDF Page B

they have that for dinner?
    Ty didn’t get much time to monologue internally. His phone rang, the annoying tinny strands of “The Little Drummer Boy” breaking the quiet of the apartment.
    And of course it was Bronwyn.
    “Hello?”
    “My brother has nothing important to tell me.”
    As seemed to be the norm, Ty had no clue what she was talking about. “What?”
    “I called him and asked him if he had anything awesome to tell me, and you want to know what his response was?”
    “Not really.”
    “That, oh yeah, he’s thinking of finally upgrading to an Xbox One.”
    “That’s good to know.”
    Bronwyn made a frustrated noise. “What happened? I thought I was going to be maid of honor.”
    Ty pushed away from his laptop and walked around the room. “It fell apart.”
    “Well, just do it on Christmas Eve, then.”
    “No. I refuse.”
    “What’s wrong with Christmas Eve? It’d be romantic.”
    Ty took another lap around the room. “Not happening,” he gritted out. “It’s not what I want.”
    There was a beat of silence, then a loud sigh. “What about what I want? Huh? I want my brother to marry you and adopt babies and be happy.”
    “You don’t think I want that too? But no, I need another plan. Something else.”
    “Uh… a horse-drawn carriage ride around The Mall? You can check out the big-ass National Christmas Tree. He’d love that, you know.”
    Ty stopped his manic pacing. “Oh, holy shit, Winnie. You’re absolutely right.”
    “Aw, you used Micah’s stupid nickname for me. We are totally going to be the best siblings-in-law ever.”
    “Don’t get your hopes up. This could go astoundingly wrong just like the other times.”
    “Times?” Bronwyn said. “As in plural? Wait a minute, how many times have you tried so far?”
    Ty opened his mouth and paused, unwilling to speak the number of failed attempts aloud. So he hung up instead.
     
     
    “Y OU ’ RE SPOILING me,” Micah said, wrapped up in his coat and scarf, his ridiculous rainbow hat on his head, black wisps of hair sticking out over his forehead. “Is this some kind of twelve days of Christmas present thing you’re doing that you haven’t let me in on?”
    Ty rocked back on his heels. “Maybe.”
    “It’s not, is it? Because if it is, then I’m going to have to go back to the drawing board for your present. It’s not nearly as awesome as a dinner at Jack’s, a hockey game, and whatever is the reason we’re standing in front of L’Enfant Plaza Metro station.”
    Ty brimmed with happiness and pressed a kiss to Micah’s mouth. “Just wait.”
    “You’ve been so weird lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” Micah pushed Ty’s brown hair out of his eyes. His fingers were chilly against Ty’s skin. “You’ve been vacillating between sullen and ecstatic since Thanksgiving. What gives?”
    Maybe a few weeks ago, Ty would have panicked at the question. But panicking had not worked for him thus far. Tonight he was just going to be calm and laugh. He was going to be Zen. Completely chill. Frigid. Like a relaxed gay penguin.
    Micah raised an eyebrow.
    “What is going on in your head?”
    “Nothing.” Ty smiled as the sound of hooves on pavement neared. “Hey, our ride is here.”
    Micah turned and let out a sound Ty could only classify as a dolphin noise. He spun around and grabbed Ty’s lapels. “A carriage ride? You seriously booked us a carriage ride?”
    Micah’s smile was so wide he looked manic. He reeled Ty in for a bruising kiss, lips cold but inviting, needy, and ecstatic, pulling Ty forward and down into an awkward position. Micah pulled away when Ty stumbled, but kept him close and whispered hotly in Ty’s ear. “We are having so much sex when we get home.”
    Ty flushed as the timber of Micah’s voice, deep and full of promise, sent a shiver through his frame. “How about we go for the ride first?”
    Grinning, Micah boarded the open-air carriage while Ty talked with the driver. Ty confirmed