"No. Wait, maybe. I think I've seen a picture online. I never really looked to see what it did."

"It's a coffee maker that makes one cup at a time," Nate said. "They're pretty cool." He spun the rack. "Pick one."

Marisa read all the different choices. Regular, decaf, mocha, vanilla.

She selected one. "What does Christmas coffee taste like?"

Nate looked at it. "Oh, I've had that. It's really good. It tasted like, well, coffee. If you don't like it, we can get you another one."

She turned back to Brady. "You're sure it's okay? Your friend won't mind?"

He took the coffee from her and put it in the machine. He pushed a button, and a minute later, the coffee was brewing. When he handed her the full cup, she said, "I want one of those."

"We'll see what we can do," Nate said.

She shook her head. "No. That would definitely blow a fuse. The power in my house is not very reliable."

But maybe she wouldn't be going back to Mexico, not to live, anyway. Maybe she and Ana...

She couldn't think about the future. She lifted her gaze to Brady. "Sugar?"

"Right." He searched the cabinets and returned with a little glass cup filled with various types of sweetener packets. She chose sugar, poured it in the cup, and stirred with a spoon Brady handed her. She'd become accustomed to drinking coffee black in Mexico, but it was much better sweet. And Nate was right. Although there was nothing particularly Christmassy about it, the flavor was delicious.

Just imagine. Twenty different varieties of coffee in your own house. The luxury.

She looked back at the rack. "It even has hot chocolate. Ana's never had that. She would love it. Anything sweet..." Her words trailed off.

Nate wrapped his arm around her. He'd been doing that a lot, and it felt more and more comfortable every time. She should probably pull away. She'd have to be careful not to let it progress. She leaned into him and sipped her coffee.

Someone knocked on the front door. Nate crossed the room, opened the door a crack, then opened it all the way.

A woman stepped inside and set a bag on the floor. She was much shorter than Nate and had long, light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a business suit that showed off her curves, the kind of curves Marisa had always envied. Nate pulled her into a long hug and said something Marisa couldn't hear.

Behind her, another woman stepped in. She was taller than the first and had reddish-blond, shoulder-length hair. She wore jeans and a light green sweater and carried a giant patterned purse. When Nate had finished hugging the first woman, he turned to the second and hugged her. After a few seconds, Brady said, "Okay, that's enough."