“We’ll take the check, then,” Ron says.
Owen shakes his head. “Not tonight, my friend. This one’s on the house. We missed you around here.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Ron insists. “Please, let me pay. Besides, this was a thank-you dinner for MJ.”
Owen gives me a subtle wink. “I guess you’ll just have to bring this lovely lady in again then, huh? Maybe next week?”
Ron focuses on me, and I squirm beneath his gaze.
“Well, Myra Jean, what do you say?” Ron asks. “Will you come to dinner with me again?”
My heart flutters—a side effect of the alcohol, or maybe it’s just delightfully intoxicating to have Ron’s eyes on me.
I attempt to keep my tone cool and casual andnotlike a giddy girl with a crush. “I’d love to.”
17
LINDSEY
“So,Mom’s really coming to the festival? Of her own free will?” Lucy asks Friday afternoon, running the shears over a goldendoodle named Finch. “This isn’t some bait and switch thing where we say we’re taking her to seeThe Nutcrackeron ice or something and then we’re like, ‘surprise’?”
“Nope,” I say, propping my elbows on the table, allowing Finch to kiss my nose. “Oliver said she’s actually going.”
“How?” Lucy wipes a bead of sweat off her forehead with her arm. “I mean, that’s great, buthow?”
“No clue, but Mom confirmed it this morning before I left the house.” I was just as shocked when Oliver texted yesterday evening to let me know he ran into Mom at the coffee shop and convinced her to go to Mistletoe Fest. I was evenmoreshocked when she told me this morning how much she was looking forward to it. I was hoping to ask her about it last night, but she was already in her room with the door shut by the time I got home.
“And you didn’t ask him to do this?”
I shake my head. “He did it all on his own. I didn’t even tell OliverwhyMom wasn’t going. All he knew was that she wasn’t coming.”
Oliver already proved hecanhang with my family, but this showed me that hewantsto. My family is the most important part of my life and quite the spirited bunch. That can be intimidating for some people. But not Oliver.
“If I wasn’t already Team Oliver, this would certainly seal the deal,” Lucy says. “I don’t think just anyone could talk her into this, Linds. There’s something special about him. I feel it in my bones.”
I rake my teeth over my bottom lip. “I think you might be right.”
“I’m going to need you to put that in writing and sign it, please.”
“Hey, Linds,” Kayla says, poking her head into the room. “You have a special visitor.”
My eyes widen, and Lucy squeals.
“Sorry, it’s not Hottie McHotterson,” Kayla continues. “It’s Ron.”
“Oh! I have something for him. I’ll be right there,” I say, darting toward my office.
Once I retrieve the gold gift bag, I head to the reception area and smile when I spot him with a small vase filled with an assortment of red and white flowers, accented with pops of green and frosted pine cones.
“Ron,” I say. “It’s good to see you. How are you feeling?”
“Wonderful,” he answers, holding the bouquet out toward me. “These are for you, Doc. I just wanted to thank you again for all you did to help me and June Bug.”
“You didn’t need to do that.” I take the blooms, inhaling the sweet scent of carnations.
“Trust me, it’s the least I can do. I know June Bug can be a handful.”
“They’re lovely. Thank you,” I say, placing the flowers on the desk. “And I have a little something here for you too.” I hand him the bag with sparkly tissue paper spilling over the top.
