AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How could he know that?”
“Like I said, it’s hard to explain.”
“Then explain this to me.” He took my hand, intertwining our fingers one by one. “How do you still have this inexplicable hold on me after all these years?”
Oh, that was an excellent question. One I would love to answer, for as happy as it made me. “I wish I could tell you. But ... I would be willing to do some research with you to solve this mystery.” I would even do some all-night study sessions if I had to. All in the name of good research, of course.
“Yes, research.” He smiled. “I suppose we should look into this phenomenon for both our sakes.”
“I think it’s for the best,” I said in my best flirty voice.
“While we’re doing research, maybe we can kill two birds with one stone.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hate seeing men like Dave get away with their depraved, immoral ways.”
I always loved the formality of his speech. “Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about it.”
He pressed his lips together. “That’s not necessarily true.”
I rubbed my forehead, knowing what he was alluding to. “I don’t know if I can. And what about your children? What about us? Who would even believe it after all this time?”
He pulled our clasped hands to his lips, his breath dancing across my skin. “Judging by those texts, the world already believes it. More importantly, I always believed in us.”
The heat in the car rose to volcanic levels, and along with it went the air, as I could hardly breathe. “Patrick ...” I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to believe, truly I did. I always did. But ... but ... I was having a hard time thinking of an excuse. My snarky, realist brain was malfunctioning.
He smiled for making me speechless. “Think about it. Meanwhile, I’ll speak to my children.”
“But what happens when Christmas Eve rolls around and—” My brain finally kicked in.
He pressed a finger to my lips. “Maybe just this once, you don’t have to think, only believe.”
Well, it was the season of miracles. Could I finally have mine?
“MOM, MOM, MOTHER,” I TRIEDto get Elizabeth Valentine to calm herself so I could get a word in.
“I can’t believe you didn’t even tell me you were dating anyone. And then I have to learn you’re engaged on Instagram. And how does Charlotte feel about you getting married on her wedding day?”
“MOM! I’m not really engaged.”
“What? Of course you are. Do you know how many DMs I’ve had from my friends in the hot grandma group?”
I sank into the couch and rolled my eyes. Not that grandmas couldn’t be hot, but I was pretty sure no grandchild wanted to think of their grandma that way. And the biddies in that group were the biggest gossips on the planet as far as I could tell. Social media just gave them more of an audience. They loved to send my mom any dirt on Drake they could find. Stuff that was obviously made up or so old it was a moot point. But that didn’t stop my mom from getting riled up on Drake’s behalf. Worse, she scoured Instagram and got in altercations with anyone who said anything negative about Charlotte. She’d been put in Instagram prison almost a dozen times.
“Mom, I’m pretty sure I would know if I was engaged or not. I only told that idiot Dave I was getting married on Christmas Eve to save Charlotte’s wedding.”
“But I saw the pictures of you and your fiancé in his car. Oh, honey, what is on your lip?”
I cringed and died a little inside. I hadn’t looked at any of the pictures yet.
“Maybe you should think about going to the salon and getting that upper lip waxed.”
I was going to kill dirtbag Dave. “It was chocolate milk.”
“That’s strange, but I suppose it’s better than a real mustache. I will set all the hot grandmas straight. And don’t you worry, I will take down anyone who keeps calling youRon Swanson. By the way, who is that?”
That’s what people were calling me? I was never leaving the inn. “He’s a character fromParks and Recreation.”
