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The knot in my belly tightened. Had I been looking at everything all wrong? Had my father wanted me to choose my own legacy? Create one for myself? I’d spent the better part of the last three years angry at him for cutting me out of the only thing that I ever wanted to do. But if I'd stayed, I never would've opened my own hotel. I would've been too stilted, trying to keep the Morrison name and everything it stood for. Out on my own, I'd been able to create something I loved, something that was all me but also part Morrison. Was it possible I might have been wrong about my father? About my family? Maybe I was wrong about Alex, too. Shit, Alex. Last night had felt too good to give up. Last night had been something special.
"You have a lot to think about, baby. But remember, he loved you, like I love you. Maybe even more. Because if I had my way, I'd have kept you here. But that's for my own selfish reasons, so I could see you all the time."
"You wouldn't have to keep me here, Grandma. I would be here all on my own."
"I love to hear that. And I'm so glad that you brought Alex, because I adore her. She's great. And funny. And did you know that that child always has to paint on something. Yesterday while you were in Los Angeles, I showed her the watercolors I keep in the back shed. Before I knew it, she was painting me a landscape.”
I laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like her. One time, I caught her using strawberries and raspberries as pigmented colors for some painting she was doing."
My grandmother patted my arm. "You did good. She's beautiful and smart. Sweet. And clearly, she’s in love with you."
Heat flamed my skin. She was not in love with me. Alex didn't do emotions. "Not so sure about that."
She patted my arm. "You go on and finish your coffee. I need to go get something I put in the den last night."
"What’s up, Grandma?"
"Hush up and drink your coffee. At least you can enjoy it for the both of us."
I finished my coffee, and my mind stayed on Alex. And my father. Maybe it was time to reevaluate some things.
My grandmother came back in a couple of minutes, smiling like the Cheshire cat. "Okay, now I'm going to give you this, but you in no way have to use it. I have met that girl, and she's not exactly an old-fashioned ring kind of girl, but she still might appreciate this.”
Heat suffused my skin the moment my grandmother said ring. From behind her back. She pulled out a tiny blue-velvet box. I knew what was in there. Her wedding ring. An emerald cut diamond in rose gold setting, rose gold and platinum wound around each other to form intricate flower patterns. "Oh, Grandma. I couldn't."
My grandmother waved me off. "I'm insisting. If there's anyone who deserves my ring, it's that girl. Certainly no one that your cousin Martin has brought around."
The guilt wove through me like smoke disbursing. I was a liar. And what's more, now I was going to hurt my grandmother. "Grandma, I need to tell you something."
She shushed me. "You hold onto that for as long as you need to. And then, maybe soon, maybe a year from now, you might know someone who would like to wear that ring for a while."
Man, I loved my grandma. She was going to be so disappointed when she found out I was a liar.
Chapter16
ALEX
This waswhat I had always imagined Christmas to be like. Surrounded by family, lots of food, laughter, joy. I spent the better part of the day working with Cassie to integrate the pieces I'd given to Jensen into the rest of the collection. Then I did a little shopping to make sure that I had Christmas gifts for everyone.
No, they weren't my family, but Jensen was. It was the first time I’d bought his present instead of making him one. I just hoped I’d gotten it right. Since I'd met him, he'd been completely obsessed with cars. He'd seen every episode ofTop Gearever produced. So I just hoped the present was enough to say thank you for going out on a limb for me.
Given that it was Christmas Eve, we hadn't had a chance to address what happened between us last night. By the time I'd come back from LA, everybody had come in from their day, and the kitchen was in full swing. There hadn't been a single moment to go,Hey, so about all the good sex last night. Was that just me? Are we still friends? Do you still respect me in the morning?No, there was no time for that. But there would be. We couldn't walk around pretending it hadn't happened, not that I wanted to anyway. Last night was honestly everything I'd ever imagined. I’d hated to leave that morning, but I knew that if I didn't get to LA, I'd never get everything set with Cassie.
"Did you have a great day, honey?" Grandma Lucy asked.
"Yeah, I actually got a lot of work done. It was really good. I woke energized, so it was great to get a jump on the day."
“Yeah, the wholeearly bird gets the wormand all that. Just make sure you don't work too hard so you can thoroughly enjoy yourself. Experience some of our hospitality."
Next to me, Jensen grazed my leg with his. My body remembered his brand of hospitality. "Yes, ma'am. I'm so grateful. Thank you so much for having me in your home. Especially over the holidays."
"If I'd known that you were going to be this fantastic," Grandma Lucy said, "I would've pressed Jensen to bring you home sooner."
Jensen leaned over. "Hey, you want another drink?"
I shook my head. "I think I've had enough for a lifetime."
He still hadn't said anything about what happened last night. But he'd been all over me. Pulling out my chair. Making sure to serve me before he served himself. Getting me a drink whenever I needed one. All the attentiveness was freaking me out. What did it mean?
