AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Faith nodded. “That’s exactly what I am. But we’re pretending to everyone else we’re more than that. Does that make sense?”
“I don’t believe in lying,” Holden said. “You know that. But I also have a really big business thing coming up, and it seems like being engaged might help with that.”
There was confidence in his tone, but Faith knew the internal struggle. He’d mentioned it while they were waiting at the airport during their layover. They grabbed coffees and sat at their gate, working out their plan. It had been a good move since they’d been on a packed flight and hadn’t been able to sit together.
“It’s more like a game,” Faith said, just as they’d planned. “We’re having fun with all the people around here who can’t stay out of our business.”
“Isoget that.” J.J. rolled her eyes.
“You do?” her dad asked. There was surprise mixed with relief in his tone. He’d been afraid she’d tell them it wasn’t nice to lie, at which point they probably would have dropped the whole plan. It was clear that his daughter was his world.
“So, Chase is my friend, right?” J.J. started. But Amber A.—” She looked over at Faith and said, “That’s what I call her because there are four Ambers in my class. Anyway, she told Camryn that I must like Chase. I think she likes him. But now Chase won’t talk to me anymore. If people would just mind their own business.” She shook her head. “It’s so ridic.”
“Ridic?” Faith looked at Holden.
“Short for ridiculous,” he told her. Shaking his head, he started the car. “Let’s get home. I have some work to finish, and we all need to rest up for tonight.”
Faith had a smile on her face as they headed up the hill toward Holden’s gigantic house. She was going to like hanging out with this eight-year-old for the next few weeks. In fact, she might enjoy it so much she’d have a tough time leaving when the time came.
5
Holden would feel guilty about the work Mrs. Ardmore had put into this Christmas Eve dinner, but she seemed just about the happiest person he’d ever seen. She wore a Santa hat and dangling snowball earrings with a red cardigan covered in Christmas designs. Her husband wore a plain red sweater that he’d no doubt chosen to match his wife’s.
“I’m so glad you could join us, Mr. Pryce,” Mrs. Ardmore said as she crumbled corn chips on top of her chili.
This was the Ardmore Christmas Eve tradition, Faith had explained. A chili buffet that included options like spaghetti noodles, corn chips, cheese and sour cream, and crackers. Holden was a simple man. He just crumbled crackers on his. But J.J. was loving the whole chili pie thing.
“Please, call me Holden,” he said. “I’ll be family soon.”
“I still can’t believe you’re engaged to a different guy than before.” Charity shook her head.
“I know,” Mr. Ardmore said. “I was all excited to head over to Europe for a wedding this spring. Hey, why’d you kick me?”
He stared at his wife, seated catty-corner from him at one end of the table. She shot him a glare.
Holden got it. Mentioning the European wedding was probably rubbing salt in what was still a very new wound. But Faith, seated on the other side of J.J., didn’t seem bothered by it. She was busy crumbling crackers on top of her chili, which she’d piled on top of noodles.
“I can’t believe it surprises you,” Mrs. Ardmore said. “Everyone’s coupling up these days in this town.”
“They didn’t meet in this town,” Charity said. “Plus, there was no mistletoe bringing them together.”
Faith spoke up then. “Mistletoe?”
Charity rolled her eyes before explaining. “Noelle and I plastered this town in mistletoe just before Thanksgiving weekend. She needed something to cheer her up. All the stuff with her dad dying—”
“Oh yeah,” Faith said. “How’s her mom doing?”
“Pretty well. The mistletoe was just to bring a little cheer to our town.”
“A littlelove,” Mrs. Ardmore corrected. “We had plenty of cheer.”
“Our goal was to get three couples together before the new year,” Charity said.
“I thought it was by Christmas,” Nic paused eating to say.
“Nope.” Charity shook her head. “The end of the year. And I say Noelle and Enzo count too. They kissed under the mistletoe before all of us.”
“But Noelle said three more couples would get together under the mistletoeaftershe and Enzo kissed,” Nic pointed out.
