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Holly and Robin turned to Grace with wide eyes, and she felt her cheeks burn in response.
"Welcome to girls' night," Sofia mumbled, not looking at all sorry for spilling that news to the others.
But as embarrassing as it was, it felt almost as inevitable as the kiss itself. When Grace had seen the wistful expression on Holly's face as she watched Nick walk away, her stomach had flipped, realizing that watching Holly swoon over her man shouldn't have brought back images of that kiss.
Or memories of his hands wrapped around her.
Or the…
Okay, Grace, don't get carried away.
"Look at that blush!" Holly cried, sliding into the booth next to Sofia. "Tell us everything."
And so... she did.
Why? Because apparently these women were her best friends—for now, anyway.
And as the evening progressed, filled with laughter and easy conversation, Grace wasn't the only one who shared. They all had jokes and stories, and between the cheery glow of the kitchen while they ate to the festive warmth by the fire after, Grace had to admit it was one of the best nights of her life.
In all of her travels, she'd made sure to have fun. But camaraderie? That was new. And these women were drawing her into their world, making her feel welcome. It was almost worse than how good Tommy's kisses were.
Almost.
"Have you ever been to anything like the Gingerbread Ball before?" Robin asked, one hand resting on her baby bump as they sat on the plush couches in the front room.
They'd just finished telling Grace all about it, and she shook her head as she swallowed a sip of cocoa. "No, but I'd love to experience it. Unfortunately, I'm supposed to spend Christmas with some friends in Canada."
"Canada?" Holly echoed, her eyebrows lifting in surprise.
The women leaned in closer, curiosity piqued as they quizzed Grace about her first destination in the new year and her life back in New York. Grace waved off the questions about New York, but her enthusiasm returned as she told them about her plans to visit Costa Rica in January for zip lining, Morocco in May, and Iceland in August to see the Northern Lights. They listened intently, their eyes wide with wonder.
"Wow," Robin breathed. "With all those flashy places on your list, our little town seems almost... ordinary."
"Actually," Grace replied, a smile playing at the corner of her lips, "between big trips, I like to tour interesting places in America. And Snow Hill isdefinitelyinteresting."
Clearly pleased by her response, her fellow pajama partners laughed.
"I couldn't help but notice you didn't say anything about your life in New York," Holly said, her tone gentle but probing.
Grace sighed, feeling another wave of vulnerability she was still getting used to. "There's not much to say, I guess. I don't really have any friends or family in New York. Just an apartment," she admitted with a shrug. "Talking about my travels is a whole lot more interesting."
"Who are the friends in Canada? Is that where you're from or something?" Sofia asked.
Squirming slightly, Grace wondered if she could get a pass from the hot seat if she just got everything out in the open. No sense prolonging it, right? "Just some people I met on a trip a few years ago. And, honestly, I'm not actually stayingwiththem... I'm actually staying in their guest cabin."
The women exchanged glances before Holly spoke up. "You can't spend Christmas alone, Grace."
"Not everyone loves it as much as you." Grace stuck her tongue out at her new friend, but her words didn't have the teasing tone she was hoping for. Instead, she sounded defensive.
It grossed her out.
Who was this lonely loner taking over her body, and where did the no-regrets wanderer go?
Holly and Robin exchanged a glance, and Robin nodded, as if giving Holly some kind of signal.
Grace shared a confused look with Sofia. Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn't clued in either.
"Here's the deal," Holly proposed after another moment of suspense for Grace. Her eyes were serious, but warm and she took a deep breath before she let it out along with awhooshof words. "You can't write an article about Snow Hill without writing about the ball, and you can't stay in a cabin in Canada by yourself at Christmas."
