AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She got up and opened the cabinet and saw so many bottles of things she had no idea what they were and wasn’t about to guess.
She’d wait for them to come back and ask which one. No reason to guess and get it wrong. She was sick of getting things wrong.
“Hi,” she said when Cal came back with his grandfather.
“You must be Mia. I’m Jim.”
She moved forward and shook hands with Cal’s grandfather. “You two look alike.”
“I told Cal he got my good looks. Seems to be working for him since he landed you.”
She smiled. “He must get his charm from you too,” she said.
“I’m charming, Grandpa. Did you know that?”
Jim rolled his eyes. “Everyone loves Cal. Or so I’ve heard most of my life. The same with my son, Jack. He could talk anyone around into trusting him and being his friend.”
“That’s a nice trait to have,” she said. “I’m sure people liked to be around him.”
“They did,” Cal said. “Though I’m not sure everyone loves me. That’s kind of a generalization.”
“Just like they like to be around Cal,” Jim said.
She’d seen that already. When they’d go out, he knew so many people that would come over and talk.
He’d feel bad and introduce her. She was fine with the interruptions. She was coming to realize in a small area like this, being a businessman, that came with the territory. Morgan told her that she and Cooper were always stopped when they were out too.
“Dinner smells good,” she said. “Can I help with anything? Cal told me to pour you a scotch, but I’m afraid I’m not sure which one you like the best.”
“I’m not fussy,” Jim said. “Cal only keeps the good stuff stocked in the house.”
“The red label,” Cal said to her as he pulled the bread out of a bag.
“I’m told Cal has the honor of preparing the bread bowls.” She found the bottle with the red label and poured a glass for Jim and handed it over.
“He never lets anyone else do it,” Jim said.
“I’m the master,” he said. “Doing my part for dinner. I always cleaned up, right, Grandpa?”
“Always,” Jim said. “That’s Cal for you, doing his part.”
“It shows,” she said.
And she had to wonder how she ended up with someone that so many looked up to and wanted to be around.
It just didn’t seem like there was much wrong with the guy other than his hatred for Christmas.
Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal either and she wasn’t so sure why she let it bother her.
Maybe because it was her favorite holiday as a child and so much of her life in the past few years had just felt negative that she was looking forward to finding that happiness with her siblings, their families and her new life here.
Finding Cal had been a bonus, but now she’d have to settle during what she’d wanted to be a joyful holiday time knowing that it might not be with him.
15
ALWAYS HAD IT WORSE
“My sister is going to be thrilled with the wine,” Mia said a few days later on their way to Morgan’s house for dinner.
