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“Come to the house, Knox. I need to speak with you.”
“That’s what phones are for, Dad. We can speak right now. Actually, wearespeaking. See how that works?”
“A hooligan and a smartass. That’s what I have. Not a son. Right, Mr. Finley?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Dad, just tell me what you need.” I head out of the bakery and pull my coat tight against the snow. My shop is only a few blocks away, but damn the wind is killer out here. Christmas is only a few days away, and it’s going to be a cold and snowy one. Greasy trots up from a side alley, and I scoop him up with my free arm and tuck him close to me.
“Look here, son. Well, I called you because …. Because … Wait, Mr. Finley, why did I—”
“The woman, sir.”
“The woman!” my father bellows. “Yes. I have a question. What I need is the truth from you. I’ve heard talk. Apparently, the little town down there is buzzing about you and Lorraine’s granddaughter.”
I wait for a question. And wait. And then when I suspect my father’s fallen asleep, I clear my throat.
“Are you seeing Lorraine’s granddaughter?”
“Seeing? I guess you could say that.”
Greasy headbutts me on the chin. I kiss him on the top of the head, then drop him onto the hood of the TransAm as I walk into the shop.
“So it’s just a dalliance?” He sounds relieved.
“No. I’ve already asked Justin to make her engagement ring. If she’ll have me, Ruby will be my wife.” And if she won’t have me, I’ll hold her down and give her orgasms until she agrees—but my father doesn’t need to know that.
“Wife? Mr. Finley, I think I’m hallucinating.”
“Congratulations, young Mr. Lovejoy,” Mr. Finley calls.
I smile and grab a socket wrench. “Thanks, Mr. Finley.”
My father stutters, gasps, and then starts a yelling tirade that I think the entire town might hear. He’s on a roll, cussing, speaking French for some reason—all of it.
When he finally stops to take a breath, I say, “Dad, I don’t need your blessing. She’s the one. But I think once you meet her, you’ll see why.”
He starts again, bluster and foolishness raining from his lips. I end the call and shake my head. I love the old man, but he can be so damn difficult sometimes. Stubborn.
Then again, I’ve been pining over the same woman for years, so maybe it runs in the family. Now that I have her, I hope she knows that what we have is real. I’ll prove it to her day by day until she’s ready to come back home to Reindeer Valley and to me.
Ruby belongs here. I just have to make sure she realizes we aren’t some short-term affair while she’s in town. That’s not what this is. This is love. The real thing.
Ruby and I aren’t just a holiday fling.
We’re forever.
18
RUBY
“Ithink it’s time for you to head home,” I hear Grams say from behind me. I doodle a Christmas tree onto the gift card of one of the orders about to go out. “Ruby, did you hear me?”
I pop the card into the little envelope before I turn around to face her. “Were you talking to me?” I thought she was speaking to Olivia, who’s elbow deep in icing at the moment.
“Yes. It’s time for you to head out.” She walks over and pulls the string on my apron. “Go home.”
“Wait, what?” I’m so confused as to why she’s suddenly changed her mind and wants me to go back to the city. I was planning to stay until after the holidays at least. I know I need to go back at some point, but in the back of my mind, that would only be to pack up my things and come right back here. Especially after our chat the other day.
