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“Glad we’re on the same page,” she said lightly. “We can wing it.”
“Winging it isn’t really my style,” he said.
“Mine either but I’ve had to adapt. We can just date and kiss and see where things lead.”
“What if one of us wants out?” he asked.
“Then we go our separate ways,” she said, realizing that was the only answer. She’d learned from the closing of her shop in New Orleans that no matter how much she loved something, sometimes she had to let it go and move on. Not that she would fall in love with Max. Right now she just wanted to have some fun.
“I really would like to have fun and enjoy Christmas. Maybe stop feeling guilty about what I did,” she said in a moment of blunt truth.
“Fun I can do,” he said.
“What are you two celebrating?” Delilah asked as she walked over with their bottle of champagne. “I want to have the scoop before Jock.”
Max turned toward Delilah with a ready smile as he pulled his hand back from Angelica’s. “Angelica being fabulous.”
Delilah gave them both an aggrieved look. “Are you kidding me? I thought it was a secret engagement or something like that.”
“Do I honestly look like I’d get secretly engaged at my sister-in-law’s restaurant? Mama would kill me,” Angelica said.
“You’re right—she would,” Delilah said as she poured them both some champagne. “Jock’s off soon and heading over here. Mind if we join you for dinner?”
“Not at all,” Max said. “I want to talk to you both about a hungry mouths project I’d like to start in town.”
Delilah left and Angelica realized that as much as he said he wanted to have fun and just date her, he also was always doing deals and thinking about business. She really didn’t know Max at all. She’d been pouring her heart out and telling him things…that maybe she should keep to herself until she knew him better.
Chapter Six
Jock and Delilahwere a fun couple to hang out with. It was clear that they were both highly competitive and driven people. There was a lot of gentle ribbing from Jock about Delilah’s newfound fame from appearing on his TV show. She sort of shrugged it aside and blushed and changed the subject.
“So these two are celebrating something,” Delilah said to Jock. “But they wouldn’t say what.”
“Maybe because it’s a secret,” Jock said. “Which you will not be able to keep so you might as well spill or I’ll drop a word in Mama’s ear.”
Angelica shook her head. “It’s nothing that Mama would be interested in. We booked a holiday party in the shop so I’ll need to discuss the menu choices with you.”
“That’s not nothing,” Delilah said. “Those Whiskey River biddies haven’t exactly been welcoming.”
“They aren’t biddies,” Angelica said.
“Seemed like it.”
“That’s great,” Jock said. “I’ve put Viv in charge of the holiday parties so when your email comes through, I’ll refer you to her.”
“Good. I’ll probably send it in the morning. I need to discuss it with Cosima. I sent her a text but she’s on a date.”
“She is? With whom?”
“Honestly, Jock, you are starting to sound like…”
“Your mom. Stop it,” Delilah said.
Jock turned toward his wife and took her hand in his. “Cosima’s dating life means that Mama isn’t pestering us to start a family.”
Delilah raised both eyebrows and then nodded. “So who is she out with?”
Max laughed at the closeness of the family. The Rossis were showing him that family could mean something very different than his did. He liked the dynamic of teasing between them all and how they were in each other’s business but also just to have something to give their mom when she started to probe too much into their own. It was so foreign to him.
