Page 23 of Holiday Loss

Stay with Donovan?

At his parents’ house?

Despite him saying otherwise, she still believed his mom didn't like her.

Wasn't staying with him going to give Freddie the wrong idea?

Only was it really a wrong idea?

Sure, they were in the early stages of their relationship, but she wouldn't have let a man meet her son if she wasn't serious about him, and every indication he’d given said Donovan was just as serious about her.

About them.

Both of them.

Because he was taking good care of her son right now.

Hoping it wasn't the concussion leading her to make bad decisions, Jessica prayed this was not going to be something she wound up regretting.

“Okay, we’ll stay with you while I'm healing.”

Chapter

Sixteen

December 18th

4:32 P.M.

Even with the guilt he felt about Jessica getting hurt, Donovan couldn’t help smiling as he parked outside his parents’ house and rounded the car to get Jessica.

Freddie bounced out, his wide, excited eyes taking in the grand mansion. “Wow, this house is huge,” he gushed.

“I think I might have forgotten to mention it has a pool,” Donovan told the little boy then opened the back door and reached in to scoop Jessica into his arms before she could try to climb out herself.

Finally, after agreeing to stay with him while she recovered, she’d managed to get a few hours of sleep, and she’d been discharged a couple of hours ago. After a brief stop at her place to pack bags for her and Freddie, he’d driven them both here. She was nervous about staying here, he got that, but he loved that she was trusting herself with him while she was vulnerable.

“A pool!” Freddie squealed in excitement. “Can I go swimming now?”

“Sure can. The pool is indoors so you can use it all year round, even when it’s snowing outside,” he said, glancing at the sky and the mass of gray clouds that looked like they could start dropping snowflakes at any second.

“You have to ask Donovan’s mom first,” Jessica told her son.

“She won't mind you swimming,” he assured Freddie as he carried Jessica up the front steps. “She’s very excited you're both staying here for a while. She’s been getting rooms ready for you both, and I think she’s been busy in the kitchen, too.”

“Did she make some of her brownies?” Freddie asked.

“Pretty sure that was top of the list.”

“Yay,” Freddie exclaimed just as the front door was thrown open and his mom and dad came rushing out.

“Oh, you poor thing,” his mom said, beelining directly for Jessica. “I'm so sorry you were hurt, but I'm so thrilled for a chance to get to meet you properly.”

“I'm sorry about how we met first,” Jessica said, shrinking into his arms a little.

“Nonsense. You were just doing your job.” His mom waved a hand in the air, dismissing the entire thing. “And who is this handsome young man?”

“My son. Freddie.”

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