Page 47 of One Pucking Life

I cross my arms. “I heard my name. I was just curious what they were saying. That’s totally normal.”

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “I could tell at dinner, too. The way you looked at him? It’s the same way I used to look at your father.”

My mouth drops open. “Okay. Number one—please don’t ever compare me to anything related to Dad. And number two—you have no idea what you’re talking about. He’s my boss. And, I guess, my friend. End of story.”

She tugs gently on a strand of my hair. “Just be careful, okay? If you do like him, that changes things. You need to be aware of that.”

I let out a long breath. “I’m fully aware, Mom. Trust me. But it doesn’t matter because I don’t like him.” I lower my voice on the last part.

“Well, I like him.” She pops a brownie bite into her mouth. “I think he’s really charming.”

“Good for you. I think he’s my boss. And I also think it’s time you headed home.”

Her brows knit. “That’s rude.”

I laugh at her offended expression. “I’m not trying to be rude. Max is still on the phone, and after that, I’m putting the baby down. Unless you want to stay here and enjoy the ambiance of the Christmas lights with Mr. Charming.”

“Very funny.” She scrunches her nose. “Fine, I’ll go.” She leans in for a hug. “Merry Christmas, my girl.”

“Merry Christmas, Mom. Thanks for coming.”

“Of course. I’ve been dying to see what’s going on over here. You’ve been very mysterious lately.”

“I have not. You’re so dramatic.” I scoff.

She waves a hand. “At least now I can match faces to the names when you talk about Max and Caroline.”

“Yep. That’s a bonus,” I say, guiding her toward the foyer. Max is still talking in the background.

“Tell Max thanks for having me. And make sure to let him know that you rushed me out before I could say it myself.”

“You got it.” I tick the points off on my fingers. “Thank you and rushed. Noted. Bye, Mom.”

She zips her coat and hugs me again. “Bye, love. Don’t be a stranger.”

I close the door behind her and return to the living room just as Max ends his call.

“How’s your family?”

“They’re good,” he says, smiling. “Did your mom head out?”

“Yeah, she wanted me to thank you for having her over today.”

“Oh, of course. She’s welcome anytime.” He rises from the couch, slipping his phone into his back pocket. Caroline is snuggled against his chest.

“If you don’t mind,” he says, “I’d like to do bedtime tonight. I want to read herThe Night Before Christmas. My mom used to read it to me and Olivia every Christmas Eve… which I know was yesterday, but she reminded me about it just now, and I felt bad I forgot. Thankfully, Caroline’s not old enough to call me out on being a day late.”

“Nope. She hasn’t mastered the concept of time yet,” I say with a soft smile. I step forward and squeeze Caroline’s hand gently. “Good night, Care Bear. Love you.” I press a kiss on her cheek before Max disappears down the hallway.

I busy myself around the house, picking up stray items from our fun day. The urge to sneak upstairs and stand outside Caroline’s door just to hear Max reading to her is strong. I know the experience would break my willpower. It would turn me feral.

And I hate that word—feral. I used to roll my eyes when my friends said it about a guy. I thought it was silly. What are we? Animals? But oh-em-gee, do I get it now. I’msoferal for Max, and it’s ruining my entire day. Feeling him inside me is all I can think about. It’s a problem. A big one. One I need to figure out—soon.

It’s far too early for bed, but I decide my best bet is to retreat to my room and… take care of myself. Tossing the throw blanket into the basket beside the sofa, I turn to leave—only to find Max standing there.

“That was quick,” I say, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

“Yeah, I didn’t get halfway through the book, and she was out. Busy day.”

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