Page 32 of Jingle Bell Jilt
“You’re being a bit dramatic, Maryeshayne, don’t you think?”
“Not if it means you stop thinking that what’s his face and I will get back together.”
“You can use his name, Sweetheart.”
The door opens and Evan comes in carrying a few Walmart bags and several pizza boxes in differing sizes. He sets them on the counter.
I release a breath. It’s probably good I didn’t call her this morning. I’m not sure I would’ve remained this calm after the flood incident. But craft therapy, and maybe even Evan, has helped my mood. “Hey, mom. I need to go. The pizza guy is here.” I wink at him, hoping he doesn’t mind me calling him that.
“You’re having pizza for dinner?”
“Yep. And it’s going to get cold if I keep him waiting.” I stand up and walk to the counter. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Mom. Love you.” I disconnect the call as I hear her say she loves me too.
I set my phone down and push it to the side. “It smells delicious.”
He tips his head. “Is that how you think of me? I’m just the pizza guy?” He shakes his head, a disappointed look on his face.
“Sorry. It was my mom.”
He nods. “And she doesn’t know about this?” He swirls his finger around in the air.
I shake my head. “No. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t approve of any ofthis.” I repeat the finger motion. “She didn’t want me to come on this trip in the first place. She said it was ‘bad form.’”
“She didn’t think that paying for your vacation was the least your fiancé could do for you?” He folds his arms, placing the Walmart bags mostly behind his back, and leans his hip against the counter.
I straighten up. “Why does everyone keep saying that? Nathan isn’t paying for anything. This entire honeymoon, except the rental car—whichheremembered to cancel—is on my credit cards, not his. I’m the one who loses the money if no one comes. So why should I not come and enjoy what I paid for?”
Evan’s mouth is hanging open like a rainbow trout. “You paid for all of this? I knew your credit card paid for the house, but—,” he trails off.
I nod. “Yep. My money was supposed to be his money and his money was my money once we were married, so what did it matter which credit card we used?” I can hear the irritation in my voice. Although, I’m not sure why. So far this has been one of the best Christmas Eve’s in recent history.
He swallows, running a hand through his hair. “He’s such a tool,” he murmurs. He glances up like he might have just offended me.
I shrug, but Evan has definitely moved up a few notches in my opinion. I rub my hands together. “Now, about this pizza. It smells delicious.”
He grins, but he also looks at me with something like pity. I hate pity looks. It was one of the worst parts about announcing to everyone that there wasn’t going to be a wedding. Not that they hadn’t figured it out on their own by that time. I mean, what groom is two hours late to their wedding with no word?
Evan holds up the bags but not enough for me to see anything that’s in them. Dang Walmart and their gray bags. “Let me just put these in my room.” He doesn’t wait for my reply before he dashes up the stairs.
I rummage around for the receipt, but I can’t find it. I’m certain this wasn’t the cheap kind of pizza, and I want to make sure to reimburse him. I lift up all the boxes, but can’t find it. Instead, I open the first box and peer inside. Just cheese. That’s a safe bet.
He’s back before I have a chance to open all the boxes. The smell of pizza fills the room and my stomach growls loudly.
He grins at me. “I think I heard a bear.” He looks over his shoulder, which I promptly smack with my hand.
“If you hadn’t taken so long picking it up, my stomach wouldn’t be doing a bear imitation.”
He pushes an aluminum foil bundle forward. “Don’t forget the garlic bread.”
“Mmmm. Pizza isn’t pizza without garlic bread.”
We load up paper plates that he had grabbed from the closet under the stairs and head for the couch.
“What did your mom have to say?” He asks.
I wave a hand in front of my face. “Oh, you know. The usual.”
He shakes his head, his brow furrowed. “Nope. I don’t know what the usual is. It’s been a while since I had one of those conversations. But I would guess a guy’s chat with his mom would be different than a girl’s, anyway.”
