Page 14 of My Knight Before Christmas
“Your flattery will get you everywhere,” I teased. It was a huge reason why I finally agreed to this date.
He briefly glanced over at me. “I’ll remember that.”
I cleared my throat. “How long have you been home from Minnesota?”
His head bobbed side to side. “Just over three weeks.”
I sucked in a breath. For some reason, I assumed it had been longer. “So, Spencer’s party was your first week back?”
“The end of it, yeah.” He nodded. “I interviewed Spencer over the phone while I was at Gram’s. I arranged for us to do a second interview the first day back in the office.”
“And you offered him the job by the weekend?”
He turned down a side-street. “Actually, as he was leaving I told him the job was his. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
When Liam said fate brought us together, he meant it. I’ve never believed in such nonsense before. I may reconsider. What were the odds that days after coming home, we’d see one another again?
“Spencer’s a great guy,” I said. “You’ll have fun working together.”
He turned onto the main road leading out of my subdivision. “I’m sure we will. But I don’t want to talk about co-workers anymore. What were you up to while I was gone?”
Oh, you know. Getting my heart broken. Dating losers. Watching too much TV. Eating enough chocolate to feed a town. “Working. Meg’s been really pushing me to take on the role of manager in her absence.”
“Are you ready for the extra customers at the bakery?”
“I guess?” I put both hands out, palm side up. “I’ve also…” I gazed at the buildings we passed out my window, turning away from him. “Been dating,” I whispered.
“Oh.”
I whipped my head toward him at his dejected tone. One point for me for making things awkward. Why hadn’t I kept my mouth shut? Trying to reassure him, I said, “Can I just say how many weirdos are out there? It’s a shock you, Spencer, and Lucas were on the dating app.”
His lips pulled up on one side, like he wanted to smile but didn’t know if he should. “I’m trying not to take offense to that.”
“You shouldn’t.” I bravely reached over and touched his forearm. A zing shot up my arm. “I meant it as a compliment. Also, the ten minutes we’ve been in the car is already the best date I’ve had in the past two months.”
“Well.” He smirked. “Maybe we should call it a night, then? End things on a high?”
I laughed. Ten minutes would not be enough. “But what about my surprise?”
“You said you didn’t mind waiting.”
Touché. “That’s when I knew I would receive it tonight.”
He tapped the steering wheel. Eventually, he sighed. “Fine. But only because everything is ready anyway.”
“Wow, way to really sell it there.”
He grinned. “Nothing but the best for My Avery.”
My Avery?My heart flipped like a gymnast doing a back handspring. I reeled it back in before it could get too many ideas, like a future with Liam.
“How is your sister doing?” I asked to distract my tumbling heart. “I remember you saying she was close with your grandma, too.”
He rubbed a palm down the side of his face. “My Grams left her more money than everyone else, besides me, and my mom isn’t taking it well. She feels like she deserves more even though she hasn’t been involved in Gram’s life the last ten years. After I left for college, it seemed their reason for talking every day vanished.
“Chloe moved in with Grams when she turned eighteen and has been there ever since. Her passing has been really hard on her.”
I reached a hand over, squeezed his muscled shoulder, then dropped my hand back in my lap. “I’m so sorry. Where is Chloe moving to if you’re selling the house?”
