Page 68 of Under the Mistletoe
“Fiction.”
Again, silence.
“So you want to stay in that small town for a man who spends his day playing make-believe?” Her tone had shifted from cool to a little hostile.
“I like fiction. Besides, my job is here, and he doesn’t even live here. His cabin is…” How did she not know where he lived? “North.”
“North? Meaning Marquette or Manitoba?”
How did she not know this? “Well, he isn’t Canadian.”
Her mother’s tone flattened. “And is he willing to leavenorthif your job moves you back to Detroit?”
Devin really regretted making that late-night call to her mom about now. But it did answer the question of whether her mom ever got her voicemails. Why did it hurt more to know that she did? Maybe because she’d never answered one of them. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Figure it out? It sounds like you’re diving into a relationship without any forethought or planning. Have you kissed him yet?” When she didn’t answer, her mom pressed on. “Have you told him you loved him?”
“Mom!” She hadn’t been able to keep her tone calm on that one. “I am twenty-six years old. I can make these decisions on my own.”
Her mother was silent for a long time. “I know. But you do realize that you tend to jump without thinking through the ramifications.”
Because she was a fire starter. “I know I make decisions fast, but it doesn’t mean they’re wrong.”
“I didn’t say it was wrong.” Her mom released a sigh as if calming herself. “I just worry about you. You snatched up the job in Detroit, then had to scramble to find housing. You jumped at the job up there in Heritage, and now you’re trying to find a way to keep the job. My guess is that the reason you’ve been so busy is because you’ve planned more than you have time to do this Christmas.”
“It’s better than not doing anything for Christmas.” Her voice rose, and she pressed her lips together, then sat on the bed and massaged her temple. When her mom remained quiet, she calmed her voice. “Sorry. You were saying how I overplan and underdeliver.”
She stood and walked over to her dresser and fingered the gingerbread house charm. The worst part was her mom wasn’t wrong. If people hadn’t stepped in, she would have fallen on her face.
Her mom’s voice calmed a bit too. “I’m saying when it comes to deciding who you will marry, maybe you need to put more consideration into how your lives fit together before you give him your heart.”
Maybe the fire analogy didn’t really work with relationships. That was something she needed not only to start but to maintain. Were they jumping into everything too quickly?
“It’s our first date.” The barking at the front door meant Logan had probably arrived. “And he’s here, so I need to go.”
“I can hear it in your voice. You’ve already fallen for him. I am saying, planning and preparation go a long way. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know, but I have to go right now. I love you.”
“And I love you.” A beat. Finally, a sigh came over the line. “We look forward to seeing you at Christmas.” With that, her mom was gone.
Just a few minutes ago, she’d been reliving that kiss, eager for a repeat, and now all she could think of was the fact she didn’t even know where he lived.
Devin walked to her closet and dug around until she pulled out her pair of UGGs. She slipped them on, then pulled on Jess’s ski coat and hurried down the stairs. Logan was talking to Jess, who was dressed as an elf and standing by the front door. When he spotted Devin, a smile stretched full across his face.
Jess sent her a teasing look. “You two have fun. I’m off to open Santa’s Workshop for a couple hours.”
“How are supplies? Do I need to order more?” Why was she so nervous all of a sudden? “Maybe I should go help.”
Jess’s brow wrinkled, then she nodded in Logan’s direction. “First of all, not a chance. And second, I told you I was taking over the store, not helping. So hands off.”
She sent Devin a wink, then motioned to all her layers. “Besides, you seem ready for something outdoors.”
Was she ready? For this date, definitely. But was she ready to dive headfirst into this relationship? Like it or not, her mom was right—there were a lot of pieces to figure out. Devin grabbed a pair of gloves by the door and shoved them in her pocket, then grabbed a hat. If she was going to look terrible on their first date, she might as well complete the look and be warm.
Hopefully, wherever they were headed provided a place for some talking. Because they probably needed to hash through a few things before they shared kiss number two.
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