Page 69 of How He Got the Girl
I shake my head adamantly. “You should check on your granny.”
“Is that what you want?” He meets my gaze again, asking—no, begging—me to change my mind.
Is being apart from him what I want? No. I want to be in his arms again. I want his hands in my hair, tugging me closer until my mouth meets his. But I can’t. Distance is good. Distance issafeuntil we’re able to talk things through.
TheChristmasEvecelebrationwith Mallory’s family feels natural. They don’t just make me feel included—they make me feel like I’m one of them. Aside from a few of the women in her family blushing or making a comment about how they loved my movie, I feel like a normal person here. Just like I do at my family gatherings.
It’s refreshing to have little bubbles of space where I’m not Griffin Reynolds the movie star, but just Griffin Reynolds the boy from Lover’s Grove, Tennessee.
A smile forms on my lips as I look at Granny sitting in a recliner, reading’Twas the Night Before Christmas. All the young children in Mallory’s family sit around her on the floor, listening to the story with wide-eyed wonder.
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” Granny finishes the last line and closes the book. All the kids groan as their parents pull them into their arms.
“It’s time to go to bed so Santa can come,” Mallory’s cousin says to his crying child.
Once all of her extended family has said their goodbyes and left, I walk over to the recliner, helping Granny up.
“Thank you for the honor of allowing me to read it.” Granny smiles at Mallory’s mom.
“We’re so happy to have y’all here and partaking in our family traditions.” Angie squeezes Granny’s hand.
“I’m going to make sure she gets situated in her room, then I’ll meet you upstairs,” I say to Mallory, hoping she understands I’m giving her time to get ready for bed without me in there.
“Sounds good. Good night, Granny.” She gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs.
“Night, man,” I say to Connor, who lifts a hand in return before trudging up the stairs.
“Don’t mind him.” Angie shakes her head. “I hope you sleep well.”
“You too.” I smile at her and Todd. “Thank you both for having us. Your hospitality doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Angie blushes at my words while Todd ushers her upstairs. “Come on, darling. We have an early morning ahead of us.”
I help Granny into her room, get her flannel nightgown and toiletries bag out of her suitcase, and hand them to her.
“Thanks, Griffie.” She pats my arm.
“Do you need help, uh—” How does one ask their grandmother if they need help undressing and putting on their pajamas without sounding weird?
“I can take off and put on clothes by myself, thank you very much.”
“Thank you, rehab,” I tease.
Granny wags her finger at me. “Get out of here before you see something you can’t unsee.”
She doesn’t need to tell me twice. I take a step back, running into the door and making her giggle. “Good night.” I leave the room and shut the door behind me before jogging up the stairs. When I reach Mallory’s room, I knock quietly,hoping her parents or brother won’t hear. “You good, Mal?”
“Yeah, you can come in.”
I gently open the door, letting myself inside. When I turn around, Mallory is standing on the opposite side of the room beside the bed, staring at me.
I take a tentative step toward her. “You okay, beautiful?”
She sucks in a deep breath, slowly releasing it through her mouth. “Since we’re being honest, I’m terrified.”
“Of what?” I look around, walking over to her wall of posters. “Me learning about your obsession with the Louisville Mustangs? I’m a die-hard fan of the Knoxville Fireflies, so I guess that makes us rivals.”
“I know.” The sadness in her tone has me questioning my playfulness.
