Page 70 of Can't Get Over You
Here it comes. The invitation I’ve dreamed of getting since I was a teenager.She had pictures on her vision board of candlelit homes, a grand Christmas tree laden with glittering ornaments, guests dressed up in holiday outfits—the women insparkling jewels, the men in sweaters and slacks—and a buffet table crowded with festive platters.
Just when Mrs. Atherton started to extend her arm, a motorcycle roared up the street, and the woman froze.
The envelope hung between them. Not close enough for Finlay to take it.
The woman glanced around, as if making sure there were no kids for the rider to mow down. But it was Jude, and he’d never be that careless. After parking in the driveway, he got off the bike and set the helmet on the seat.
She had to make a split-second decision to either address the fiancé switcheroo or ignore it.But with Cody’s safety at stake, she had to keep up the fake engagement. “Hey, honey. Come over and say hello.”
He sauntered over, cutting across the snow-covered lawn, and just stared the woman down.
Not the time to scare the neighbors, honey. “Mrs. Atherton, this is?—”
“I know Mr. McKenna.” The woman’s mask of politeness turned brittle.
Clearly, this woman had a history with Jude. Well, Finlay wouldn’t allow him to feel unwelcome over something he’d done as a child. She slid an arm through his and drew him up close. “He’s my fiancé.”
For the first time, Finlay understood the expressionthe color drained from her face.
“I see.” The woman lowered her arm. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair and let you settle in.” With that, she turned and walked away, taking the envelope with her.
“What was that about?” Jude asked.
“She was just welcoming us to the neighborhood.” She hurried back to the garage, her eyes stinging.
Jude followed her, hitting the remote to close the door and plunging them into darkness. She was about to head into the kitchen when his deep voice issued a command. “Hold up.”
She kept her back to him. He didn’t need to see how upset she was.
“Let me explain. A bunch of us went to the bonfire out at the Anderson’s farm back when they hosted them for the Fourth of July. We had no business being there, and her son let us know that. He and Marco got into a fight. I wasn’t part of it. I’m not the reason her son went to the hospital.”
“No, Jude.” He’d gotten it all wrong, but he didn’t need to know he’d cost her that invitation. She turned to face him, his features harsh in the dim light. “I’m not angry with you. Not at all.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Look, if this is going to work, if we’re going tolivetogether, then we have to be honest. Besides, I can read you like a book.”
“It’s too dark in here to see anything.” That wasn’t entirely true. Light came from the bottom of the garage door.
“I see you. I always see you. Now, tell me what’s wrong.”
Oh, that was really sweet. And had he moved closer? She didn’t think so, but it felt like he was crowding her against the door. “I’ve done a really stupid thing, and now I’m dealing with the consequences.”
“Meaning?”
“Well, I mean, two days ago, I was living here with Matt, and now, I’m here with a different guy and a little boy. How do I explain it?”
He gave a curt nod, as if to say,I can fix that. “We don’t have to live together to be engaged. Cody and I can stay with my dad.”
No, she wanted them there with her. She wanted her house to smell of pine from a freshly cut tree and warm, baking cookies.She wanted to hear laughter coming from another room while she wrapped presents. But also, his idea wouldn’t work. “Your dad lives too far away, especially in winter. I’d hate for Cody to miss more school when it’s so important to him.”
“I’ll do whatever’s best for you. I don’t want to embarrass you in your new neighborhood.”
“I think we have to remember why we’re doing this.” Especially since, after the way that woman had treated Jude, Finlay’s interest in making friends had dropped several notches. “The only thing that matters is Cody, and as long as we give him the best Christmas, I don’t care what they think of me.”
“You might not feel that way after we move out. They’re going to be your neighbors for the rest of your life, and we’ll be long gone.”
