Page 44 of Holiday Hopefuls
My hands take on a life of their own as they secure themselves around his neck. Returning the soft urgency in his kiss, I hold Oliver flush to me.
“When I pictured you dating my brother, I didn’t really imagine you two kissing in our parents’ kitchen. You know, where all the food is.” Blythe’s voice sounds from behind, startling me.
Heat rushes to my cheeks while my fake boyfriend looks cool as a cucumber. Clearly, his heart rate has maintained its normal pace.
How annoying.
Clearing my throat, I try to achieve some kind of equilibrium in my overstimulated nervous system. “So, Blythe, is Ian being nice?”
Oliver’s sister freezes for the smallest moment, hands full of cutlery headed to the table. “Huh? Oh, yep. He’s a great neighbor.”
“Good, I’d hate to have to tell his mother on him,” I joke.
Oliver raises a quizzical brow. “You know Ian’s parents?”
Blythe whirls around to face her brother. “You know Ian?”
My fake boyfriend’s brow furrows. “He’s Callie’s best friend. How do you know him?” Oliver squints at Blythe through powdered sugar-covered glasses that may or may not be fogged up from our kiss.
Awkward laughter bubbles from his sister as she nods. “Uh, right. Right. Well?—”
“Let’s eat,” Marshall calls from the table.
Nacho barks in enthusiastic agreement, settling right by Mr. Rhodes’ seat at the table. If there was ever any doubt about who feeds her from the table, there sure isn’t anymore.
Blythe hurries to the table without another word while I shoot Oliver a questioning look. Holding out my hand, he wastes no time taking it and leading us to the table of my domestic dreams.
Only when everyone has more than enough to feed no less than six hobbits and I’ve heard countless stories about Oliver growing up, do I sit back from the table. The deepest ache in my heart constricts my chest, knowing that I certainly got the easy end of this deal with the man sitting beside me. I’ve spent the afternoon experiencing the warmth and kindness of a family who clearly adores him.
Oliver, on the other hand, gets to enter the middle of a storm that’s been brewing for twenty-seven years.
Sandra Rhodes, an astute woman, looks down the table to me. A loving smile waits on her kind face. “Callie, what do you think? Wanna come back again next year? Because I think I speak for everyone here when I say we’d love to have you.”
A chorus of agreement sounds from everyone in the room. Even Nacho.
A genuine smile spreads across my face as I take in the family surrounding me. Each one is filled with so much joy and unconditional love for the others that it’s almost difficult to believe this kind of a family exists outside of dreams. Looking back at the mother I wish was my own, I answer honestly, “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
“Speaking of,” Oliver glances at his watch, “time to face the wolves.”
9
Oliver
Callie walks into my apartment with me to drop off Nacho, and I immediately wish I’d thought to clean up this morning. Not that I’m messy or anything, but you think about things from a different perspective when a beautiful woman is suddenly in your place for the first time.
Only time, I remind myself.
Following Nacho and I through the door, Callie takes timid steps inside and closes the door behind her. The overwhelming silence as I fill Nacho’s bowl with food in the open kitchen isn’t encouraging.
“What do you think?” I finally dare to ask.
Callie looks around as if she hadn’t thought to do so until now. Nodding, she says, “It’s pretty modern.”
A smirk slides into place. “You mean cold?”
“That’s not what I said.” Those large brown eyes meet mine. “Did it come furnished?”
“But that’s what you meant,” I say, ignoring her question.
