Page 115 of The Holiday Grump
“Case in point,” Holly confirmed.
Mom ushered us inside. “Now, let’s meet this new beau of yours.”
I realized Fredrik stood quietly at the end of the hallway, giving us space. His face looked friendly enough, but his arms hung awkwardly like he didn’t know what to do with them. I grabbed the closest limb and pulled him forward. “Mom, Dad, Holly… this is Fredrik Hagberg. He owns the bookstore in town.”
Everyone shook hands, and we advanced into the living room to meet Fredrik’s parents, Felicity, Kailee, and Grace. Fredrik thrust drinks into everyone’s hands, including one finger of gin for Kailee. Even my mom, who was usually atease, downed hers quickly. Nervous energy vibrated across the room.
“I can help you with your luggage and show you to your rooms,” Grace suggested to my parents in her hospitality voice. “Then I think it’s dinnertime.”
I’d never been more grateful for my friend. While I’d loved planning the party, baking, and preparing for it, I was not ready for this part. Flashbacks of dinner parties at the Alford mansion played on repeat in the back of my mind, reminding me of all the potential missteps, looming like land mines around me.
I told myself I was being irrational. This was family. There was no fancy social protocol or delicate pecking order I was supposed to adhere to.
But despite my best efforts to calm down, by the time we sat down for dinner, I was in knots. The conversation sounded stilted. Everyone was polite, but we were all practically strangers. What if they didn’t find anything in common? What if his parents hated mine, or the other way around?
Thankfully, the food was delicious, momentarily distracting me from my thoughts.
When it was time for dessert, Fredrik stood, groaning. “I apologize. I have a fractured rib, and I need to take my meds and do certain breathing exercises. Doctor’s orders. I’ll join you later.” He glanced at Felicity, then at me.
“Noelle can help you,” Felicity said, gathering dirty plates in the crook of her arm. “I need to heat the apple pie.”
I shot up and followed Fredrik down the hall into his bedroom.
CHAPTER 38
Noelle
Fredrik closed the door behind us, taking my shoulders. “Breathe. Relax.”
“Aren’t you the one supposed to be doing breathing exercises?”
“Yes. But I’m not as critical as you.” He fixed me with a concerned stare. “If you get any more anxious, you’ll self-combust during dessert. There’ll be little pieces of Noelle scattered across my sister’s apple pie, and she’ll be quite upset.”
He placed his fingers under my lower jaw, feeling my racing pulse.
So I was a little tense. “I want this to go well. Because if our families don’t get along?—”
“Then they don’t. Then we limit contact. But sofar, everyone’s fine.”
Everyone except me, I thought. I was the one making them uncomfortable. That was why he’d pulled me aside. I was failing, again.
“I’ve tried to hold my tongue so I don’t offend anyone or ruin anything.” I drew in a shuddering breath, gazing at him in panic. “But I’m still the problem.”
Maybe dating with benefits was the best I could ever have. A secret relationship with no public component. No families.
He held my face, leaning on me so we stumbled backward against the door. “Noelle. You have to hear me. I didn’t drag you away to tell you off. I brought you here so I could help you relax. I love you. I want you to feel at ease, especially with family. Especially at Christmas.” He sighed so loudly it was almost a growl. “What this Spencer guy did to you… I should have broken his jaw!”
“Are you saying you held back?”
The muscle in his jaw twitched. “I did. And I know hurting him won’t fix anything. But I still feel like I should have taken a proper swing.”
Sandwiched between the door and his warm body was my current favorite place in the universe. With every breath, I felt more grounded. Protected. And desired.
He leaned closer, still holding those fingers against the soft hollow of my neck, observing each heartbeat. My pulse was settling, but I wasn’t that mellow. His mouth hovered an inch above mine, and desire surged through me. We hadn’t had a moment alone since he’d found me in the bookstore. He’d fallen asleep upright, propped up with pillows and dosed with pain meds, and I’d stayed up late to prepare the next day’s party with Grace.
“You know this door is locked, right? And nobody is coming to find us.”
“How do you know?”
