Page 68 of Fake It Till We Fall
I blew out a breath and, with the wooden box still on my lap, I reached over and took her hands in mine. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
She blinked slowly. “I think I know what this is about.”
“Wait.” I examined her. “You do?”
She nodded. “I notice more than you think, Harper.”
“So, you already know that I’ve decided to stay?”
Her mouth dropped open, telling me that she didn’t know that at all. “You’re…”
I nodded, unable to stop the smile from stretching over my face. “I’m staying in Trickle Creek,” I said. “I told Captain Howard I couldn’t take the job after all. I’m ready for a change.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. “You’re staying? Really?”
“I don’t know exactly what it looks like yet,” I said. “But I’m going to stay.”
“Oh, Harper.” Grandma pressed a hand to her mouth in an effort to stifle the sob. “This really is the best present I could ask for.”
I pulled her into another hug. When we pulled apart, I handed her a tissue to wipe her tears before taking one for myself. “Don’t say anything yet, okay? Grayson doesn’t know.”
“You didn’t tell him?”
I shook my head. “I wanted you to be the first to know. And…well, I’m not stayingforGrayson, Grandma. I’m staying because…” I closed my eyes for a second and blew out a breath. “I’m staying for me,” I said when I opened them again. “This is what I want. It feels right.”
She pressed her lips together, inhaled deeply, and nodded. “Itdoesfeel right. And I promise I won’t say anything.” She mimed the act of zipping her lips and locking them.
She looked so silly, I shook my head, laughing, before I remembered that earlier she’d thought she knew what I was going to tell her. “What did you think I was going to say? Earlier?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Grandma shrugged innocently. “The only thing that matters is that you’re staying. You’ve given me the best Christmas I can remember.”
Her words reminded me of the lie I’d been telling her and the reason why. The smile fell from my face. I dropped my head and looked at the recipe box still in my lap.
I let my hand slide back and forth on the top of the worn wood. “Grandma?” I said after a moment. “I need to know. How bad is it?”
She gave a little laugh, but it was too light. “What, dear?”
I gave her a look, and her smile faltered. “We’re not doing this today, Harper.”
“Grandma, I?—”
She reached out and patted my hand, her voice gentle. “It’s Christmas, Harper. We can talk about this later.”
I sighed. “You’ve been saying that since I got here, Grandma. I need to know.”
“And you will, sweetheart. Just not today. Today isn’t about that. Today is about joy and being together. We have so much to celebrate—even if I’m not allowed to mention it yet,” she added quickly. “Besides, we have a very big family dinner to get ready for, don’t we?”
The smile returned to her face, and I couldn’t bring myself to push any harder. She was right; there’d be time to discuss the details later.
Especially because I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what I heard.
Grayson
Brody’s kitchenwas in chaos, which meant it was just like every other holiday I could remember. Ethan stood at the counter, mashing potatoes with a precision and dedication to detail that made Delaney laugh as she pointed out all the nonexistent lumps.
Reid carved the turkey and threatened to stab Preston if he tried one more time to sneak a piece off the tray, and Brody piled fresh buns on a platter.
With nothing left for me to do, I poured myself a beer and leaned back against the counter.
