Page 4 of A Merry Irish Christmas
‘Or poets of us all?’
‘Same thing?’
Mary laughed.
‘The point is, it’s from another time. Before he met you.’
‘Yes, exactly. He’s moved on.’ Had he, though? A niggling voice in her head reminded her of his meltdown when he’d heard Juanita was getting married.
‘And so has she,’ Gina said firmly. ‘Isn’t her wedding soon?’
‘Yeah, on Christmas Eve.’ Mary rolled her eyes.
‘That’s such a dick move, making Christmas all about her.’
‘And I can’t believe she invited Greg. That’s just cruel.’ Greg claimed he and Juanita were still friends and there was nothing weird about the invitation. But Mary didn’t think someone who really cared about Greg would want to rub his nose in it like that. ‘I think she likes the idea of Greg still pining for her, even when she’s marrying someone else and clearly not pining for him.’
‘She sounds like a right narcissist.’
‘At least he had enough self-respect to say no. And when we get back from Maine, Juanita will be a married woman and the ghost of that particular girlfriend past will be laid to rest once and for all.’ It was another reason Mary was happy to go to Greg’s family with him for Christmas. There’d be no chance of him relapsing and sneaking off to Juanita’s wedding at the last minute. He’d finally have closure and they could have a fresh start in the new year. What did it say about their relationship, though, that she felt he needed policing like that? She dismissed the thought with a shake of her head. Of course he didn’t – she was being paranoid.
‘I just hope his parents like me.’
‘Of course they will. What’s not to like? Besides, you’re with Greg. They’ll automatically love you for seeing how awesome their precious son is.’
2
‘So, I got your parents a gourmet gift hamper,’ she told Greg that evening when they were curled up on the sofa after dinner at his place. ‘Very unoriginal, I know, but I hope they like it.’
‘They’ll love it. I told you, you don’t have to worry so much about it.’ He put an arm around her. ‘They’ll love anything you give them. And they’ll love you.’
Mary laid her head on his shoulder and smiled, feeling she’d made all the right decisions – not just about what gift to get his parents, but about going home with him for the holiday. It was the right thing to do – the grown-up, mature thing. ‘I’m really looking forward to meeting them,’ she said, finding to her surprise that it was true. ‘And to seeing Ellen again.’ She’d met Greg’s sister a couple of times when she’d come to New York on business and they’d gone out for dinner together.
‘I really appreciate you coming with me,’ Greg said, his fingers lightly playing with her hair. ‘I know I haven’t always been a great boyfriend this year.’
Mary automatically lifted her head and opened her mouth to protest, but Greg cut her off with: ‘Come on, we both know it’strue. You’ve been incredibly patient and understanding, and I just want you to know how much it means to me that you stuck by me through it all.’
‘Of course.’ Mary felt a warm glow. It was true he’d put her through some rough times over the past year when she’d seriously questioned whether the relationship was worth it. But it was good to hear that he wasn’t oblivious and knew it hadn’t been easy for her. ‘But it’s nice to hear, so thank you.’ She gave him a quick kiss on his jawline, more certain than ever that she’d done the right thing toughing it out with him. What they had was good and it felt right. It had been rocky at times, but they’d come through it and it was all going to pay off in the long run.
‘I’ve been an ass. You’re my rock and I don’t deserve you. But I promise I’ll make it up to you and do better in the new year. I thought we could take a vacation in Ireland in the summer, when we have time to do it properly – if you’d like to, that is. We can visit your folks and you can show me around all the hotspots.’
‘I’d love that.’ She put her arms around him, snuggling closer, and gave him a squeeze, already excited at the prospect of planning the trip.
‘And maybe next year we could think about moving in together. How would you feel about that?’
Mary pulled back to study his face. This was so unexpected, but he looked completely serious.
‘Here?’
He nodded. ‘I know it would be hard for you to give up the cubbyhole,’ he said with a wry smile. It was what Mary’s father had dubbed her tiny studio apartment. Greg had been hugely amused by it and had adopted it himself. ‘But I don’t think there’d be room for the two of us there.’
‘Wow, this is… a lot!’ Greg’s apartment was far more spacious than hers, boasting such luxuries as a separate bedroom and a kitchen that could accommodate two people at a time, so it made sense. But she couldn’t help feeling a pang at the thought of giving up her cubbyhole.
‘It’s something to think about anyway,’ he said, seeming to sense her hesitation.
‘No, it’d be great.’ She didn’t want him to think she was rejecting the idea. ‘It’s just a surprise, that’s all. I had no idea you were thinking about that.’
‘Like I said, there’s no rush.’
