Page 25 of Christmas with My Ruthless CEO
"Well," she says finally, "that's a complicated question, Emma."
"Why?" Ethan pipes up. "You either are, or you aren't."
Out of the mouths of babes. I clear my throat, making a split-second decision. "You're right, it should be simple." I look directly at Sloane. "I'd say we're... figuring it out."
Her eyes widen slightly, but the smile that spreads across her face is worth any discomfort. "That's a good way to put it."
"See?" Emma says triumphantly to her brother. "Figuring it out. Like a puzzle."
"I'm good at puzzles," Ethan declares, crisis apparently averted in his four-year-old mind.
The adults laugh, tension broken, and the conversation shifts to safer topics, the upcoming winter festival, the children's holiday pageant, the charity auction next week.
As lunch winds down, Mindy corrals the twins for a bathroom trip, leaving Levi, Sloane, and me at the table.
"For what it's worth," Levi says once his family is out of earshot, "I think you're good for each other."
Sloane blinks in surprise. "That obvious, huh?"
"To anyone with eyes." He takes a sip of his coffee. "Look, Morgan, I've known Sloane since she was stealing apples from my family's orchard at age ten."
"I paid you back," Sloane interjects. "Eventually."
"My point is," Levi continues, "she's one of the best people in this town. She believes in you, in what you're trying to do here. That counts for a lot with me."
I'm not used to such straightforward conversations about personal matters, especially from someone who was a business adversary mere days ago. But there's something refreshing about the lack of corporate politics, the absence of hidden agendas.
"I appreciate that," I say simply. "And I don't take her faith lightly."
"Good." He nods, apparently satisfied. "Because if you hurt her, corporate merger or not, this town will make your life very difficult."
"I believe it," I reply, respecting his loyalty.
"And on that threatening note," Sloane says brightly as Mindy returns with the twins, "who's ready for dessert?"
The rest of lunch passes pleasantly, and by the time we step back onto the snow-covered sidewalk, I feel like I've passed some unspoken test. Levi's handshake is warmer as we part ways, and Mindy insists we join them for dinner sometime next week.
As we walk back toward the HQ building, snowflakes begin to fall again, dusting Sloane's hair with tiny crystals that catch the afternoon light.
"That went well," she observes, voice light. "'Figuring it out,' huh?"
"Too much?" I wonder, suddenly unsure.
"No." She reaches for my hand, linking our fingers together publicly for the first time. "It was perfect."
I stop us beneath the town's massive Christmas tree, its lights twinkling even in the daylight. "Sloane," I begin, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. "About tonight...”
"Dinner with your mother?" she guesses. "I'm actually looking forward to it."
"You shouldn't be," I warn. "She'll be insufferable once she confirms her suspicions about us."
"Let her." Sloane steps closer, snow falling around us like we're in our own private snow globe. "I can handle Vivienne Morgan."
"I know you can." It's one of the countless things I admire about her, her fearlessness, her ability to face any situation with confidence and grace.
She studies my face, reading the concern there. "What is it? What's really bothering you?"
I exhale slowly, watching my breath cloud between us. "This is all happening so fast. Not that I'm complaining, but... twenty-four hours ago we were still pretending there was nothing between us, and now we're holding hands in public and having dinner with my mother."
