Page 70 of A Very Merry Mistake

Claire lets out an adorable laugh and interlocks her fingers with mine as she looks at me. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She stands on her tiptoes and kisses me, and for a brief moment, everything in the room completely fades away.

Lacy clears her throat, and Claire apologizes, but she doesn’t mean it.

“Why are you still stopping by my parents’ house?” There is no reason for her to do so, not when we live on the outskirts of town.

“I found a few pictures of us together and know how much your mama loves keepsakes, so I wanted to gift it to her.”

I shake my head, my brows furrowing, wondering if she thinks I’m fucking stupid. “Stop whatever it is you’re doing.”

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Claire steps forward and grabs the food from Lacy’s hand, then struts to the kitchen. She sets it on the island and pulls the containers from the bag. “Ooh, this smells delicious. Your mom packed enough for us both. I just love her.”

I glance at her and then back over to Lacy, who looks like she’s chewing rocks. When we were together, I saw that look many times.

“Anything else?” I ask, standing my ground. Tinsel jumps off the back of the couch and saunters toward Lacy. As soon as she’s close, she hisses.

“It’s okay, baby.”

“You still have that stupid cat?”

I suck in a deep breath, remembering how much Lacy hated her. The feeling was mutual, though.

“I think it’s time for you to go,” Claire says from the kitchen. She wipes her hands on a dishrag, walks past me, and places her hand on Lacy’s shoulder. “Thanks for stopping by.”

Lacy looks at me over her shoulder as Claire gently guides her to the door.

“Do I owe you a tip?” Claire asks with great sincerity.

“Excuse me?”

I’ve never seen Lacy look so offended in my life.

“For the food delivery.”

When Lacy lets out a huff, Claire shrugs and then slams the door in her face. Before walking away, she locks the deadbolt.

My mouth falls open. I think I’m in shock.

“Some people can’t take hints, can they?” Claire moves toward me, wrapping her arms around the back of my neck.

I place my hands on her hips, pulling her against me, then I fall into a fit of laughter. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Your boundaries deserve to be respected, Jake.”

“No one has ever stood up to her before. Not her parents. Not mine. Not me.”

She lifts onto her tiptoes and places a kiss on my nose. “And that ends now.”

Tinsel rubs her body on the back of my leg and then does the same to Claire. “I think she approves,” I say.

“Finally. Especially after the day we’ve had together.” Claire bends down and pets her head with the back of her hand, then scratches under her chin. “You might turn me into a cat lady,” she tells her sweetly.

Tinsel nips at her and then runs off.

“That’s her way of saying she likes you.” I kiss the soft skin on her neck, then add a little pressure with my teeth.

---