Page 94 of The Merry Matchmaker

“Oh, stop,” she told herself. “Go to sleep.”

She and Mitch would catch up the next day after all the festivities. As for her mother...mother knew best, right?

True to her word, Adele was already at the shop the next morning and making cider for their Santa Walk customers in the electric hot pot in the back room when Frankie arrived. She didn’t turn around when Frankie walked in.

Frankie suddenly found herself at a loss for how to start this conversation.Did you sleep well?Uh, no.How long has this been going on?Too accusatory. This was more awkward than she’d thought it would be.

She didn’t have to say anything. Adele launched them into it. “I love him,” she said softly, still not looking Frankie’s way. “And he loves me.”

That said it all. Frankie put an arm around her shoulder. Just like Mr. Bellagamba had done the night before. “I’m glad, Mom.”

Adele finally looked at her, her brows pulled together. “Are you really?”

“Of course. You deserve to be happy. But why didn’t you tell me?”

Adele let out a sigh. “I worried that maybe you’d think I was being disloyal to your father.”

“This from the woman who’s been telling me that Ike would want me to move on?”

“Doesn’t make sense, does it? Do as I say, not as I do.”

“So, you thought I’d be mad.”

“I wasn’t sure. I was waiting for the right time to tell you girls.”

Frankie frowned. “When you first started seeing him would have been the right time.”

Adele nodded. “I know. I thought we were going to be friends at first. But then, things changed. He’s such a lovely man. And I am going to marry him. We’re not just fooling around. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I have a lot of good years left in me, and I don’t want to spend them alone.”

“And you shouldn’t,” Frankie said, and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I want you to be happy, Mom.”

“I am. Can you say the same thing?”

“Of course I can,” Frankie said, blocking out the memory of her sour attitude from the night before.

“Don’t wait as long as I did to let your heart be happy, daughter dear. The joy far outweighs the risk.”

Did it? Did she really want to risk starting a life with a new man only to lose him?

“I’m glad to see you joyful,” Frankie said, “but make sure Mr. Bellagamba knows that his kids have to share you two on the holidays.”

Adele smiled. “They’ve all scattered to the wind, and none of them are making it back for Christmas. He’s looking forward to your open house.”

“Good. I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.”

Adele hesitated, then asked, “Have you told Stef?”

“Did I tattle?” Frankie translated. “No. I’ll let you tell her.”

“Thank you. Mario and I will tell her on Christmas Eve.”

“Mario? Like the game?”

Adele shrugged. “He saves the princess, right? Well, this Mario saved me.”

So sweet, so romantic!That comment deserved a hug.

Then it was time to put the mini candy canes and chocolate Santas in the big bowl they used for downtown trick-or-treating and open the shop. It would be just the two of them in charge as Elinor would be busy being Mrs. Claus, and Natalie had the day off to be with her family.

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