Page 74 of Home for Christmas in July

“Really fine?” He cups my face in his hands and studies me.

“Better than fine,” I promise.

He drops a kiss on my nose. “Good.”

Delphina and Holly cruise by with sparklers in hand to pass out to the kids before the fireworks start. Holly seems to be weathering the aftermath of finding her dickweasel fiancé shagging his (and her) boss in a closet. But I’m keeping an eye on her, just in case.

“You know,” Nick muses, “it’s fitting that you testified today.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, hot librarians over Italian creeps.”

“I think you made up that last part, but your erudition is sexy.”

In response, he smothers me with kisses.

Of course, Griselda picks this precise moment to walk by and shake her head. “Don’t you twohavea room?”

“We don’t want to miss the fireworks,” Nick tells her. I wait for it. “But don’t worry, Grizzy, we’ll be making our own fireworks later, if you know what I mean.”

“Everyone knows what you mean, Nick.” She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling when she walks away.

“Speaking of the fireworks, it’s almost time.”

He nods, then he says, “We forgot to do three things at dinner.” His voice is strangled and weirdly high-pitched.

“I guess we did. What’s wrong with your voice?”

“Nothing,” he squeaks. Then he coughs and pitches his voice lower, “Nothing.”

“If you say so.”

“Let’s do it now while we wait for the fireworks. What’s one thing you’re grateful for?”

“That I got back to town in time to see the parade. You?”

“That I woke up to your beautiful face sleeping next to me and that I get to do it every day.”

Wow, okay. His is better than mine. I need to take it up a notch.

“One thing you regret?” he asks.

I think for a minute. “I regret that I tried to discourage you from joining the Lords of the Mountain. You’re sexy on your motorcycle, and I get a friends of the club discount from my ophthalmologist now. Win, win. You?”

“No regrets today.”

I narrow my eyes. “I thought you said that’s not allowed?”

He huffs. “Fine, I suppose I regret reporting my sister and her husband to their parole officer.”

“I knew it!” I poke him in the ribs, and he catches my hand between his.

“What are you going to do to make tomorrow a brighter day?”

I whisper in his ear. “I’ve been taking private lessons with Griselda. I’ve got something to show you involving that pole you had installed in the bedroom.”

“That sounds like a thing you’re going to do tonight.”

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