Page 35 of Silver Hills' Christmas Miracle

“Shit.” I picked up my glass.

“Don’t worry.” Melanie smiled. “Your secret is safe with me if you tell me why you look so down in the dumps. Surely, this is a good thing.”

“It is,” I agreed. “But I have some… reservations.”

“About her?”

“No, no. About me.”

“Ahh, men. You always make things more complicated than you need to.”

“Oh, really?” I drained about half my glass. “Okay, consider the facts. I’m employed by her father, who is also a friend. I’m in charge of her. I’m a lot older than her. She’s in the fun years of her life, and I’m in the quiet ones.”

“And?” Melanie shrugged. “Nothing you listed strikes me as a problem.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course! Look. Kitty is a smart woman. Don’t you think she’s also aware of these things? And she clearly doesn’t care. Or they’re part of the things that excite her. Who knows? Eitherway, she made her choice, and if you’re not careful, you’ll talk yourself out of making your own.”

“And what if, when we strip all of that away, she doesn’t like the me that’s underneath?”

“That’s part of the thrill, isn’t it?” Melanie tilted her head to the side. “Being vulnerable with someone. Peeling back the layers so that the real us is exposed. I promise you, Kitty has the same concerns. You just need to get out of your comfort zone a little and trust one another.”

“A little hard to do, given the circumstances,” I pointed out and drained the rest of my glass.

“Well, with that attitude, sure. Look, you have to do the most cliché, obvious thing. If you can survive that, then you’ll be fine.”

I set the glass down and eyed Melanie as she straightened up. “And what is that?”

“You don’t know?” Melanie took my glass and smiled. “Take her on a date, silly.”

15

KITTY

Seated at the bar, I drum my fingers against the wood while watching Melanie busy herself with something out of sight. She’d called me yesterday after dress shopping and told me she needed a girls’ night, so I had come here all dressed up in a knitted dress, ready to drink pink drinks and forget about the stress of life with my father for a night.

Only, ever since I arrived, Melanie has beenbusydoing something else. Even Rook stepped away to use the bathroom and hadn’t come back.

“Honestly, what are you even doing? Digging to Australia?”

Melanie’s head snapped up, and she leaned through the doorway. “I want you to remember that comment when I’m finished, okay?” she remarked, pointing one long finger at me. “Just remember that.”

“Why, are youactuallygoing to Australia! Oh, my God, arewegoing to Australia?”

“No!” Melanie snorted. “Now you’re thinking too big.”

“Austria?”

“Girl, no. We’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh.” I whined softly and slumped in my seat. “So you’re just going to leave me here drinking by myself all night?”

“Not all night.” Melanie ducked back through the door and continued to work with only her back visible. Occasionally, an elbow would flash through the door, but that was all. I toyed with the stem of my champagne glass and watched the bubbles rise up to fizz along the rim. This was quickly becoming the opposite of what I had planned for tonight.

“Ready?” Rook appeared back at my side, and I groaned.

“No.”

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