Page 57 of Silver Hills' Christmas Miracle

“Dad—”

“Do you understand me?”

I couldn’t answer.

24

ROOK

Isat in my car outside the Morgan manor for longer than I should have. Kitty’s mother had been furious and I could only guess to her father’s reaction. Samuel used to be a level-headed man, but everything I had seen of him these days proved that was in the past. His focus was elsewhere, and I could paint a hundred different scenarios in which Kitty and my being together in any capacity would be bad for him.

Selfish prick.

Driving away didn’t feel like the right thing to do because I didn’t want Kitty to be alone. I wasn’t allowed on the property, so parking as close as I could was my only option. Every single notification that came through my phone made my heart jump as I hoped each time that it was a message from Kitty.

Nothing came through.

I couldn’t think of anything to say to her, either. I wanted to tell her that it would be alright, but I didn’t know that for sure. I didn’t know the depth of her feelings or if this would be the thing that ended our relationship. I had nothing to offer her as reassurance until I knew where she stood. So, all I could do was sit and wait.

Time ticked by slowly, and I didn’t leave the manor until the lights started going out. With any luck, Kitty was getting some sleep and I would hear from her tomorrow.

With nowhere to go, my driving brought me right back to The Anchor. It was late by the time I rolled into the parking lot, and while the bar was winding down for the night, there was still enough activity to justify my popping in. As soon as I walked through the door, Melanie was at the bar with a glass in hand.

“Here,” she said, sliding Scotch toward me. “You look like you need this.”

“Is it that obvious?” I slid onto a comfortable stool and sagged over the bar.

“Kitty texted me.”

My head snapped up. “What? What did she say? Is she okay?”

Melanie tapped the bar near the glass. “Drink,” she ordered.

I sighed but obeyed, and for a few seconds, nothing but the smooth taste of Scotch filled my senses, followed by the sharp bite of the alcohol. I drained the glass in two gulps and set it down.

“She didn’t say much,” Melanie said as she took my glass and poured me another. “Only that her mother walked in on you two and her dad was flipping his shit.”

“Fuck.” I accepted the next glass with a weak smile. “You know that feeling you would get as a teenager when you would be doing something fun but you know your parents wouldn’t approve so you keep it a secret? That stomach-dropping, ass-aching bundle of nerves?”

“Yes.” Melanie snorted.

“I thought I’d left that feeling in my teenage years. Holy shit. I had a face full of Kitty when her Mom walked in because she realized I’d driven them into town and she couldn’t go where she needed to. I thought I was going to die on the spot.”

“Well.” Melanie placed both her hands on the bar on either side of me and tilted her head. “What are you going to do about it?”

I squinted at her. “What do you mean?”

“So they know, big deal. They’ll be pissed, I’m sure, but at the end of the day, you didn’t care about that when it was a risk, so do you still care now?” Melanie wrinkled her nose. “Was Kitty only fun for you when she was forbidden?”

“God, no.” I straightened up. “Not in the slightest.”

“You’re not going to give up on her?”

“Will it affect my bar tab if I do?”

Melanie’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“A joke,” I insisted quickly. “No, I don’t want to give up on her. I sat outside the manor for as long as I could ’cause I’m pretty sure they’ll shoot me if I step on the property. I want to be with her. I do.”

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