Page 86 of 12 Days of Mistletoe

“She isn’t up for auction, Gran.” And while I’m tempted to panic over the idea of another man swooping in while we table all things real, we only have a few days left.

“Yes, but I’ve been trying to set the two of you up for six months now and you, just like your grandfather, have been too hard-headed to see what’s right in front of you. Even after I helped you along and got you that first kiss along with all the others.” She huffs out a frustrated grunt.

“Wait. Step back. Is this why you made me come pick you up early? The reason I couldn’t bring Bonnie to pick you up. You’re ready to confess?” And what a confession. I never understood Gran’s reasoning—but a setup. Q had been right all along.

“Well, look who decided to start understanding the world of love.”

I scoff. “Gran. What’s with this mood?”

My blue-eyed, white-haired grandmother releases a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I invited Bill to the symphony today and he woke up with a head cold. It’s got me all sour.” She pats my leg. “That doesn’t mean you haven’t been completely ridiculous though.”

“Me? You sent me to talk to Bonnie six months ago and you’re just now telling me why. But I’m the ridiculous one?”

“Yes, you are. You gave her those awful notes instead.” She shakes her head as if she’s never been so disappointed with me.

“So, this was a setup? The whole time. As in months ago?”

Her brows lift in answer.

“Because you like her,” I say.

“Yes, I like her,” Gran grumbles. “Any sane person with eyes and ears and a heart would like her.”

“And because you wantmeto like her.”

She rolls her pretty blue eyes and stares out the front window of my hatchback, crossing her arms and not bothering to glance my way. “You’re perfect for each other.”

“That’s nice of you to say. And Idolike her.”

“You do?” Gran turns, faces me, and holds her hands together at her chest.

“I do. But we’re taking it slow.”

“What do you mean, slow? I carefully plotted and planned all this to throw slow out the window.”

“I like her. She likes me. But this is odd, Gran. Kissing a girl because my gran is manipulating the situation, well, it’s not exactly natural. We are tabling our feelings until after your Twelve Days of Mistletoe. The act only confuses things.”

Gran huffs again. “I don’t like that one bit. Nothing’s confusing. You like her. She likes you. What’s so confusing?” She purses her lips and mumbles beneath her breath, “Children.”

“Trust me, it’s better this way. It’ll be less confusing forboth of us. We won’t be wondering what’s a real emotion and what’s part of the act the whole time.”

“Trust me—I’ve lived a lot longer than you. You’re just wasting time!”

“Because you know,” I say, turning things around on her. “You’ve lived. And loved. And now you like Bill.”

Her cheeks flood with pink. “He’s very nice. What’s not to like?”

“You know, just like I need Gran approval, you need grandson approval, right?”

She smirks, the wrinkles around her lips creasing. “I most certainly do not. Besides, I’m anoldwoman.”

I pull into my parking space in front of the Cherry Plum apartments and shrug one shoulder. “Still a woman.”

“I’m getting in the back,” she says, avoiding the topic.

“Gran, there’s no need. Bonnie already said she’ll ride in the back.”

“She most certainly will not. Not on my watch. Tabling things my a— Oh! There she is!”

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