Page 12 of 12 Days of Mistletoe

“Elliot?” the woman whom I thought might eat me earlier says from across the room.

“One second, Mom.” He swallows and peers back at me, his blue eyes on mine. “Deal?”

My heart patters in my chest. I don’t know this guy’s angle, but every single thunk in my chest seems to speak Abby’s name. “Deal.” I hold out my hand to shake, but Elliot snags my fingers and pulls me in for a hug.

I am engulfed and drowning in muscles and musk and one very tall man.

Heaven help me. It’s a blessed way to die.

Except that it’s not. Because I am absolutely, not even a little bit, attracted to an out-of-his-mind dog hater who leaves threatening notes and has topretendto date girls.

“Thank you,” Elliot whispers in my ear, still embracingme, and my heart leaps with those two little words. They don’t sound like a hater’s thanks. They sound nice. They sound grateful.

But I know better.

The sooner this photo is taken and over, the better.

What do I care if I’m in some guy’s family picture? Who do I know that will see it or even care?

“Mom,” Elliot says, and his fingers slide too easily between my own. I lurch a little with the strange and foreign pressure of Elliot’s hand. “This is Bonnie. Bonnie, this is my mom, Marlene.”

The semi-scary woman smiles, a little forced, but it’s a smile. “Not Eldora or Esther?”

“Mom,” Elliot grumbles beside me.

“Yes.” She shakes her head as if she’s forgotten her manners. “So nice to meet you, Bonnie.” The woman snatches hold of my hand with both of hers, squeezing before releasing me.

“These are my sisters—” With a glance from the taller girl, Elliot adds, “That I’ve told you all about.”

“Right,” I say, finding my voice, though I couldn’t produce a name if I wanted to.

“Evelyn,” he says, pointing to the girl at our left.

Evelyn and Elliot—okay, his crazy mother does have a thing for E’s.

“And Jocelyn.”

Hmm, maybe not. But something is up with this lady. I’m not wrong.

“My dad, David.” The graying man behind the crowd of women smiles and waves. Thanks, David—no need to crowd me, I appreciate you. “Evelyn’s husband, Jackson, and Jocelyn’s fiancé, Parker.”

“Fiancé,” Jocelyn says with a laugh. “That’s still new.”

Marlene titters along with her daughter, her cheeks pink, and for the first time since I saw her, she seems to be just an extremely happy mother. Maybe I had her pegged wrong.

“Nice to meet you,” I say, though the further this goes, the more I need Noel. Fake dating someone isn’t exactly awesome for my anxiety. The only thing keeping my body in order is a rent check that will cover Abby Jones’ dog fee.

Abby.

Abby.

I puff out a breath and Elliot does a double take my way. “You okay?”

I nod, ready to get this over with. Let’s snap that photo so the man can pay the lady. I nod toward the one remaining person in the room that Elliot or E.J., whatever his name is, hasn’t yet introduced me to. “And this would be?”

Elliot’s lips part in a smile—a loving smile. “May Elliot. My grandmother.”

“May Elliot?” My brows furrow. As inMrs. May Elliot, my landlord? Holy heavens above—stupid note-writing Elliot is the grandson of the apartment complex owner. The possibility of her not knowing about his dog suspicions are slim.

---