Page 29 of 12 Days of Mistletoe

“Oh, Elliot.” She shakes her head. “I knew I was loved. But I was also pouting. It was my first Christmas without Richard, and in my gloom, I’d almost forgotten that one of the reasons I loved him so much was because of the beautiful life we’d built.”

I stand, step over to the chair she sits in, and crouch, giving her a hand to hold. I glance over to Bonnie, who gave my gran a little hope when her hope felt lost without even realizing it.

Bonnie only has eyes for Gran though.

“It’s the very reason I never liked that Jessica,” Gran says, shaking my fingers. “And the minute you realize who your right person is, you’ll understand that too.”

I blink and do my best not to look at Bonnie now. I don’t want to see her face as I’m scrutinized.

With my lack of a response, Gran keeps going. “Well, it’s true. She never wanted a family or a home. She never wanted to get married. She would have been happy tugging you along after her, city to city, far away from your family.”

She’s right, of course. Jess wasn’t interested in a home or a family. I was sure I’d change her mind one day. But I didn’t. So, we went our separate ways. Nope—somebodyelse changed her mind. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a home or a family, but she didn’t want one with me.

“Well, now, she’s gone,” Gran says. “And Bonnie is here. It’s time we all got to know one another a little better. Don’t you think?”

“Um.” I look at Bonnie, and this time she looks right back at me. “Sure, I mean, we have been talking?—”

“No, no. Lesson number one: mission mistletoe. Kiss the girl. Are you ready?”

FIFTEEN

bonnie

Am I ready?To kiss Elliot. In front of May…No and no.

“Gran, this is crazy,” Elliot says, and I think he might be sweating. “This isn’t how you get to know another person.”

“Elliot James Eaton, did you just call me crazy? I won’t stand for that, young man. Now, you made a bargain. My rules, your building, her dog.” Her brows lift, asking without asking:any questions?

Noel whines at my feet. She knows the word ‘dog,’ and she doesn’t like that we’re talking about her—not in that tone.

“If you don’t follow the rules, you don’t get your building—but also, Bonnie doesn’t get to keep her dog. Now how do you feel about that?” May Elliot is a force. And while that force is currently working against me, I hope I grow up to be just like her one day.

“Gran,” Elliot says, his voice stern, his gaze bouncing over to me. He’s going to go all manly and tell her what’s what.

I don’t think it’s going to work.

I’m no help. I want to keep my dog and my apartment.

“Kissing is vital,” May says. “If you mess this up, your parents and sisters will immediately know that you’re lying. And then where will we be? Do you want your mother to look at you with that face every time she sees you?”

“What face?” Elliot’s brows pinch together.

“You know perfectly well what face—the one that wonders what her son is doing with his life.”

“Oh. That face,” he says, his lip curling. “I thought you didn’t condone lying.”

May lifts her chin. “I do not. Now go stand by Bonnie.”

Okay—maybe I can see where Marlene gets her gumption.

“Oh wow. Okay.” I choke on the words, a nervous tremor making its way down my back. “We’re doing this now? Likenownow?”

“Yes. If it helps, I’ve placed mistletoe in every single one of my doorways for you.”

“Ah—” My voice cracks and nothing else escapes me. I peer around the sitting room, two doorways visible from here, and sure enough, two sprigs of holly and berry dangle from the center of each of those doors.

“If it helps?” Elliot runs a hand through his neatly combed hair, making it stick up like a rooster’s crown. “I think this is one of those things that needs to happen naturally—or at least when the situation calls for it. There’s not asituation… right now.”

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