Page 59 of The Mistletoe Makeover

“Well, you need to care,” Cammy says. “Or else this concert is in trouble.”

“That’s why I stopped by. I have some news.” Mia drapes my dry cleaning across a chair. “Tickets for the concert sold out in less than twenty-four hours.”

“They’re all gone?”

“Yep, and Mom wants to celebrate. She wondered if you’re available for dinner tonight. I may have dropped a hint that you frequently eat alone... after our conversation about Christmas. You can call it your holiday dinner dry run. If my family drives you bonkers on a normal night, then you do not want to visit on Christmas Eve.” Mia tilts her head and frowns. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re shocked.”

“It’s just... normal people don’t invite me to dinner.”

“Um, you are normal,” she says.

Cammy steps between us. “Sorry to interrupt, but he’ll be there.” Cammy shoots me a look that reveals she’s not sorry at all. “It’s just what he needs. What time do you want him to stop by?”

“You know, I’m sitting right here,” I grumble. “I can answer for myself.”

“I didn’t want you to turn this dinner invitation down.” She gives me two thumbs up behind Mia’s back on the way out.

She is totally trying to play matchmaker.

“There’s no pressure,” Mia says. “But dinner is at six.”

“I’ll be there. Should be fun, right?”

“Interesting? Yes. Fun? As long as you can handle the twins...”

I frown. “Why would your brothers be a problem?”

“They can be a bit protective of me and Mom, and they like to take it out through hockey.”

“I don’t even play hockey,” I say with a laugh.

Mia crosses her arms. “That’s never stopped my brothers before.”

* * *

When I step onto Mia’s front porch a few hours later, the first thing I notice is the acrid smell of burned food.

The door flies open and Mia’s eyes widen. “You’re not the pizza man.” Her mouth twists in distress as she looks over my shoulder.

“That’s definitely not the greeting I was expecting.”

She frowns before shaking her head. “Sorry... welcome to my humble abode.” She motions for me to come in. “Okay, it’s not my home, exactly. But the humble part? Totally true.”

“It’s quaint,” I say, as I squeeze into the tiny foyer. Everything feels miniature-sized here, like I’m a giant in a doll’s house. A faint whiff of smoke permeates the air. “What’s that smell?”

“My mom burned the meatloaf for tonight’s dinner, which is why we’re waiting on carryout. But that’s not the worst of it...” She rubs her forehead. “When I arrived home, Mom said we had a leak from a broken pipe in the ceiling over my bedroom. The ceiling collapsed, and now everything in my bedroom is wet. As we were cleaning up, Mom forgot about the meatloaf.”

The doorbell rings and I open it, since I’m closest to the door. The pizza man hands me the boxes, which I dutifully take.

“Follow me.” Mia leads me through the tiny combined living and dining room. She points to the couch. “Now that my bed is wet, that’s where I’ll sleep tonight.”

“That looks as uncomfortable as the chair I tried to sleep in at the Pine Paradise.”

In the kitchen, Cora is scraping burned meatloaf from a pan. When she sees me, a smile spreads across her weary face.

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