Page 5 of Inherited Holiday

No letters.

No emails.

Not one word in thirteen years.

I thought about all of that as I abruptly left him standing there with that smug look, annoyed he was there in the first place. I changed into clean clothes, which were a pair of black overalls and a long-sleeved white shirt. I slipped on my Converse sneakers and made my way back out there. I always kept clothes in my office in case I had an unexpected baking explosion.

Focusing on the fact that I was no longer an impressionable teenager but a grown-ass woman, I marched in there with a different tune.

He announced, “I’m here?—”

“I know why you’re here.”

We locked eyes for what felt like forever.

“Still sporting overalls, I see?”

“They’re comfy for baking.”

“Are you making me cookies? You know I’m a sucker for your mint chocolate chip.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Hardly, Mr. Saint Clair.”

“When you call me that, I look for my father.”

“I’m just keeping it professional.”

He walked toward me, and I stepped back.

“How professional can we be when I just saw you practically naked?”

“Anyway…” I changed the subject. “As I was saying, I know you’re here.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding my eyes for a moment. “I assume the whole town does.”

“You, more than anyone, knows how fast news spreads here.”

“Right.” He glanced at me. “How could I forget?”

Unable to resist, I ask, “Wasn’t that the point of you leaving?”

He tapered his gaze at me. “Now that’s a loaded question if I’ve ever heard one, Elle.”

“I have no interest in playing games with you, Mr. Saint Clair.”

“I’ll test my luck, then.”

For the second time in a few short minutes, he shocked the shit out of me when he confessed,

“I’m so sorry, Noelle.”

CHAPTER 2

NOELLE

Ididn’t just stumble back, I flew. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

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