Page 68 of Take Me Home for Christmas

Elle’s motherwas still practically levitating a half hour after Helen left the inn.

“You didn’t tell us you were being promoted.” She gave Elle a hug, the fourth one in the past fifteen minutes. “I’m so thrilled for you. You are a beautiful writer. It’s nice to see you getting the recognition you deserve. What an accomplishment.”

“Thanks.”

She didn’t have the heart to tell her mother the promotion wasn’t a done deal. Helen made it sound that way while she sang Elle’s praises to everyone enjoying afternoon tea. It was almost as if Jeremy’s grandmother was raising the stakes. Had she guessed Elle was lying about West and his manuscript?

I’m so screwed.

Still, she didn’t regret her actions. West had been given until the end of the year to turn in the final manuscript. He didn’t respond well to helicopter editing. Helen showing up would only make him dig in his heels even more.

Not only that, but Elle sensed it was costing him to write those last few chapters. As irritating as the man was, she wouldn’t force him to do something that might be upsetting. It wasn’t right.

Which meant shewasroyally screwed.

“We should have everyone over to celebrate,” her mom was saying.

“No!”

Her reaction had her mother cocking her head to the side.

“I don’t want to jinx it,” Elle told her. “We can celebrate in January when everything is official.”

Of course, I could be unemployed. What a party that would be.

“Besides, I don’t want to rain on Ryan and Jane’s parade,” she continued. “They just got engaged. Let them have their moment before we move on to the next thing. In fact, let’s keep my promotion between you and me for the time being.”

Elle’s mother was still looking at her funny when the ringing of a cell phone saved her from continuing the awkward conversation. While her mom answered, Elle hurried into the kitchen to load the dishes into the dishwasher.

“I need to take Midas back to Gavin and Ginger’s loft,” her mom said when she joined her. “They left him here while they showed their place to a prospective buyer. Gavin is just now putting Hazel down for a nap. Ginger has a meeting at the auditorium to prepare forThe Nutcrackerperformance.” Her mother sighed as she glanced around the messy kitchen. “The traffic will be crazy with so many people in town for the bazaar. It could take thirty minutes to get there and back.”

“I’ll take him,” Elle offered. “We can walk. I didn’t get a chance to check out all the booths earlier.”

“Are you sure?”

Elle grabbed the dog leash from a hook by the door. “I’m not getting nearly the same number of steps here as I do in New York.”

“Make sure you avoid downtown. Midas is still persona non gratis. Bernice claims there are Most Wanted posters with the dog’s picture on it hanging in a few shop windows.”

“Midas is at the top of Santa’s naughty list, that’s for sure,” Elle said with a chuckle as she hurried out the door in search of her brother’s dog.

She found him standing as still as a statue beside the garden house where he’d cornered a squirrel. Both animals were in the middle of an intense stare down when Elle went to attach the leash.

“Come on, you nutty dog. You’ve got a perfectly good dinner waiting for you at home.”

The mention of dinner had Midas spinning in a circle, tangling them both up in the leash.

“Whoa,” Lamar said as he grabbed the dog before Midas took her down. “Sit, Midas.”

For once, the dog did as he was told, allowing Elle to step out from the confines of the leash. She smiled up at her stepfather. “Thanks for the rescue.”

“All in the line of duty. Lucky for you, I stopped by to tell your mom it’s all hands on deck tonight.”

“More flu?”

He nodded. “Coupled with the crowd in town, Hayden, Simone and I have our work cut out for us. It’s going to be a late night.”

So much for her and Hayden sneaking up to Wilmington for a dinner date away from the prying eyes of everyone in town. This day was really beginning to suck.

---