Page 133 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“Yes,” he says quickly, sounding immediately remorseful. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I was just hoping to catch you before lunch. Could you get away for a quick meeting?”

My mind immediately jumps to my bedroom. No. My bedroom is a place I honestly can’t imagine sex happening. It’s almost clinical in its sexlessness, perhaps because all the decorations are the same as they were in my house in Charlotte, the one I shared with Glenn. He’d insisted on a beige color scheme, and although he’s right—neutralsarepractical—I’ve come to hate it. But Jace’s bedroom is probably all satin sheets and smoke and…

Smoke? What the heck is wrong with you, Mary? There’s nothing sexy about a fire.

Besides, he doesn’t want sex from me—of coursethat’s not what he wants.

So whatdoeshe want?

But he’s waiting for an answer, and I find myself saying, “Yes. Where would be convenient?”

He releases a sigh, but it doesn’t sound relieved. More like he’s dreading this conversation. “I’ll meet you wherever you like.”

Again, I have that vision of a bedroom—hisbedroom—and to shake it off, I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Tea of Fortune. They…um…I hear they have a lunch menu now.”

“Sure, that’s fine,” he says. “Twelve o’clock?”

“Uh. Yes. That would be good. I’ll see you there?”

“See you soon, Mary.”

Before I can even process what’s happened, he hangs up.

Tea of Fortune? What came over me?

Tea of Fortune is the tea shop run by an old family friend, Dottie Hendrickson. I’m fond of Dottie, only a stone could withstand her charm, but she’s the most eccentric person alive, and she’s certain to have ideas about why I’d show up at her tea shop with a gorgeous man—and have no compunction about expressing those ideas.

It’s just…my rational mind doesn’t work right around Jace, and the first thing I thought of popped out of my mouth. Maisie and I were talking about Dottie last night, and Maisie conveyed some more sisterly wisdom.

“You barely talked to her at Thanksgiving. You kept hiding behind Aidan, and once I even saw you duck behind the turkey,” Maisie said, rolling her eyes. “She cares about you, and she really wants to have a heart-to-heart. You should go see her at her tea shop. Seriously.”

It’s hard to say no to Maisie, even more so when she has Mabel cradled in her arms, so I promised I’d visit Dottie sometime, and Jace makes me lose my head, so now, apparently, I will be fulfilling my promise under the most humiliating circumstances possible. At this point, the only thing I can do to head this off is go early so I can try to waylay Dottie and her ideas.

It’s only later, when I’m in the car, that I realize there’s only one reason Jace would ask to meet with me privately, without my son.

He knows I’m lusting after him, and he wants to let me down easy.

Oh God. Howembarrassing.

The fact that Dottie will likely be hanging around, watching us and probably trying to matchmake us, only makes everything worse.

There’s no sign of a red truck when I get there, which isn’t surprising given I’m ten minutes early. I go in, and a familiar person with short dark hair and large eyes perks up and rushes toward me.

“Are you here for lunch, Mary?”

It’s only as she comes closer that I place her. This is one of Molly’s roommates—Tina, the one who talks a lot. I probably should have known she works here, but somehow that information failed to make it to my long-term memory. That’s not like me. In any case, this means Molly is about to get an earful about Jace. Shoot.

“Um, yeah,” I say. “I’m a little early, but I’m meeting a friend. A platonic friend.”

She nods as if that wasn’t a purely insane thing to say and leads me to an empty booth in the back. I notice a huge star made of sticks and covered in holly, propped against the wall across from me, along with several wreaths. It comes as no surprise that Dottie, like Hilde, favors pagan decorations.

“More private this way,” Tina says as I slide in. It’s on the tip of my tongue to repeat myself—platonic, platonic—but she’s sliding into the booth across from me.

Oh God. If Jace finds us sitting like this, it’s going to be even more awkward.Hi, Jace, you know how you asked me here to kindly let me down? I brought a friend to witness my embarrassment! The more the Mary-er.

She must see it on my face because she gives the air a little swat. “I’ll just be a moment. I wanted to ask you about Nicole. You’re joining her Bad Luck Club?”

Is there anyone who doesn’t know?

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