Page 64 of Merry Little Midlife Matchmaker

Lizzie was quiet, but it wasn’t the tense, expectant silence of discomfort. She was patient and open, waiting for me to share. This was her magic: it was the quiet peace of her presence, the balm that she smoothed over everyone’s wounds without them even noticing. I felt a swell of emotion for her, and a desire to protect and cherish her. I wanted to know her—and for her to know me.

“Most of what I remember from early Christmases was tiptoeing around my dad,” I admitted. “Mom would be stressed and Dad would find any excuse to nitpick and poke at her. There would inevitably be screaming matches. My mom would cry. It wasn’t a happy time.”

“And that’s why you don’t care for Christmas?”

“Among other reasons.” I gave her a tight smile, and she moved her hand to stroke my chest, my shoulder. Her fingers were like little fluttering butterflies over my skin, and I relaxed into the pillows, the scent of her all around me. My eyes closed as I enjoyed her touch.

“Your mom passed away around this time of year,” Lizzie said. “That was so hard.”

I nodded. “Yeah,” I replied, and it came out as a croak.

“It’s no wonder you let your ex-wife get Christmas. You probably like to have the time to yourself.”

My throat was tight. I ran my hand up and down her side, stroking her skin like it would heal the hurt in my heart just by touching her. “I’m starting to wonder if that was a bad idea. Mikey asked me to spend Christmas together.”

“Oh.”

My lips turned down. “Sometimes I wonder if Melody cheated at her office Christmas party just to twist the knife alittle bit more. She knew everything I’d been through, knew how I felt about this time of year. But then again, maybe I’m the one who withdrew.”

“That’s understandable.”

“You’re too nice, Lizzie.” I stroked her back, letting my fingers run up beneath her hair to tease her nape. “All this stuff is supposed to scare you away from me.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Well, I absolutely love the holidays, so this could be a problem long-term.”

I huffed a laugh and shook my head. “This year felt different. Lighter.”

She licked her lips and swallowed thickly, then inhaled. I could tell she was bracing herself to ask something, so I stayed quiet. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady. “Do you think this”—her fingers flicked between us—“was a result of all these feelings you’re having? They just bubbled over and kind of…landed on me?”

“No.”

Her brow arched. “No? Not even going to consider it?”

“What, like me wanting to be with you is some sort of overcorrection?”

“You just said that I’ve made you feel good around the holidays for the first time in…”

“Since I can remember.”

“Right. So maybe how you feel about me is getting inflated.”

“Why do you do that?” I frowned.

For the first time since we’d started talking, Lizzie stiffened against me. “Do what?”

“It’s like you don’t believe that I might actually like you.”

Her cheeks flushed as her eyes slid to the side. “I just… I’ve spent a long time feeling invisible. You’ve caught me by surprise, is all.”

“You find it hard to believe that I’d want to be with you?”

Her flush deepened. “Sean, I—” She sucked in a hard breath. “Yes, okay? Yes, I find it hard to believe. I’ve spent more than a decade feeling like nothing more than a mother and a maid. And now this incredibly hot man is telling me I’m the best thing since sliced bread? Come on.”

I flipped her onto her back and propped myself on top of her, using the tips of my fingers to push her hair off her temple. “What’s it going to take for you to believe me, Lizzie?”

She let out a breath. “Look, just like you have these deep-seated feelings about the holidays, I have some insecurities about myself. Those things don’t just go away within the space of a few hours.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I responded by pressing a kiss to her lips. Her arms slid across my shoulders and around my neck, and I sank down against the heat and softness of her. She relaxed beneath me, and we shifted against each other so that our bodies were slotted against each other and nestled in the comfort of her pillows and blankets. I hadn’t felt this comfortable in a long, long time.

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