Page 11 of Secret Santas and Holiday Dances

“Metaphorically speaking.” He made eye contact again, and Grace felt it through and through. “I’d sure like to seethatGrace.”

She bit her lip. “If we close in time, I’ll try.” She was pretty sure she could drag out after-hour work long enough to avoid it.

Liam frowned. Their facial expression shorthand was becoming a real problem. “Right. Well, I’ll keep an eye out for you.” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to go. It’s Penny’s first time going, and I promised her my first dance. They’re probably there already.” He gave her a quick one-armed hug.

She nodded. “Have fun. Tell Penny to have a blast!”

Liam walked backward away from her and winked. “Tell her yourself.”

Grace went back to where Alex, Jessie, and Caroline stood chatting, not letting herself follow Liam with her eyes as he left the shop—hyper-aware of the gossips watching her. She had to play it cool.

“Sorry about that,” she said, “I—”

They stared at her—Jessie blankly, and Caroline with increasing concern etching the corners of her eyes, and Alex with something akin to pity.

“What? What is it?” Grace asked. “Is everything okay?”

Caroline glanced down.

“I just got a text from my mom,” Jessie said.

Grace furrowed her brow.

“She says Aunt Charlotte just called.”

Grace’s stomach plummeted through the floor.

“She’s coming to town for Christmas.”

With more effort than she thought she needed, she grinned. “Really? That’s . . . that’s great.”

Caroline looked up. “So, you didn’t know.” It wasn’t a question.

Know? Why should she know her mother was coming to town? She was sure it was perfectly normal to find out your mother was coming to town from your cousins, who’d just found it out from their mom.

“Ugh,” Jessie said, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Charlotte coming to town is like the nightmare version of Santa’s Coming to Town—less Jolly St. Nick and more ho ho ho.”

Caroline smacked Jessie’s arm. “Jessie!”

Alex sniggered under his breath.

Jessie folded her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell you!”

Grace waved it off. “It’s not a big deal. You know how she is; she probably didn’t know she was coming until it popped out of her mouth when she was talking to Aunt Sophie. It’s fine. Really. I’m glad she’s coming. I haven’t seen her in a while. It’ll be good to spend Christmas with her.”

“Because she’s a selfish cow who only thinks of herself,” Jessie said. “When was the last time she spent Christmas with you? Ten years ago?”

More like fourteen years ago, when Grace had been eight. Her mom had still been married to Grace’s first stepdad, and Christmas that year had been marvelous. The best Christmas of her life. A month later, her mom announced she was leaving him, and Grace had spent every Christmas after that until college with nannies or alone while her mother had traveled with whatever new guy she was dating and occasionally a new husband. Her mom had been married to her current husband for four years. That was practically a lifetime for her mom. That had to be a good omen. It had to mean step-dad number three was going to stick.

“Really, it’s not a big deal.”

Jessie took Grace’s hand. “You’re too good, Grace. Too kind and forgiving.”

Grace spoke slowly, measuring her words. “She’s not perfect—”

Jessie snorted. “You think?”

“But she’s my mom,” Grace said. “If she wants to see me at Christmas, I’m not going to say no. I’m happy she’s coming. Really.”

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