Page 17 of Secret Santas and Holiday Dances

Grace shook her head. “No, no, of course you should come.”

“Excellent.” Charlotte grabbed Grace’s arm, then went to Liam and took his, settling herself between them. “Won’t this be fun?”

Liam glanced over Charlotte’s head, trying to get a read on Grace, but her expression was its usual calm and collected.

“Oh, and, before I forget,” Charlotte said to grace, “I have our afternoon and evening all planned out, so clear your schedule . . .”

Grace froze. “Char—”

Charlotte raised a brow at her.

“Mother, I have to work this afternoon,” Grace said.

“Okay, okay, well, what about tonight?” Charlotte asked.

Grace bit her lip. “Well, I have a few things I have to take care of right after work.”

Charlotte released Liam’s arm and faced Grace. “How often do we see each other? You can’t reschedule?”

Grace sighed, and Liam couldn’t take it anymore. He had to help her.

“How about this, Charlotte,” Liam said. “I get off work at five. How about I show you around for a couple of hours while Grace takes care of her stuff and we can meet up after?”

Charlotte squeezed his bicep. “You’d do that?”

He grinned and stole a glance at Grace. She frowned, and some of what he saw in her now was what he’d seen in her drawing. He was so confused. Did she want help or not? He’d pull her aside at lunch and ask. But first, there was something he needed to do.

Going around Grace’s desk, Liam grabbed her wool coat and held it out to her. “Why don’t you ladies head over to Cash’s? I’m going to use the restroom real quick.”

They nodded and left. He hurried to the trashcan and pulled out Grace’s drawing. He opened it, and that pang he felt when he first saw it returned. This wasn’t trash material—it felt too much like a part of her. Like something special. So, he folded it and placed it in his pocket. He’d find out what was bothering her after lunch.

Chapter 9

“Ican’t believe she’s pulled Liam into her twisted web of seduction.” Jessie peered toward the front of Winslow Books, her grandfather’s bookshop, from her place on a rolling ladder as her little sister, Diana, handed her up books. The book store was like something out of an old movie. Two floors, the second with a balcony overlooking the first, wooden bookshelves, cozy reading nooks all over, a high-top counter with an old-fashioned bronze register. Grace loved it in here and often came over in her spare time. She wasn’t loving it so much right now, however.

Grace refused to stare at the front of the store where her mother leaned against the counter, flirting with Liam, and instead focused on the hardwood floors.

Jessie slammed a book in place on the shelf. “I thought he had better sense than that.”

A loud, girlish laugh came from Charlotte—Grace knew that laugh; it was her come-hither laugh Charlotte used to reel men in!

At lunch on Monday, Liam had pulled Grace aside and asked if she wanted him to keep her mother busy so she could get work done. Liam had met Charlotte twice and already wanted to spend more time with her. Grace had seen it time and time again with men. She wasn’t sure how her mother managed it, but she had a knack for getting men to eat from the palms of her hands and thank her for the opportunity. Case in point: Liam had taken Charlotte around every night this week for a couple of hours after he got off work.

He must like Charlotte because despite a crazy week doing his normal office hours, he and Ryan had also had several people call them up to do handyman work for them, yet he’d still made time for Charlotte every day, which was more than could be said for Grace. He’d skipped their lunches, leaving her and Charlotte to lunch together. It made sense, Grace supposed. No one ever saw her when Charlotte was around—she just vanished into the wallpaper. Except for Walt, of course. She’d never been invisible to him. She felt a pang near her heart but ignored it.

Grace knew she should be grateful to Liam, the time he’d been with Charlotte had allowed Grace to get a couple of her Secret Santa gifts delivered when the recipients weren’t at home—the other three days, she’d gone early in the morning hours. She didn’t feel grateful though, she just felt hollow and wrong. Seeing him with her made every emotion inside of Grace revolt, which was ridiculous. It wasn’t like she had any claim over him. They were just friends.

Jessie climbed down the ladder and turned to Grace. “How are you holding up?”

Grace did a thumbs up. “I’m good. Right as rain. A . . .okay.”

Another laugh sounded from up front.

“Gross,” Diana said. “Aunt Charlotte has no shame. She should flirt with someone her own age.”

Grace’s heart gave a painful thud in her chest. “Charlotte’s only eight years older than him. He’s nine years older than me.”

Jessie looked at her, eyes wide. “Right, sometimes I forget how young you are. I chalk it up to maturity. You and Liam make sense to me. Aunt Charlotte and Liam give me goose pimples.”

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