Page 53 of One Chance to Stay
I cleared my throat. “Both,” I squeaked.
“I mean, good job, Dad. He must have game if he’s picking up men my age. Do me a favor?”
I nodded, positive anything I muttered would sound like a tween boy hitting puberty.
“It’s my professional opinion that he needs to talk to somebody.” She smiled, the same grin as her father. The corner of her lip turned up. “As his daughter? Chase hard. The catch will be worth it.”
I wanted to ask if they had ever talked about this. Did Seamus know his daughter knew his big secret? More than that, did he know she loved him and wanted the best for him, regardless of where he landed? I held back, not wanting to interject myself any further into their family business. It sounded as if everybody wanted the best for Seamus, and he didn’t quite see it the same way.
“I’m not done chasing,” I said. Grace’s face beamed at the statement. “But I need to ask for one more favor.”
She shook her head. “I recognize that devious grin. You might not be from Firefly, but you sure do scheme like them.”
I’d take that as a compliment. “So, here’s the plan.” I glanced up to see Tyler hovering near a bookshelf, doing his best to look like he wasn’t eavesdropping. “Are you spying?”
He let out a long sigh. “I’m dating the king of romance. Please. Please. Please! Let me in on it. He’ll never let me live it down if I can’t tell him the whole story.”
Grace snickered. “Come here, you goofball.”
“He’s going to be so jealous.” Tyler wiggled his way into the chair with Grace, his arms wrapped around her chest. She might have left Firefly for the city, but there’d always be a part of her that remained a small-town girl.
“Go on,” Grace said. “What outlandish plan do you have?”
“Outlandish? I was just going to say, make sure he shows up to the wedding.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “Think bigger.”
Grace had given me all the clues I needed. It’d be a hilarious tale for future generations. I’d either make a fool of myself or leave the crowd grinning.
“Okay, here’s thenewplan…”
SMALL TOWN SANTA
Patrick: What are you all wearing?
Amanda: Something slutty. Warm. But slutty.
Jon: Matching suits.
Tyler: He made me do it.
Jason: We made the mistake of buying something.
Simon: Mistake? I look cute as all hell.
Chris: I look like a designer Christmas tree.
Bobby: He’s not lying. I’m almost ashamed.
Bobby: Almost.
“Not my brightest idea,” I mumbled.
I pulled at the crotch of my pants, painfully aware of the high inseam. The suspenders were let out as far as they’d go, but it wasn’t enough. There were at least three inches between my boots and the hem of the pants. Even the jacket struggled to cover my belly. When I reached under my beard, thefakebeard, I scratched the real one.
Here we go, Santa.
I slung the red sack over my shoulder as I started along the walkway. The sun had dipped behind the mountains, thelight quickly fading. Instead of descending into darkness, Firefly created a spectacle for Walter and Audrey’s wedding. I passed through an audience of snowmen, several tipping their top hats in my direction. White Christmas lights decorated nearby trees, keeping the darkness at bay. Every so often, a colorful sphere sat on the ground, lighting the walkway as if it glowed. Firefly had created a winter wonderland to celebrate the big day.
