Page 117 of Valentine Nook
I can’t remember when I was last so stressed or worked so hard, and I’m not talking about movies. They’re demanding but for a different reason. I’ve busted my ass today.
But I feel like I’ve accomplished something I don’t have a natural talent for, especially the apple pie I spent an hour painstakingly putting together with latticework, just as Pierre taught me.
I’m proud of myself.
I peer around the table I’ve laid out—simple, classy, totally Martha—I even finished it off with a couple of rose heads from the front yard, knocked from their stems by the rain, which I drop into a few Mason jars. Thanks,Pinterest.
Everything happens at once—the timer for the oven goes off as the front door opens, and in sprints Max with a bunch of flowers as big as he is.
“Here!” he shouts, thrusting them at me. I catch them just in time before he rushes back to the front door, where everyone else is entering at a normal pace, including Hamish.
“Sorry. Sorry,” Clemmie pants, rushing to shut off the beeping before I can, “I was leaving, then everyone jumped in the car with me, and it obviously took another ten minutes.”
I’m still standing in the hallway when Lando walks in,looking better than anything I could serve up on a platter. “Something smells good,” he says, pulling me into him and running his nose along my jaw. “Mmm.”
The goose bumps are immediate, and I will never tire of being in his arms. Of him.
“Uncle Lando’s kissing Holiday,” shouts Max, pointing directly at us in case no one realized we’re here.
“Yes, I fucking am,” Lando mutters, doing exactly thatagain.
Max’s finger stays where it is. “Uncle Lando said a bad word.”
“What are you? MI5?”
Max stares at Lando, pondering the question, but runs off to join Clemmie in the kitchen before he decides on an answer.
“Well, isn’t this lovely? Don’t think I’ve been invited around for Sunday lunch before,” Miles announces, who’s last through the door after Hendricks even though he lives the closest.
“There’s a reason for that.”
“Because you can’t handle the fun I bring?”
“Yes,” Lando deadpans with a hefty eye roll. “That’s why.”
Before Miles retorts, I ease out from under Lando’s arm, telling them to go pour themselves a drink. I hurry into the kitchen, where I find Clemmie has stopped the beeping and is pulling the chicken out of the oven.
“I’ll help,” I say, putting the flowers down and grabbing oven mitts to remove the rest. I almost trip over Hamish positioned in front of the kitchen island because he knows that’s where the food is going. “Jeez.”
By the time we’ve transferred everything into the cute dishes I found in the cabinet and taken it all through to the dining table, where everyone’s patiently waiting, I’m no longer hungry. Hendricks has already started carving, Max is piling roast potatoes onto his plate to the point there won’t be any left for anyone else, and Clemmie looks as beat as me.
Plopping into the seat next to Lando, I’m curious why Milesand Alex are staring at the bottle of wine I opened. It’s a red that Lando and I shared at The One True Love. I went back to see if Eddie had more, because I remembered the look in Lando’s eyes as he took hold of the bottle. For whatever reason, it seemed special to him, and I wanted to share it again.
“Is everything okay?”
“This wine, Holiday, where did you get it?”
I thumb to Lando. “We had it a while back, and I really liked it. I asked Eddie if he had more and bought some.”
“It was our father’s favorite,” Miles replies so quietly it feels like a punch in the gut.
“Oh, I . . . I’m sorry.” My head snaps to Lando, who’s looking at his brother. “I didn’t realize. I just knew Lando liked it. I hope that’s okay,” I stutter a reply, feeling a little lost for words. I’m such an idiot. Why did I not ask him why he liked it so much?
Miles silently puts the bottle down. He takes three long strides and pulls me into a hug. My arms swing at my side, too shocked to do anything else.
“Thank you,” he whispers in my ear. “And thank you for bringing Lando back.”
“Wow, did I just see Milo hug a girl without trying to feel her up?” Alex drawls when Miles steps away.
