Page 10 of A Very Titan Christmas
“Gregory Neilson. I usually go by Greg.”
Mom repositioned her wheelchair and gestured for him to take the oversized accent chair adjacent to the couch. “Sit, sit. Cookie?”
Enough cookies to feed an army. Rachel returned to her spot on the couch, and Greg sat down as though he’d had a hundred sit-downs with Eloise. Maybe Rachel had read more into Eloise’s tone, but she couldn’t shake the uneasy prickle that her mother was up to something.
“Gregory owns the redesign firm we’ve been using to update some of the cabins,” Eloise explained.
Ah, they worked together. That made sense. Eloise would easily chat about her daughter while planning a large-scale remodel project. It would be rude of Greg to avoid her flagging him down for a cookie if Eloise were paying the bills.
“Which cabins are you working on?” Rachel asked.
He swallowed a bite. “Two on Sugar Maple Lane. Updating the kitchens and bathrooms.”
Eloise wrinkled her nose. “The last time they were touched was in the late nineties. But their views were enough that guests didn’t notice the blond hardwood and brass fixtures.” She selected a cookie. “But it’s time.”
Greg nodded. “They had classic designs, but your mom’s right. It’s time for a facelift.”
“She always is.” Though Rachel was partial to the blond hardwood. She couldn’t recall the brass fixtures but vividly remembered the hunter-green drapes and cranberry wallpaper. In her opinion, the decor dated the cabins more than the floors and fixtures, but disagreeing with her mother was a lot of work. Rachel sipped her cocoa instead.
“Rachel is a writer for a travel magazine.”
“That’s what you mentioned.” Greg offered an almost-shy half grin.
“She can work from anywhere,” Mom tacked on.
The needling discomfort returned. Rachel laughed awkwardly, semi hiding her face behind the cocoa. “That’s a weird tidbit about me.”
“But it’s true.” Eloise tilted her head so that her jingle bell earrings tinkled. “Gregory, I’ll get you a menu from the bar.” She waved him to sit back down when he stood and put her wheelchair in reverse. “Back in a moment.”
Panic flashed in his eyes even as Greg kept his amiable expression in place. “Actually, I think I’ll just go grab a coffee.”
“Don’t be silly, Greg. I’ll order it. Anything else? Danish? Muffin?”
He hesitated. “Just a small coffee. Black. Thanks.”
With a sugary smile, Eloise left.
Rachel waited until Eloise rounded the corner behind the oversized fireplace flanked by Christmas trees before she turnedto Greg, wondering if he also felt like he was missing a key part of the conversation. “Sorry about that. I don’t know what’s going on with her.”
“It’s fine.”
“Not really.” She stared at the thick red ribbon that spiraled up the Christmas trees as though she had X-ray vision and could read Eloise’s mind. “She’s usually the queen of social situations. Not making them so uncomfortable.”
His half grin returned, but this time with a quick headshake and a deflating sigh. “She didn’t mention me before, did she?”
Rachel refocused on him with growing suspicion. “Mention you how?”
“Oh, Eloise Porter.” He chuckled and pinched the bridge of his nose. “As in she wanted you to meet me. To be honest, I couldn’t say no to her. She’s a force.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks faster than Rudolph’s nose could glow bright and red. “She’s trying to set us up?” She clapped a hand over her mouth. Embarrassment curdled in her stomach. “I’m so sorry. I’m—”
“Don’t be. That’s classic Eloise.”
“I know, but I could kill her.”
“Hey, look, let’s save us both the embarrassment. Before she returns, tell her I had an important call I had to take.”
“Or I could just tell her to stop meddling in people’s lives.”
