Page 81 of The Mistletoe Bluff
It wasn’t that I doubted my skills, but against the rest of the entrants—not to mention Oliver—I didn’t know what my chances were. But I needed that prize money, which meant it was imperative for his dad to like me.
Although, prize money aside, the idea of winning was appealing to me less and less, especially with how much I enjoyed doing that engagement shoot with Oliver. It had put dangerous fantasies in my head about starting a photography business with him someday, which I had been quick to shut down. Oliver might have feelings for me, but I didn’t think there was a chance that he’d ever be interested in something likethat.
“Are you ready?” Oliver asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
“Are you?” I replied, unwilling to voice how nervous I was.
I wasn’t worried about pretending to be a couple after spending Christmas Eve together. No, my nerves had more to do with Oliver’s father and what ridiculous things might come out ofmymouth if he was cruel to his son.
Suddenly, this fake dating went from being a good idea to having a whole lot of negative consequences should it all go downhill. The thought of losing Oliver after admitting I shared his feelings made my lungs squeeze until I couldn’t breathe.
Warm fingers brushed the hair out of my face, lingering on my neck. “Maya?”
I forced a smile onto my face, not wanting him to see how terrified of losing him I was.
“Let’s do this,” I said through my smile, albeit half-heartedly.
Oliver studied my face for a moment before he unbuckled his seatbelt, and we climbed out of the Jeep. He put an arm around my shoulder as we trudged up the walkway to the front porch.
“Just be yourself, princess. My mum will love you.”
I cocked my head. “And your dad?”
He gave a quiet snort. “Don’t worry about what he thinks. His opinion doesn’t matter.”
I nodded, unable to say anything else when, in this scenario, itdidmatter.
“Just so you know, Maya,” he added as we walked up the porch steps. “This isn’t fake for me. It hasn’t been for a long time. We might be putting on a show tonight, but everything I do is real.”
Goosebumps covered my skin, and I reached onto my tippy toes to kiss him. Just before our lips touched, the front door opened.
“Ollie Bear!” a woman cried.
Then the heat from his body disappeared as a tall, slender woman pulled him into a tight hug. Her dark hair was meticulously curled, and she wore a red sweater over a pair of leggings. Though she was at least twenty years older than us, she didn’t look a day over forty.
Ollie Bear?I would never let him live that one down.
When they pulled apart, Oliver turned his mom toward me with a smile. “Mum, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Maya.” The way he called me his girlfriend had goosebumps rising on my skin.
His mom’s smile was blinding as she turned and pulled me into her strong arms. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Maya. Oliver has told me so much about you.”
I arched a brow at him over her shoulder and he gave me a sheepish smile.
“It’s lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Lewis.”
She let go of me, batting her hand through the air. “Oh, please call me Molly.”
His mom was so different from Oliver’s father that I wondered for a moment how the two of them had even ended up together.
“Come in, come in! Dinner is almost ready.”
Oliver took my hand, squeezed it once, then tugged me inside. The scent of garlic overwhelmed me as I took off my coat and boots and followed Oliver into the living room.
A giant tank of a man lounged on the couch. The most serious expression I had ever seen was plastered on his face, his dark hair slicked back with far too much gel, and he wore a black business suit.
Who wears a suit to a family dinner?
When he spotted us, he pushed to his feet in one smooth movement and extended a hand to me, ignoring his son.
