Page 40 of Mistletoe & Magic
“Oh, you know it. And Pilates. Gotta keep up. Can’t let the pounds creep up, if you know what I mean,” Vanessa says as she gives me a look.
Bitch.
Yeah, I’m curvy. But I’m also strong. I can do ninety minutes of yoga without breaking a sweat, while Vanessa here flops onto her mat in Child’s pose every five minutes like she’s dying. And I caught that snide comment loud and clear.
“What do you mean by that?” I say, voice low but sharp, locking eyes with her.
Vanessa shrugs, flicking her nails. “What? Don’t take it personally, Ivy. But maybe you’d feel better if you did yoga more often with us or added Pilates. Could do you some good.”
Her tone drips with condescension, like I’m some project she’s trying to fix.
I roll my eyes, grab my cart, and head to the checkout. “I’d take your Pilates advice more seriously if you could finish a class without collapsing. Have a nice day,ladies.”
I don’t have time for her mean-girl bullshit. Not today.
I get to go home to hot Remy and his adorable kid, Junie. And by the way Remy looks at me, even after he saw me naked in the shower, I don’t have the impression he had a problem with my curves. In fact, it looked like he appreciated them.
Junie’s grin could light up the entire Bennett farmhouse. “Candy Land again!” she declares, slapping the colorful board down on the coffee table like she’s about to win the Olympics.
“Kid, you always beat us,” Finn groans, dropping onto the floor beside her.
Shewaggles her eyebrows at him with the smug confidence only a five-year-old can pull off. “That’s because I’m the best.”
Remy sits on the couch behind her, arms crossed, trying and failing to hide the smile tugging at his mouth. He looks tired, but there’s something softer in his face tonight. Like the sharp edges have been sanded down a little and he’s happier than when I first got here. I’ve figured out that pizza night does that to him. He loves making pizza, playing games, and watching movies. I think quality time might be his love language.
Donna breezes in and sits down on the couch beside me. “Candy Land again? Lord help us all. This child is ruthless.”
“She cheats,” Finn says, ruffling Junie’s hair.
“I don’t cheat!” Junie protests. “I’m just lucky. You’re jealous.”
“Jealous? Of losing to a kindergartner? Never,” Finn says, though he looks nervous as Junie shuffles the cards.
I pull a green gingerbread pawn and set it at the start. “All right, champ. Show us what you’ve got.”
Fifteen minutes later, Junie’s got us all beat again, crowing in victory while Finn groans dramatically, and Donna watches us all like this is the best entertainment she’s had all week. I have to admit, it’s hard not to laugh when Junie pumps both fists in the air and shouts, “Three for three!”
“All right, Candy Queen,” Remy says, hauling himself off the couch. “Enough winning. Pizza’s ready.”
The words are magic. I swear I’ve never smelled anything so good in my life. Remy Bennett, grumpy Christmas tree farmer extraordinaire, makes pizza from scratch every Friday night, and right now I’m living for it. The entire house smells of melted cheese and roasted garlic, a scent that will make your stomach growl even if you’ve already eaten. And a secret that I saw him do is drizzle Mike’s hot honey over it when it is fresh out of the oven. It’s got that perfect sweet and savory taste that I crave.
We pile into the kitchen. Remy’s pulling another pizza from the oven, steam curling up as he sets it on the counter. He glances at me, just for a second, and I swear he hesitates before reaching for the pizza cutter. Like he wants to see if I’m impressed.
I am. I grin at him and say, “Need help?”
He shakes his head and smiles. And I don’t say anything, but Remy smiling is a big difference from his grumbly faces when I first got here.
We eat at the big farmhouse table. Donna sits at one end, Junie beside her, Finn across, and me… next to Remy. He doesn’t say much, but he’s different tonight. Gentler. Every time my glass dips low, he fills it. When the pepperoni pizza makes its way around the table, he pushes the plate toward me first.
“Try this one,” he says, voice quiet. “Extra mozzarella.”
I take a bite and almost melt in my seat. “This is unfair. You could open a pizza place and put every restaurant within an hour’s radius out of business.”
Junie giggles. “Daddy’s Pizza Palace!”
Remy shakes his head, cheeks faintly pink.
“Marco would be devastated if he knew your pizza was this good.” I tell him and watch his eyes light up at the compliment.
