Page 60 of Mistletoe, Mayhem & Mr. Grump
"You're supposed to share," Delia points out.
"We are sharing. We're sharing the experience of pasta-based anxiety," I say through a mouthful of carbs.
Holden reaches over and steals my fork, taking a bite from my container. "There. Shared. Gerald Thompson can deal with it."
"Don't tempt him. He might bite back," Teddy warns. "Remember the incident at the harvest festival?"
Several people shudder visibly.
"Why doesn't anyone talk about the harvest festival?" Holden asks.
"Legal reasons," June says vaguely.
"Everything in this town leads back to legal reasons," he observes.
"That's why I'm also the town lawyer," Mr. Jackson pipes up. "Job security!"
My phone buzzes with a text from an unknown number. Reading it, I nearly choke on my pasta.
"What's wrong?" Holden asks immediately concerned.
"Malcolm Conway is coming to the gala," I manage.
"Who's Malcolm Conway?" he asks.
"Wren's ex," June supplies helpfully. "Very tall. Spectacular teeth. Owns a yacht."
"A yacht? In Vermont?" Holden asks.
"He keeps it in Connecticut. Takes women there for the weekend. Very impressive," Teddy explains.
"You've been on his yacht?" I ask Teddy.
"No, but I've heard stories. Maritime stories," he says dreamily.
"Why is your ex coming to the gala?" Holden asks, his voice hardening.
"To torture me, probably. He does that. Shows up at important events with whoever he's dating to prove he's won the breakup," I explain.
"Nobody wins a breakup," Finn says philosophically.
"Malcolm does. He has a scoring system," I say. "And a PowerPoint."
"I respect the PowerPoint," Delia admits grudgingly.
"Don't take his side!" I protest.
"I'm not taking sides. I'm acknowledging presentation skills," she clarifies.
"This changes things," Holden says quietly. "Your ex being there adds complexity."
"Complexity? It adds humiliation. He once gave a speech about my failures as a girlfriend. At my birthday party. With charts," I explain.
"Charts about what?" Giuseppe asks, fascinated.
"My inadequacies. He had metrics," I explain. "I scored very low in 'yacht appreciation' and 'cocktail party conversation.'"
"Those aren't real metrics," Holden says, his hand tensing in mine.
