Page 143 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
He gathered some pyjamas from the chair and tossed them next to me on the bed. “Wear these for now. Mum left not long ago, so I think she’s heading to your house to get your stuff.”
“I can’t. I have a video call with a client in half an hour. I’ll just put on what I wore yesterday.” I jumped out of bed and hunted my clothes down from the other side of the room. The thought of putting on dirty underwear made me wince, but that was what I got for not going home.
At least I had my laptop with me.
One of the perks of never going anywhere without it.
“You can use my office if you want. Nobody will bother you there.”
I paused. “Thanks, but I was just going to sit out of the way.”
“What, in the kitchen? With Danny running in and out of there like a little hooligan? School’s out now, you know.”
Ah.
Yeah.
That would get in the way somewhat.
“Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll take over your office for a while this morning.”
Thomas grinned. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered it.” He walked over to me and kissed the side of my head. “I have torun. We have a load of coal deliveries to make today. Try not to kill your sister if you have to speak to her.”
“I’m not making any promises,” I replied, tugging up my jeans. “She’s just about exhausted my goodwill. I feel myself creeping scarily into your little Ebenezer Scrooge territory thanks to all her nonsense.”
“Until you see a Christmas tree with twinkling lights, and you’ll be right as rain again.”
Well, yes.
Twinkly lights did tend to have that effect on me.
“That’s just part of my charm.” I flipped my hair over my shoulders and sank my fingers into it. They snagged on endless knots, and I groaned, desperately tugging at them to release them without any luck.
Thomas handed me a brush.
“Where did that come from?” I asked, staring at it.
“A factory, probably.” He grinned, and it widened when I met his gaze with a flat stare. “Tough crowd.”
“Tom?”
“Yes?”
“Go to work.”
He laughed, put the brush in my hand, and kissed my forehead once more. “I’ll see you later. Again, try not to kill your bride, all right?”
“You can say that fifty times and I’m still not promising anything.” I turned to the mirror and set about brushing the knots from my hair. “But if the worst does happen, I’ll be calling you to come and bail me out.”
“Noted. I’ll make sure there’s money ready to save you.”
I caught a flash of his grin in the mirror before he disappeared out of the door, leaving me to battle my mane on my own.
I tugged the brush through one last tangle and sighed, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
There was no denying it—I looked exhausted. Which was fitting, considering that was exactly how I felt, but this wedding had truly drained me in ways I never had expected. Ways I’d never experienced before.
I guess this was why my first boss told me she’d never plan a wedding for anyone close to her.
