Page 177 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
“Well, she asked me if I would ever consider moving back to Castleton and working with her. On weddings. Here.”
I paused.
“She didn’t pressure me at all.” She covered my hand with hers. “She just mentioned it… I think to let me know that there’s always a home here for me. That… moving back to Castleton to settle down doesn’t necessarily mean having to give up everything I’ve worked for.”
Good old Mum.
She was always one step ahead of everyone else.
“And that’s a decision for you to make when you’re ready to.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “For now, you have commitments you can’t walk away from. When you need a break, there’s a place for you here, or I can come to you. We can even go somewhere.”
“What is this? I send you my schedule so I can pencil you in?” A cheeky grin flashed across her face.
“Exactly that.” I grabbed her wrist and playfully nibbled the side of her thumb. “How else am I going to tear you away from needy brides and nightmare in laws?”
“Hmm, I suppose we can make that work.” She curled into me, resting her head on my shoulder. “So, I’ll come back for Christmas next year. I know I have a huge wedding on my birthday weekend, but I only accepted that because it’s in Corfu. Why don’t you… come with me?”
“Are you inviting me on holiday, miss?”
“I plan on staying for a week after, and I can always add you to the room… You just have to get yourself there.”
“Done and done.”
“You didn’t ask when it was! How can you just say yes?”
“You said it was your birthday. I know when your birthday is.” I settled in with her, circling my arms around her body. “Besides, Zara is still sniffing around with her nose halfway up my arse. She’ll do anything to get back in my good books, so I can take off when I want and leave her to run things here with the businesses.”
Sylvie paused. “Are you really still angry with her?”
“I’m not angry. We talked it through. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let her off easily, though. She makes a lot of stupid decisions for someone so smart—”
“Hey, sounds like Hazel.”
I chuckled. “—And I want her to really think things through before she commits. Right now, she needs to spend some time working on herself and her marriage.”
“In other words, she knows there’s a job waiting for her, you’re just making sure she takes care of herself and her family before you make her work hard again.”
I wrinkled up my nose. “Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah. Older sibling syndrome.” Sylvie snorted and tilted her head back to peer up at me. “You weren’t fooling anyone, least of all me.”
“Why? Do you know me that well?”
“No, you’re just terribly predictable.”
“Oh, yeah?” I shifted my body over hers and tugged her down, trapping her beneath me on the sofa.
She laughed the whole time, looping her arms around my neck, and then smiled up at me. “You got me. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Good.” I lowered my head and touched my lips to hers in a gentle kiss. She teased me, flicking her tongue against the seam of my lips, and I responded in kind, savouring the taste of her.
“Ewww! Uncle Tommy and Auntie Sylvie arekissing!” Danny yelled
We broke apart, and I sighed, resting my head on the sofa while Sylvie laughed.
“Get off my granddaughter,” Nana said, sniffling from the doorway.
I turned and couldn’t help my chuckle at her covering Danny’s eyes. “I apologise.”
