Page 76 of Matchmaking the Rival

Meredith blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Don't ask," I warned her.

"Okay," she said quickly, getting up. My grandmother started getting up, too, but Meredith waved her hand. "No, no, no. Don't get up on my behalf. I'll just tell everyone goodbye before we go."

We headed to my brothers and grandfather before we departed.

"Good to see you, Meredith. And thanks for making my grandson happy—and my wife. Very important," Grandfather said.

Meredith laughed. "You're a good sport, Abe. As usual." She had a way with charming my family. I hadn't expected it, to be honest.

I held her coat as she slipped it on, and then we stepped out of the house. She immediately exclaimed, "Oh my God, I forgot how much I love your grandmother. Why did you pull me away? Those photographs were amazing."

"Because I do have plans for you, and we should get going because the place closes at ten."

"Oh!" She clasped her hands together, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. "I kind of thought it was just a ruse and you wanted us to leave for some reason."

For the first time, it dawned on me that maybe Spencer hadn't been a complete idiot. "Why would you think that?" I asked.

"Well, I thought that, you know, the longer you keep up the deception, the easier it is to be caught in a lie."

I closed the distance between us instantly, cupping the sides of her head and looking at her intently. "If that kiss in the kitchen and the past week weren't proof enough, then maybe this will be. Meredith, this isn't a ruse, or a sham, or whatever you want to call it. You have to know that. What we have is real."

She parted her lips. "Oh, I mean... Well, I..." She was flustered. My woman was flustered. That never happened.

Pulling herself together, she grinned widely at me. "Okay then. Where are we going?"

"It’s a surprise. You'll love it."

Chapter Nineteen

Meredith

Icouldn't believethat he’d brought me to the SoWa Winter Festival. It was on Washington Street all the way to Southend.

"I can't believe it," I gushed. "I didn't even know they were open yet."

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