Page 67 of Once Upon a Christmas Beauty

As he lay in her bed, body spent from lovemaking and his mind taking its first vacation from reality in days, he refused to ruin their perfect night together. Instead, he promised himself that their heart-to-heart would have to happen after the fact. There was just too much to cover in the short time they had together before the event tomorrow.

The double book signings. His mother’s diagnosis. His father’s early retirement and how that was affecting his own career. Operation: Imaginary Bambi.

Alex anticipated sympathy and forgiveness for all but the last one, but he knew he needed to come clean about that, too. They had agreed to have the tough conversations as needed, and this would definitely be one of them. They just hadn’t set a time limit to when those conversations needed to take place.

Tonight, he was choosing to postpone for her sake as much as his.

He thought briefly about getting up and responding to the emails his editor had texted about earlier, but decided against it. If she couldn’t cut him a little slack for not responding as promptly as usual after all he had going on, maybe she wasn’t the right editor for him going forward. Sure, she was probably getting pressure from higher-ups at the publisher, but she didn’t have to get snippy with him over it. Besides, he’d have time to work on it all tomorrow evening, after the signings were done.

Alex woke the next morning to the sound of Mia’s shower running. Tempting as it was, he didn’t join her. Instead, he rose and made his way to the other bathroom, giving her the space she needed to get ready while he mentally prepared for the day. By the time she stepped into the kitchen, hair up in some fancy braid and Mia dressed in a colorful holiday sweater, he had a simple breakfast of toast and omelets waiting, along with her beloved chai.

“Have I mentioned how much I love you spoiling me with these amazing breakfasts?”

Alex grinned as she joined him at the kitchen’s island. It still felt like a dream sometimes, being here with her.

“Maybe once or twice. And I enjoy doing it, so it’s like we both get a little spoiled.” He leaned over to kiss her softly. “You look perfectly festive.”

“Thanks. I know it’s not the sexiest outfit in the world, but it seemed appropriate for our family-friendly event.”

“Very. But I’m not gonna lie, if you added some glasses to the outfit, you’d have that sexy librarian vibe going.”

“Oh?” Mia reached for a pair of readers and slid them on. “You mean like this?”

Alex’s mouth went dry. “Um, Mia? If you don’t want your breakfast to go cold, I suggest you take those off.”

She laughed, seemingly unaware of how serious that statement had been. As she set the glasses aside, Alex shifted in his seat and forced his thoughts to truck specifications and highway weight ratings. Their conversation shifted to the event, which helped to further keep his thoughts under control. He’d never seen her so excited or so antsy. While he showered and readied for his signing, she paced the floors, texting what sounded like half the town.

“Okay, Faye has the doors open. Del is there with a beautiful fresh wreath strung with lights to hang behind the checkout counter. Gina is leaving with the hot chocolate in five, and The Sisters are en route with cookies.” She paused, her gaze scanning the bedroom. “I feel like there’s something I’m forgetting. Decorations, cookies, cocoa, wreaths—”

“Santa?”

“Yes! Santa! I’d better text Dad, make sure he didn’t leave his costume at home…nope, he’s got it. Good.” She resumed her pacing. “Okay, so what else could I be forgetting?”

Alex abandoned buttoning his oxford and stepped from the master bath to catch her as she made her next pass. “Mia, honey, you’ve got this.”

“But—”

“No buts. You’ve planned for weeks, gotten help from all your amazing friends and family, and finished all the prep work. Now it’s time to go and enjoy yourself.”

Worry crinkled her brows. “You think?”

“I know.” He pressed his lips to hers, the kiss soft and lingering.

On a sigh, she stepped back and helped finish buttoning his shirt. “Unfortunately, we probably won’t be able to come back and have any post-event celebration sex. Brooklyn should be home by then.”

Alex grimaced. “Actually, I’ll need to get on the road as soon as it’s over. I promised my parents I would meet them and my aunt and uncle for dinner before they head back to Chicago.”

“Oh.” The happiness on Mia’s features dimmed. “Does that mean they’re not coming to the signing?”

Crap. How was he supposed to answer that without adding another lie?

“To be honest, I’m not sure. Mom said she wanted to be there, but it’ll just depend on how she’s feeling.”And if she remembers there are two signings, not one.

“Well, let’s hope she’s feeling the best she has all week so they can come out and support you, too. There you are,” she said, smoothing his shirt, its buttons all neatly in their places.

God, she was beautiful. And caring and passionate and all-around amazing. Once this weekend was over, no matter how crazy his life was about to get, Alex was going give his all to their relationship. That meant no more lies, starting tomorrow. He just prayed she would understand and offer him some grace for the delays.

“Thank you. You’re much faster at that than I am.”

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