Page 30 of A Very Merry Mistake

I shake my head. “That’s not happenin’.”

A smile touches her lips. “I’ll do whatever I want, Jake Jolly.”

“I have no doubt about that. So how long are you stayin’?”

Claire puts her mug in the sink. “My flight is scheduled for January seventh. But I can always leave early.”

“So five weeks,” I confirm. “That means you’ll get to experience Merryville like a local. There are lots of events throughout the holidays.”

“I haven’t celebrated Christmas in a very long time. If I’ll ruin your plans, I can leave ear—”

“CeCe. This is typically one of the loneliest times of the year for me and has been for a while now. It’ll be nice having some company,” I assure her. “It will be our winter adventure.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “If I have too much fun, I might not want to leave.”

“You never know what could happen,” I say.

“You’re right about that.”

CHAPTER 9

CLAIRE

Jake continues preparing the house as I grab my phone. I turn it on and text my sister to let her know we’re without power. I also explain that I’ll be conserving battery and will check in with her as soon as possible. Once the text shows delivered, I scroll through my other notifications.

Dale

I miss you.

Reading that text makes me want to throw up in my mouth. So I hold the side button and turn it off. I’ll use this time to unplug from the outside world, something I haven’t done in far too long.

As I shove my phone into my purse, I notice the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves built into the wall next to the fireplace. I grab the lantern and make my way across the room, lifting it higher as I peruse the titles.

Some of the books look like they belong in an old library. The warmth of the yellow bulb makes the gold lettering nearly glow.

“They’re classics.” Jake startles me; I was so entranced I didn’t notice him behind me.

“Many are over a hundred years old. They were my great-grandfather’s.”

“Do you enjoy reading?” I ask.

My eyes scan over the spines, and toward the end are more recent works, but still, they’re all in hardcover. Have to appreciate a well-read man. “I do. I read a book per week these days.”

“Really?” I ask, impressed. “And who’s your favorite author?”

He chuckles. “That’s like asking a parent who their favorite kid is. Depends on the day. Depends on the mood. Depends on the genre.”

“I understand that more than you could know.” I move to his modern-day shelf. “Thrillers. World history. String theory. And even a few romances.” I spot one and pull it from the shelf. “You read this?”

He smirks, and I notice a cute little dimple in his cheek. Has it always been there?

“You’re telling me you haven’t?”

“Are you shaming me?” I nearly laugh.

“Every week I download and read the number-one bestselling novel. If I enjoy it, I buy it in hardcover.”

“Really?”

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