Page 127 of A Very Merry Mistake

Then I rush inside her house and open the window in her kitchen. Christmas music is blaring, her fireplace is lit, and it’s the perfect temperature. There’s a bottle of wine on the counter and a half-drunk glass.

I turn off the oven and look down at the black crisps on the tray. “Chicken?”

“Cookies,” she states, and I try not to burst into laughter.

The ingredients on the counter look familiar. “Gingerbread?”

She nods. “I wanted to start my own tradition. And I wanted to make enough to eat through Christmas. Also, flowers?”

“Yes, I thought you’d like them,” I tell her.

“Love them, thank you. They’re beautiful.” She smells them and puts them in a vase.

“You are. It looks incredible in here,” I tell her, noticing the rug resembling a giant peppermint, her gorgeous tree, and all the decorations on her mantel. “You did this?”

She chuckles, grabbing the pan of burned cookies and scraping them into the trash. She sets the pan on top of another one that looks the same. “I did, but I can’t take credit. The home goods store had it all set up, and I loved it, so I had them deliver it to me. But I did decorate the tree on my own.”

I cross my arms over my chest and smirk. “I’m impressed.”

“What’s in the bag?” She glances at it, grinning.

“Open it up,” I tell her.

She pulls out the chocolate cake and two large bowls. When she peels the top off one, she inhales it and moans. “What is it? Smells incredible.”

“Chicken and dumplings,” I say. “One of my favorites when it’s chilly outside.”

Claire grabs two spoons, then hands me one. “Wanna eat in the living room?”

“Sure.” I move to the kitchen and grab our food. I carefully set it on the table in front of her couch, and she plops beside me. We’re close, almost too close, but I don’t move. She dips her spoon in, pulls out a thick dumpling, and takes a bite. “Oh my, this should be illegal. Thanks for this. I was starving. It’s like you knew.”

“Glenda’s treat. She gave us cake, too.” I point at it.

“I saw her yesterday at dinner, and she asked if you were joinin’ me. It hurt my heart to tell her no. Was pure disappointment.”

I chuckle. “Yeah, I think she’s a fan. Which, she can get in line. It’s been insane at work.”

She gives me a sly grin. “I told my sister to remove your name and the farm name. She did, but I think the damage has already been done.”

“Yeah, the internet is latching on to the story.”

“I’m sorry,” she offers.

I shake my head. “No more apologizing the rest of the night, okay?”

She moves her gaze back to her food. “Okay. I’ll try.”

I point to her fireplace. “Natural gas?”

A giggle releases from her. “No way I’m chopping wood in the winter.”

“Aww, you’re no fun,” I joke. “Makes it easy, though.”

“Yeah, but it’s not quite the same as the wood burning and the light fading throughout the night. Loved falling to sleep to that.” She blushes and glances at me.

I find it cute that she’s trying to avoid talking about us. It’s hard, though. I get it. Anytime I’m around her, all I can think about is how I wish we were back at my house together.

“I met your cousin BJ yesterday.” She laughs. “Refused to sell me a black coffee, told me it was a Grinch drink.”

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