Page 34 of Kissed By Her Fake Fiancé

Faith shook her head. “No big deal. She said that you two mentioned something about us all going out, maybe for New Year’s Eve.”

“New Year’s Eve.” Eyebrows arched, he looked over at J.J. “Do you have plans for New Year’s Eve?”

J.J. glanced at Faith. Normally, she’d say the young girl was invited too, of course. She and Charity had even discussed some family-friendly New Year’s Eve ideas. But Faith knew what tonight was all about.

“I—kind of.”

J.J. glanced at Faith, who nodded her encouragement. There was no reason for her to be shy about asking. But she’d mentioned her dad could be overprotective, and he might not like what she wanted to do.

“Amber H’s mom is taking her to Gatlinburg for the weekend, and she said she could bring three friends. She doesn’t have any sisters or brothers. Like me. Her mom knows she likes having friends to hang out with. She has a… What’s that thing called?” She looked over at Faith.

“Chalet,” Faith said.

It sounded amazing to her. A little cabin in the mountains for a long weekend… Wrangling four eight-year-olds might make that a challenge, but maybe not. She imagined being nostalgic for her own childhood as she watched the group of girls giggling and whispering late into the night when they were supposed to be sleeping. There was nothing like that sense of belonging. Of having friends who got you like nobody else.

A sudden longing to be a parent slammed into her. It was so fierce, she nearly dropped her fork. For the first time, that longing had nothing to do with a child depending on her and loving her. It was the feeling of being on vacation in a cabin in the mountains with her own children and maybe even some of their friends. Smiling as they giggled and whispered and kept her and her husband up late into the night.

It was that feeling of being a part of something that was her own. Her family.

“I don’t know.” Holden set his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Then he sat back in his chair and stared at his daughter. “Are both her parents going to be there?”

“Yes.” J.J. nodded enthusiastically. She was in full convincing mode here. “We’re going to play video games, shop, take a ride on the ski lift—”

“Whoa,” Holden interrupted. “The ski lift?”

“We went on it last time we visited, Dad.”

She rolled her eyes, and Faith winced. She’d specifically instructed her not to roll her eyes at any point during the conversation, no matter what her father said.

“It’s totally safe,” J.J. continued. “You’re belted in, and you know I’ll be careful.”

“But a parent won’t be with you when you’re on it,” he said.

Specifically, he wouldn’t be on there with her.

In that one conversation, Faith saw another side of parenting. The worry about your child. She could totally see how that would be stressful, and now she got why Holden was protective. He’d lost his ex-wife and the mother of his child. He’d never had both his parents around. Losing people was part of life for him. It was pretty much all he’d ever known.

But this was another level. This was his child. He was responsible for keeping her safe. Turning her over to a trusted parent was one thing, but sending her off to a busy mountain town with only two parents to watch four kids? Yeah, she got it.

“What if we go too?” Faith blurted.

Had she really just suggested that? She’d proposed spending the New Year on vacation with a man she was only pretending to be in a relationship with.

“We could get two separate hotel rooms,” she rushed to add. “Or a cabin with two rooms near where they’re staying.”

“I’m sure it’s all booked up,” Holden said.

J.J. nodded. “Amber’s mom said she reserved this cabin last September. She also has it for next New Year’s Eve.”

“It’s a popular place.” Holden took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Will you take your watch and promise to wear it at all times?”

“Watch?” Faith looked over at him. “Like a smartwatch?”

“Sort of,” he said. “It’s a tracker that also tells time. We’ve agreed she’s not old enough for a phone yet.”

“We didn’t agree,” J.J. countered. “All my friends have phones.”

“I still say third grade is too young for a phone,” he said. “Though, it would be handy in situations like this.”

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