Page 49 of A Christmas Changes Everything

Considering Holly ran into Chace several times over the years when their paths crossed at parties and events for the twins, she’d seen firsthand he’d only gotten better looking and more fit with age.

“And third, he could have lost interest.”

Well, that certainly didn’t seem to be the case, now, did it?

“From everything I’ve heard, he’s still got it just as bad for you as you do for him.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Taylor shrugged. “Hey. You asked what I’d heard.”

Yeah, she had.

“I probably should have led with this, but how is Sean?”

Holly relayed what Chace had told her this morning after Lyss’s call.

“So, no idea how long he’ll be hospitalized?”

Holly shook her head. “Not yet. I think Lyss hopes to get more answers as his condition improves and remains stable.”

“Makes sense.” Taylor pushed herself out of the student desk. “You gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Like you said, it could be worse.”

Taylor nodded. “Yes, girl, I can think of a helluva lot of things far worse than sharing caregiver duties with a gorgeous hunk of a man like Chace Dutton.” She grinned from ear to ear. “Especially when there’s mistletoe all around.”

Truer words were never spoken.

* * *

At 4 o’clock,Holly had barely taken three steps inside the door when Chace greeted her. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he pointed at the mistletoe above their heads, ducked his head, and kissed her like he meant business. “Nice to see you, too,” she eked past her surprise when he removed his lips from hers.

Chace lifted her school bag off her shoulder and set it on the parson’s bench. “How was your day?” he asked as he helped Holly out of her jacket.

“Good. How about yours?”

“It was eerily quiet, but I managed to accomplish quite a bit.”

“So I see.”

As promised, Chace had cleaned up their decorating mess, and from the delectable aroma coming from the kitchen, he’d also started dinner. Dang, she could get used to coming home to this real quick.

Careful, the little voice inside her head warned, but after her chat with Taylor at lunch, Holly decided to ignore it. For the time being, anyway.

She followed Chace to the kitchen. “Where are the girls?”

“In the backyard playing with the neighbor’s dog. She assured me it was okay.”

“Oh, I bet she did,” Holly mumbled, wondering how long after she’d left for work before Willow Bodine, the blonde bombshell of Sycamore Lane, found an excuse to make Chace’s acquaintance. Knowing Willow, Holly probably hadn’t made it out of the driveway.

Chace checked the oven before grabbing salad fixings from the fridge. He laid a cucumber on the cutting board and pointed to a Christmas tin on the counter with the knife he pulled from the cutlery block. “She brought us some brownies.”

Likely hoping it’ll add a few inches to my already wide ass and hips.“Is that when she said the girls could play with her dog?”

“No.” He continued peeling and chopping veggies. “She brought the brownies when she came over to invite me for coffee.”

“Did you go?” she tried to sound nonchalant. Like she couldn’t care less about Willow, the brownies, or the fact she’d invited Chace to her house.For coffee. Yeah. Right.

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