Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Are her parents still overseas?”
Penni frowned musingly. “I don’t think so. I think they retired a few years ago.”
“Does T.A see her sister often?”
“No, her younger sister died right before T.A. moved to Jamestown to live with her grandmother. And before you ask, her grandmother died about three years ago, that I’m sure of. I went to the funeral. It wasn’t one of my happiest trips to visit Shade. The funeral was weird. T.A. wasn’t there, but her parents were. I expected all of T.A.’s friends to be there, but none of them were. And when I introduced myself as T.A.’s friend, they asked me to leave.”
“Did you ask T.A. or Sex Piston why?”
“Of course. They just said that they had a private memorial for her grandmother and dropped the subject. After that, I figured it wasn’t my business and didn’t ask any more questions.”
Dalton waited until after Penni finished eating to redirect her back to their conservation.
“You never did finish your suggestion.”
“Uh?” She seemed to be bewildered at first, then her frown smoothed out. “T.A. was my suggestion. Grace just wants to know you’re happy and cared for. If she knows you are, she can stop concentrating on you and start paying more attention to Ice.”
“What if it’s too late?” The cold atmosphere he had felt this morning wasn’t going to be remedied overnight.
“I might not know what’s in Grace’s mind, but I do Ice’s. He’s a lot like Jackal; he’ll never give Grace up. It’s an easy fix, actually. I don’t think dating T.A. should be much of problem for you. I can tell you like her.”
“You can tell all that just from eating lunch with me?”
Penni snagged his gaze with hers. “Not too many people let me drone on for ten minutes, much less the hour we’ve been sitting here. And most of that time was spent discussing T.A., not Grace.”
“I’m not over Oceane, I’m too old for her, and I’m not going to date a woman I don’t live near.”
“You’ll make it work. I have faith in you. When I met Grace, she bragged constantly that she had the best father in the world. I can see now why. You don’t let anything stand in your way when it comes to making Grace and Dax happy. It’s up to you how to make that happen, and while you’re doing that, find some for yourself because that’s really what Grace wants for Christmas.”
Dalton’s lips twisted in a wry smile. “That’s easier said than done.”
“No, it’s not. I was frightened when I went into labor with Wylie. I think it was a premonition that it wasn’t going to be one of those births where I was just going to pop my kiddo out. I almost died, and you know what? I’m probably going to be just as scared when I have the next one, but that didn’t stop me from getting pregnant. Sometimes you just have to take the chance that everything will work out for the best.”
“The best being that Grace’s marriage survives?”
“No, that Santa gives everyone what they want.”
18
T.A. grabbed her cup of noodle soup and her TV controller, then sat down on her couch. Punching in the number for the Hallmark channel, she curled back and was about to take a bite of her soup when her cell phone rang.
Seeing Dalton’s number, she almost didn’t answer.
“Girl, don’t do it.” Her good intentions broke before the next ring. “Hello.”
“Hello, T.A. Are you busy?”
She stared around her lonely apartment, wishing he were there.
“Kind of,” she lied. Well, she kind of was; her soup was getting cold.
“Oh, then I’ll call back later. Sorry—”
“What did you want, Dalton.” T.A. sat her soup down on the coffee table, reaching for the blanket to cover her legs. Wishing Dalton were there to keep her toes warm, she hugged her phone closer.
“I have a big favor to ask.”
She shouldn’t have answered. “Did Dax forget his jacket again?”
“No.” A short laugh came across the phone. “I want you to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with me and my family.”
She nearly dropped the phone.
“You’re joking, right?”
“I know it’s late notice, and I’m sure you’ve made other plans.”
T.A.’s lips parted to accept, but a spurt of caution stopped her.
“How’s it a favor?” If it was just a hump-and-go, she was up for it; she just wanted to know beforehand.
“I want my family to think we’re a couple.”
“Huh?” Usually, it was the other way around when she was dating someone; they would distance themselves from her when their families were around. “I don’t understand.”
“Can we keep this conservation just between us?”
“Yes.”
“T.A., it’s important. If Sex Piston finds out the truth, it’ll get back to Lily and eventually Grace.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
She heard a relieved sigh. “Grace is having marital problems, and I think it’s my fault because of the strain I unintentionally placed on their marriage when I wanted some time alone.”