Page 33 of A Love Like Christmas Time
“Not if that’s your attitude.” She props her arms up on the table and lays her face in her hands. “I’m pretty sure the gingerbread dicks would, but since they’re out, it’s all going to depend on how good your gingerbread is.”
I try to find arguments to weasel myself out of this. I’ve never participated in the Christmas market. All these years I’ve successfully kept to myself and only opened my café to let people warm up. Maybe also because I was worried someone would freeze their limbs off by standing out there for hours on end. And that’s exactly the way I intended to keep it this year.
But the way she’s looking at me with those big blue eyes, the equivalent of a puppy asking for pets… I know I’m not getting out of this.
Damn. I should have gotten myself a crush on a less convincing person.
Chapter 13
Lauren
Through the ceiling-high window in my living room, I see the sun disappear behind the mountains on the other side of the lake. Taytay and Jenna are curled up by the window, making the most adorable little orange and white circle, cuddled so tightly together there would be no telling which limb belongs to whom if it weren’t for the color of their fur.
I’m sitting at my kitchen table, a new Hallmark movie playing on my TV as I follow a muted tutorial on origami Christmas trees. I don’t want to celebrate too early, but it’s going incredibly well so far. Then again, with four minutes left in the tutorial, a lot can still happen.
I needed something to take my mind off things. Just this morning, when I made the mistake of opening social media, my stomach dropped when I saw what my cousin had posted.
Family days are the best days.
Which, sure, sounds cute. And the picture of her family in front of the Disney Castle was also adorable. Then I realized there were two very familiar people in the background.
My parents.
Who can apparently take time out of their incredibly busy schedule to take my cousin and her kids to Disney, but not to ask me how I’m doing.
Thank you to my incredible aunt for inviting us and organizing this surprise.
The rest of the caption poured even more salt into the wound. Look at them, wearing stupid headbands and having a stupid grand old time.
Yes, I’m salty.
I’m hurt.
And I’m angry that I’m letting it affect me so much. Why do I care that these people, who obviously couldn’t care less about me, have apparently found a replacement daughter? Maybe I should be thankful that at least it’s making my mother back off about having her own grandchildren.
Suddenly, there’s a heavy knock on my door.
Huh? I turn my head towards it. Was it actually a knock or did my coat slide off the hanger?
Nope. There it is again.
“Oh shit,” I curse under my breath and jump up from my chair. The blanket I had wrapped around my shoulders like a cape falls to the ground, under the unimpressed glares of Taytay and Jenna.
Another knock.
“Coming!” I shout and shuffle my way through the labyrinth of boxes stacked up to my eye-level in my living room.
Who could it be? Kieran’s knock sounds different, and Nic usually announces herself by tapping against my kitchen window and scaring the shit out of me.
“Please don’t be a serial killer,” I mutter under my breath. Then again, I guess if it were, they wouldn’t announce themselves.
Bang, bang.
“Oh, come on,” I whine as I pull the door open forcefully. “Have some fucking patience.”
I blink as I face a broad, winter-coat-clad man chest. Then I glance up.
“Caleb? What are you doing here?” I tilt my head back to look at his face. I’m still getting used to seeing him wearing a beanie instead of his usual backward cap. His face is hidden behind a thick red gingham scarf, and he’s holding a toolbox with glove-clad hands. “And why do you have a toolbox with you?”
