Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Later, I was preparing a plate of food for myself at the buffet table when I heard a commotion over by the front door.
The next thing I knew, my grandmother came traipsing toward me in her ugly Christmas sweater holding a handsome man’s hand. Not any man. My man. Well, my fake man.
Oh my God.
I nearly dropped my food.
“Stolen Nolan is just as handsome in person!” Grandma announced.
I felt my face heat as I set my plate down. What is he doing here?
“What…how?” I asked as Nolan stood in front of me, smelling like heaven mixed with the cold air outside. It felt like there was a spotlight on us as my entire family gawked.
“I ran into Isla. She gave me your address.” Nolan smiled. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Sure. Follow me.”
I led him to a room at the back of the house where my mother mostly stored her sewing supplies.
After I closed the door behind us, he said, “Why did you stop responding to my messages?”
“I didn’t think you cared all that much.” I tilted my head. “Aren’t you dating someone?”
“I went on a couple of dates with a woman, but that’s over.”
My heartbeat sped up a little. “Oh.”
“The truth is, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, Joy. I’ve just been apprehensive to bite the bullet because I thought you were still hung up on Davis. But after talking to Isla tonight, I no longer believe that.”
Not sure what the hell my friend said, but I needed to thank her big time.
“The only man I’ve been hung up on lately is the real one behind my fake boyfriend,” I admitted.
He inched closer. “You know, I’ve imagined us doing a lot of things together, but there’s one thing I’d like more than anything.”
“What?”
Nolan placed his hands around my face, bringing me in for a kiss. It was everything I remembered—firm and powerful. As he slipped his tongue into my mouth, I began to dig my fingers into his beautiful mane of dark hair. My nerve endings lit up like a Christmas tree. The sounds coming from the party faded into the distance as we continued to kiss passionately, getting lost in each other.
When Nolan and I finally emerged from the back room, his hair was tousled. I took a few moments to brush through it with my fingers before we reappeared in the living room.
I had no choice but to formally introduce him to my curious family.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Everyone, this is Nolan, my…” I hesitated. What is he exactly?
Nolan finished my sentence. “Joy and I just started dating a few minutes ago, but I swear it feels more like a year.”
I shrugged. Seemed an accurate description to me.
Nolan spent the next several minutes meeting my parents and relatives. And Grandma gave him the official seal of approval. It was a strange first date, but our entire history had been strange thus far. We’d been through a lot virtually together, but this was truly the beginning.
After the introductions were over, we stole a private moment by the Christmas tree.
Nolan took out his camera and snapped a selfie of us.
He winked. “For next year’s Christmas card.”
THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS
I somehow got roped into my matchmaker best friend’s holiday dating event, The Twelve Dates of Christmas. The only part I actually enjoyed was shamelessly flirting with her brother, who had a front-row seat to every disaster from behind his bar. Four-years-younger Tucker was infuriatingly hot and always off-limits. It turned out while I was looking for holiday sparks in all the wrong places, Tucker was the one lighting me up.
CHAPTER 1
* * *
Tucker
“What the heck is going on in here?” Lucy plopped her purse on top of the bar and slid onto a stool. “Was there a funeral across the street at Morrow and the attendees all came over here after or something?”
I chuckled and wiped down the counter in front of her. “No such luck. This is your buddy’s doing.”
“These people are here for Maggie?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
I reached behind the counter and grabbed the flyer my sister had sprung on me an hour before the crowd started to pile in tonight.
Lucy scanned it. “The Twelve Dates of Christmas? She’s doing one of her dating events here at The Rusty Nail?”
I shrugged. “Apparently so.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
I stopped wiping the counter and caught Lucy’s eyes. “What do you think?”
Her lip twitched. “Got it.” Lucy swiveled around to check out the suits that had taken over my little local bar.
Sleepy Hollow was a small town thirty miles outside of New York City, so luckily, we didn’t get these types in here too often. My regulars were mostly construction workers and firefighters—and I didn’t mind that one bit. I also didn’t mind our usual lack of decorations. But today, my sister had transformed the bar into a holiday explosion, covering every inch in lights, fake snow, and garland. The glittery tinsel dangling from the ceiling gave me a headache.