Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 133224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Ring, ring . . . ring, ring . . .
My phone echoes through the car.
“Blake Grayson.”
“Hi, baby.”
I smile when I hear the familiar voice and turn the corner. “Hi, Mom.”
“What are you up to?”
“Just on my way home.”
“Ah, that’s right, the Christmas concert is tonight. I wish we could come.”
“Yeah.” I smile as I drive. “If it wasn’t sold out, you could have.”
“Your first Christmas concert,” she gushes. “The first of many.”
“I’ve been picking glitter out of my hair for a week,” I tell her. “You have no idea how many props we’ve painted over the last few weeks.”
“These Christmas concerts are a big deal.” She laughs. “Look at you.”
“Look at me what?”
“Being the perfect boyfriend. You’ve transitioned into this part of your life so incredibly well. I’m so proud of you, love.” I can hear the pride in her voice, and it makes me smile. “Rebecca is a lucky girl to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one, Mom.”
“Are you sure about Christmas Day?” she asks. “There’s a heap of us.”
“Yes. Rebecca wants to do it at our house.”
“You’re living together now?”
“I guess.” I shrug. “We sleep between our two houses and are never apart.”
“How long have you been together now?”
“Three . . .” I frown as I think. “Four months.”
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“It sure does.”
I drive onto Kingston Lane and see everyone on our golfing green, glasses of wine in hand and chattering away.
I smile. Seriously, best street ever.
I drive into my garage and park my car. Rebecca is already at the school, and I’ve got an hour to kill before I have to leave. I grab a beer from my fridge and walk out front.
“Hey.”
“Hi,” they all call. Juliet and Chloe are sitting on the chairs, and Antony and Henley are putting balls into the hole. Winston and Carol are in the road talking about her garden.
“How was your day?” Chloe asks.
“Good, and yours?” I sip my beer and notice the collar sticking out of her sweater.
Pink with red hearts.
Huh?
“What’s that top?” I ask.
“My pajamas.” Chloe smiles. “I wasn’t planning on drinking wine tonight. I came over to pick up something, and next thing I’m here.”
What?
“You got matching pants to those?” I try to act casual.
“Yeah, but I can’t find them anywhere.” She looks down at herself and dusts a piece of lint from her sweater.
What the actual fuck?
Henley glances over, and his eyes widen as he puts the dots together.
I hear my heartbeat in my ears as I drag my hand down my face.
I know where Chloe’s pajama pants are.
They were under my bed.
Chapter 21
Rebecca
The children stand on the stage, the audience gathers in the auditorium, and Christmas lingers in the air.
The children run their Christmas concert. They sing and they dance, and the world is a better place for it.
I glance out into the audience, and there he is, my greatest cheerleader. Sitting in the front row. Smiling as if his own children are on the stage.
Blake Grayson is another level of perfect.
He’s been painting backdrops and hanging art and doing coffee runs for me and my colleagues when we worked all through our weekends to prepare for tonight.
He put up the tree in my classroom and helped me decorate it with the children’s art.
It’s our first Christmas together, and this year . . . everything is magical.
The concert was a raging success, and I walk out to find Blake standing in my classroom with a big bouquet of flowers.
“Oh, I love you.” I laugh as I run to him.
“You were great.” He smiles, but it doesn’t touch his eyes. “Incredible, amazing even.”
He’s got a weird expression on his face.
“You didn’t like it?” I smile.
“I loved it.”
“What is that look for, then?” I tease.
“What look?” He pulls me in close and kisses my temple. “There is no look.”
I kiss him as I take the flowers from him. “Thank you for being so wonderful.”
“Not as wonderful as you would like to think.” He widens his eyes. “Let’s go home.”
I collect my things, and we walk out into the parking lot hand in hand. While I’m jabbering on about everything, he’s staying unusually silent.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “You’re quiet tonight.”
“Just tired.”
“Been ruling the world all day, have you?”
“Not so much,” he mutters under his breath as we get to my car. “I’ll see you at home.”
I get into my car and smile all the way home as I reminisce about the Christmas concert.
Everything went perfectly. We put so much work into it, and to have it turn out like that is a dream come true.
We make our way home, and Blake drives into his garage to park his car.
I make my way inside and begin filling up my vase with water for my flowers, and Blake comes bursting through the front door like he’s being chased.
“What’s wrong?” I frown.