Holly versus Mr. Ivy by Amanda P. Jones
Chapter 27
Holly
low in life. Thanks to my idiotic decision to save the turkey, I couldn’t shower, get dressed, or even go to the bathroom without help. Nothing was as embarrassing as your sick mom wiping, pulling up your pants, and helping you take a bath at thirty-one-years old. But with how bad my burns were, I legitimately had no choice.
I was heading to the restaurant with my wet hair pulled into a ponytail because by the time Mom finished helping me shower and dress, she had been too worn out to blow dry my hair. My face was free of all makeup, and my hands were bandaged.
In theory, staying home would have been the better choice, but then I wouldn’t see Rhett, and after the way he’d kissed me last night, how could I stay away?
Trevor picked me up and took me to The Boardwalk. He’d even opened all the doors for me. My brother really was good at taking care of me and Mom, even though he took full advantage of being an annoying brother most of the time.
I went straight to Rhett’s office. “Hey.” Smiling, I took in his handsome face and light blue button-down shirt.
Rhett returned my smile with one of his own. One that conveyed he was as happy to see me as I was to see him. “Hey, yourself. How are your hands this morning?”
They hurt, but the physical pain had nothing on the mortification I’d felt at Mom seeing me naked and wiping my behind. “They’ve been better.” I grimaced. “Actually, I’m going to need your help getting my chef’s jacket on. I, uh…” Heat flooded my cheeks. “Can’t get dressed on my own.”
Rhett’s lips fought back a smile and lost. “I’m a little bummed we’re not in a place that allows me to help you with that at home.”
Fire seared my chest. Rhett’s hands on my bare skin? I fanned my face with my mummy-like hand.
Rhett chuckled.
“Stop. Someone could walk in at any minute.”
He cupped a hand over his mouth. “Right. Sorry.”
I jerked my head toward my office. “Anyway, some help, please?”
Rhett stood and followed me to my office. He grabbed a clean jacket hanging on the back of my office door and held it out to me. “Nico can handle the kitchen tonight. You didn’t need to come in.”
I put one arm in a sleeve, being cautious not to snag my hand as I slid it through. “He could.” The process of helping me dress required Rhett to stand close. So close that breathing became difficult. His warm breath tickled my ear. Don’t kiss him, Hols. You’re at work. Maintain those boundaries.
“Might I have anything to do with the reason you tortured yourself into coming to work tonight?” Rhett asked in a gruff voice that tugged at my stomach.
“That’s a strong possibility.”
Rhett groaned. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”
I slid the other arm into my sleeve, and Rhett quickly spun me around, holding onto either side of my jacket. “No easier than you’re making it on me,” I confessed.
Rhett’s fingers found the top buttons of my jacket. His gaze met mine with desire burning so intensely, I sucked in a shuddering breath. Rhett took his sweet time fastening my buttons. His hands grazed me as he slowly worked his way down the front of my jacket. Every caress caused a riot of flutters in my stomach. Rhett’s breaths turned ragged, like the process of putting clothes on me affected him just as much as if he were taking them off.
Any minute I’d combust. “I prefer your help to my mom’s.”
Rhett smirked. “If you want my help, Holly, all you have to do is ask.”
I’d never make it out of my room clothed, in that case. “Nico should be here,” I choked out. “I should go tell him he’ll be in charge of cooking tonight.”
Rhett stepped away, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything else.”
I couldn’t afford to let him touch me again tonight. Not if we were going to prevent everyone else from knowing we were seeing one another. “I will.”
An hour later, with full kitchen prep underway, I leaned against the counter, facing Skye. “So, your Thanksgiving went way better than mine.”
Skye sliced cucumbers. “Considering my limbs are intact, I’d agree.”
“My hands are still attached to my arms. They’re just not usable.”
“Which doesn’t suck for you at all,” she said sarcastically.
“How did you know I didn’t want a break and purposely hurt myself so you guys would have to do all the work?”
Skye threw her head back as she laughed. “Because in the month I’ve been here, you’ve done nothing but prove how well you do your job. You are hands-on, willing to work just as hard as the rest of us, and great at keeping everyone on track. I’ve never worked in a kitchen that operates as smoothly as this one.”
My heart turned into a fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon roll. Rhett had been right all along. By letting my staff see my passion for what I did, my true self, they still respected me. I didn’t have to control every little thing in order to have a well-functioning kitchen. And I truly enjoyed learning more about my staff. Steven, one of the line chefs, and I had a lovely conversation about the Six of Crows series by Leigh Bardugo last week and the film adaptation on Netflix.
“Thank you, Skye. That means a lot to me.”
“Just speaking the truth.”
“Still, I appreciate you saying that. You’re doing fantastic. I’m glad we met.”
“Me too, Chef.”
With that compliment putting a little pep in my step, I sidled up to Starla, asking her how her holiday had gone. There really wasn’t anything else I could do except encourage my staff and make sure we stayed on top of everything. Since time management and words of affirmation were the only things I brought to the table, the night dragged on forever, just like the way Ham said it in TheSandlot. I wanted to get my hands moving. To chop, sauté, bake, and plate.
I also had to pee, but with no one at the restaurant to assist me, I held it and stopped drinking water. With any luck, I’d sweat out the liquid in my bladder.
Rhett usually stayed out of the kitchen, focusing on customers and the waitstaff. But tonight, he tortured me by making up excuses to come into the kitchen, and every single time my gaze moved to his, my cheeks heated at the memory of both our kiss last night and the way he had helped me dress today.
I think he’d meant to feel me out on where I stood in regards to us on Saturday, but I was glad he hadn’t made me wait that long.
By nine, my hands throbbed, my bladder was about to burst, and my mouth was parched. I hunted down Rhett in the dining room, stopping to speak to patrons who shouted out to give their compliments to the chef along the way.
“Hey. Trevor is on his way to pick me up. Nico’s covering the rest of the night.”
Rhett jerked his head toward the hallway where our offices were located. We stepped into Rhett’s office, keeping the door open. “Are you okay?”
“Sore.” I cleared my throat. “And I really, really need to pee.”
Rhett’s eyes widened. “Oh.” He rubbed the side of his neck. “Yeah, with your hands, I guess that’s not easy to do on your own.”
I winced. “It’s really not.”
“Should we cancel…”
Tomorrow. Our first date, but not a date because we would be in public, which meant no touching. I shook my head. “No, I’ll be ready.”
“Okay. But I insist you either work half day tomorrow or not at all.”
I stared at the floor, embarrassed to tell Rhett more about my financial struggles. “I don’t have any more paid time off, and I can’t afford to miss work.”
“I wish I could help.”
He would too, if I asked. “I know, and I appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Chef Dewhurst.”
I ached for a hug. For Rhett to cocoon me in his arms and let his warmth seep into me. But we couldn’t. Not here. “Goodnight, Mr. Ivy.”
I woke up extra early to get ready for my date with Rhett, and it was a good thing too, since everything took longer with Mom helping. She only stabbed my eye seven times trying to apply mascara before I told her it was enough. I’d rather be makeup-free than blind. Skinny jeans, boots, and a rose-colored sweater completed my look.
Skinny jeans were hard enough to get on by myself. With Mom helping? Let’s just say the video would win first place on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
Besides seeing Rhett, I was really excited for the Lampton Christmas festival, which opened last night with the tree-lighting. Since I’d been working as a chef, the last nine years, I hadn’t attended. Watching the giant tree explode in brightness and color with a crowd of excited people had been one of my favorite activities as a child. I was sad to have missed it again. One day, I’d make it.
The doorbell rang, and I rushed to the front entry before realizing I couldn’t open the door. “Come in!” I hollered, grateful the door was unlocked. Rhett walked in wearing dark jeans, an olive sweater, and a black coat. I hadn’t realized we were doing a photo shoot for Ralph Lauren today. “Hi,” I stuttered, taking my time to appreciate the hot man standing before me.
“Hi.” He chuckled at how I was totally checking him out before tugging me closer and kissing me.
Less than forty-eight hours ago we’d kissed, but, oh, how I’d missed his lips on mine. This kiss wasn’t as heated as Thursday night’s had been. Rhett kept this one slow and casual, like a summer stroll along the beach. My toes curled in my boots, and I loved the way his mouth moved along with mine.
The house creaked, and I pulled back, worried Mom was coming down the hallway. I hadn’t told her we were dating. It seemed best for everyone else to think we were only friends. “Come in. I want to say goodbye to my mom real quick before we go.”
“Does she want to come with us?”
It was sweet of him to include Mom on our date, but she got too cold being outside this time of year and shouldn’t be around that many people. Trev had already made plans to come over and put together a puzzle with her, which eased my guilt at leaving her to go do something that wasn’t work-related.
“I’m sure she’d love to join us for some of our other Christmas activities, but not today.”
“Hmm.” He placed a kiss on the top of my head. “I like your mom, but I’m happy it will just be the two of us.”
My body was relaxed and warm, like we’d been cuddling in front of a fire. “Me too.” I stepped away from him. “Come say hi.”
She’d stayed in bed all day yesterday, except for when she had been helping me. I’d pushed her too hard the past few days. She told me it was worth it, but I still worried about her.
“Look who’s here,” I said to Mom, stepping fully into her bedroom, allowing Rhett to be in full view.
Mom took off her reading glasses, a genuine smile on her face. “Good morning, young man. How are you today?”
Rhett smiled right back at Mom, his charm on full display. “Now that I’ve seen you, it’s fabulous.”
“Psh.” Mom waved his comment away. “It’s Holly who brightens your eyes like that.”
I whipped my head over my shoulder to look at Rhett. Sure enough, his cheeks lifted higher and the crinkles around his eyes were more pronounced compared to when he was at work.
Huh.
Never had a man’s face changed like that when he was around me. A thrill ran up my spine at the knowledge I had caused him to react like that.
“It must be something in the Dewhurst DNA.” Rhett grinned. “It calls to me.”
Mom laughed, and the joy on her face filled my chest with admiration for Rhett. He was good for her. He was good for me. Man, his magic brought happiness wherever he went. Rhett just might be a unicorn, possessing enchantments that enraptured women from near and far, but most importantly, two women who needed some light in their life.
“We’re heading out,” I said. “Is there anything you need before we leave?”
“No, I’m good.” Mom shook her head. “You two have fun at the festival. Oh, but will you bring home some of that lotion I love?”
I was planning on buying some as a Christmas gift for her. If she wanted it now, my idea was out the window. Hopefully, I would find something else at one of the booths to get her. Mom was the hardest person to shop for. She didn’t want big, extravagant items, and she never liked the clothes I picked out for her. Gift cards were what I’d resorted to the last few years, but I wanted to give her a more personal present this Christmas. “Yes, I’ll bring you back some lotion.”
“Thank you. Now go, before work claims your time.”
“Bye, Dee.”
“Goodbye, Rhett. Have fun!”
“Bye, Mom, love you!”
“Love you too, sweetheart.”
Rhett grabbed my jacket and scarf from the front closet and helped me put them on. “I’m ready.”
Rhett pretended to inspect me, his brows furrowed as he leaned one way, then the other.
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“Are you still in there? I can hear you, but I can’t see you behind the giant cloud that has engulfed you.”
Ramming my shoulder into his side, I said, “Stop making fun of my down coat. It’s warm, and that’s all that matters.”
Rhett suddenly snuggled in close, wrapping me in his arms. “I can heat you up.”
With the sudden fire scorching my body, Rhett absolutely could keep me warm on a cold winter’s night. “Later,” I promised through my thick throat.
“Fine,” he whined.
I followed Rhett out to his truck. He opened the passenger side door for me, but I stood staring at the height to climb into his vehicle like it was Mount Kilimanjaro. I waved a hand from my feet to the interior of the truck. “Next time, we’re taking my car,” I complained.
Rhett laughed, stepping right behind me. “But then I can’t do this.” Setting his hands on either side of my hips, he hoisted me into my seat as if I weighed no more than a candy cane. He then grabbed the seat belt and purposely brushed his hands across my torso, clicking it in. His cocky grin was the last thing I saw before Rhett closed the door for me.
Maybe his truck was better.
Soon, he was pulling out of my driveway, heading to the city square where the festival took place. The town blocked off traffic to the main square for the weekend. White tented booths lined the streets, offering homemade gifts, jewelry, and more. The massive, lit pine tree stood sentry in the middle of the square with a stage for performers right next to it.
“Where should we park?” Rhett asked.
“Noah’s food truck is on South Street. I told him we’d stop by. Let’s do that first, and then we can wander the booths after that.”
Rhett switched lanes. “I’m going to need more than a donut to keep me full. Is there another food truck or vendor where you want to eat? We’ll get donuts for dessert.”
Three years ago, there was a Dutch waffle stand with the best stuffed cookie butter and peach concoction. I’d happily eat that again. Not that I needed a donut and a sweet waffle, but wasn’t that what the holidays were for? Bingeing on sugar and joy? “I’ll let you know when we get there and I see my options.”
“You’re picky about food, aren’t you?”
“Please,” I sassed. “Why would I care about what food I ate?” I totally cared. Majority of the time when I went out to eat I was annoyed with myself for paying someone else to make me a dish I could have made better at home. On the rare occasion I found a place that was up to my standards, I faithfully returned.
Rhett laughed. “No reason at all. By the way, thank you again for dinner Thursday night. I think you’ve ruined me from ever attending my family’s holiday gatherings. No one, not even the food we have had catered, has come close to the deliciousness you made.”
“Aw, Rhett.” I placed a hand over my heart. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I teased.
“Just take the compliment, woman,” he said, exasperated. “And if that’s the nicest thing I’ve said to you, I have a lot of work to do.”
My coat swooshed as I moved my arms in a come-on motion. “I’m ready. Lay it on me.”
His lips scrunched to the side. “Nah. It feels forced at the moment. You’ll have to wait.”
“That’s just mean.”
“It is.”
“Moving along. What do you want to get?”
He held a hand up. “I’m not the one who’s picky. I’ll eat whatever.”
Just to spite Rhett, I might pick the nastiest food I saw there. Ew. Maybe not. “What is your favorite food?”
“As you witnessed on Thanksgiving, I’m a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. Give me a perfectly grilled steak, and I’m one happy man.”
“How does The Boardwalk compare to other places where you’ve eaten?” Had Rhett found a steakhouse somewhere else he liked, and if so, if I went, would I be able to figure out why Rhett liked theirs better than mine?
“Hmmm.” Rhett’s eyes narrowed. “It sounds like you’re hearing me, but the words coming out of my mouth aren’t sinking in.”
I had no clue what he was talking about. “What?”
He reached over, placing his hand on my shoulder, and squeezed. “How many times do I need to tell you how amazing you are? You’re an excellent chef, Holly.”
Faking innocence, I said, “Pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve heard those words come out of your mouth.” He’d told me multiple times I was one of the best chefs he’d worked with. I just liked hearing him say it.
He quickly shot me a dry look before turning his gaze back to the road. “So it is a comprehension issue.” Rhett tapped his thumb against his steering wheel. “I guess I need to figure out another way to tell you.”
I smirked. “Guess so.”
“Holly?”
“Yes?”
“For American food, The Boardwalk is the best I’ve had, and it’s one hundred percent due to the executive chef.”
Gushy warmth filled my chest. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”
“Happy to speak the truth anytime you need to hear it.”
“Is that so?” I quirked a brow. “If I asked if my pants made me look fat, you’d actually tell me what you thought and not just what you think I want to hear?”
He wagged a finger. “That’s a trick question designed to get me in trouble. Also, I highly doubt there is a single pair of pants in the world that would make you look fat.”
Aw, thanks Rhett. “Really, in the whole world? I may be small, but surely somewhere there is an outfit that wouldn’t flatter my lower half.”
Rhett smiled conspiratorially. “Should we travel the globe and find out? I will happily watch you try on every pair of pants in search of the one that dares to make your butt look bad.”
Heat flooded my neck and chest. Dang, I really needed to thank Noah for helping me find my favorite jeans. “Let me guess, you’d only want to see me from behind?”
“No, it wouldn’t be fair unless I assessed all angles.”
Rhett staring at me that much? I’d melt into a puddle from the intense heat of his gaze. “Unfortunately, I don’t have enough vacation time to explore all seven continents. I appreciate your dedication to the cause, though.”
“Now I feel cheated.” He frowned.
“Rhett?”
“Yes?”
A second wave of heat burned my neck and chest. “You can have as many assessments of my backside as you want. Just be discreet when we’re around other people.”
Rhett’s smile grew into a satisfied grin. “And when we’re alone?”
How could it be so hot when the temperature outside was hovering around freezing? “Have at it.”
Rhett’s chuckle rumbled throughout the cab of his truck. “Oh, sweetheart, I plan to.”
If Rhett was allowed a free pass on my rear, you’d better believe I would be returning the favor.
“Hey, Noah,” I said, stepping up to the window of his food truck. “Judging by the long wait we had, I’d say you’ve had a pleasantly busy morning?”
My cousin blew out a breath that sent his dark brown hair fluttering off his forehead before settling back into the messy do that took him forever to achieve even though it was supposed to look like he just rolled out of bed.
“Crazy busy, but that means more money for my store.” He rubbed his thumb across the pads of his fingers, signaling for moolah. “What are you two doing here?”
Rhett stepped closer to me, our shoulders touching. “Out exploring the vendors at the festival before we head to work.”
Noah pointed to the street to our right. “The lotion your mom likes is down that way.”
It was a thoughtful gesture for him to scope the vendor out for Mom. “Thanks,” I said. “Where’s Joy? I was hoping to meet her.”
Red crept up Noah’s neck. “She’s not here. Anyway, what can I get you?”
Hmm. Someone was being a little fishy. If there wasn’t a long line behind us, I’d pry for more information. Lucky for Noah, his customers saved him an interrogation. Rhett and I each ordered a donut.
My wrapped hands prevented me from taking out my wallet. “My card is in my coat pocket if you want to grab it.”
“This is on me,” Rhett said, pulling out his card.
“Correction.” Noah grinned. “Your order is on me.”
“Nah, man,” Rhett protested. “I’d love to support your business.”
“You getting Hols out of the house is payment enough,” Noah said.
I put the backs of my hands on my hips. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
To me, Noah said, “That you deserve to have a little fun.” To Rhett, he said, “Seriously, man, thanks for putting up with Holly and getting her to relax.”
“For putting up with me?” I asked, hurt. “It’s not like you had to threaten the man.”
Noah winked. “Just bribe him with free donuts.”
I turned my disbelieving gaze on Rhett. “Pay him. Noah doesn’t deserve to think he’s done us any favors today.”
Rhett, fighting a smile, silently passed his card to Noah. Rhett tapped a few buttons on the checkout screen, then pocketed his wallet.
“Bye, jerk,” I bit out to Noah.
He grinned. “See ya, Hols.”
Rhett snatched our donuts, then wandered toward the street Noah had directed us to.
“Sorry about Noah. I love him, but he drives me absolutely mad.”
“Clearly.”
I elbowed him as we walked past the other food trucks. The scents of roasted nuts, hot chocolate, coffee, cinnamon and sugar, and smoked meat filled the air.
We found a park bench where we could sit and eat our donuts. Well, Rhett ate his and held mine up to my mouth so I could take bites. The motion wasn’t heated or flirty. With so many people around us, we had to look like we were only friends.
Satisfied after eating my donut and ready to shop, we found the first row of white tented booths lining both sides of the street. Arches decorated in greenery and giant red bows were spaced every ten feet apart above us. White Christmas lights wrapped around every lamppost.
“What are you getting your parents for Christmas?” I asked Rhett as we casually strolled past the next booth selling children’s books.
He rubbed a hand along his jaw. “I don’t know yet. They’re hard to shop for. Whatever they want, they can just buy it for themselves.”
What would it be like to have that much money?“I’m sorry. My mom is also difficult to shop for. She’s not big on material possessions. I usually get her lotion and books. But it’s boring, and she expects it. I’d love to get her something she wants, but I have no clue what that might be.”
“How about you pick out a gift for my parents, and I’ll find something for your mom?”
I let out a shrill laugh. “I’m sorry. You think I would be able to pick out a good gift for your parents? Whom I’ve never met?” Was he crazy?
“Yeah. I believe in you.”
I blinked.
“Come on.” He motioned to the festival taking place around us. “Where’s your holiday spirit?”
“In self-preservation mode,” I answered dryly. This little elf had no clue what millionaires (or were they billionaires?) might like to receive. A painting? Telescope? Diamonds?
“It’ll be fun,” Rhett sang.
I highly doubted it, and I made him very well aware of that fact by the eye roll I gave him. “Fine. What’s my budget?”
“Five hundred.”
“Okay. I’ll see if I can find anything.” The next booth we came across was selling professional photographs of different landscapes in ornate frames. This might be a solid choice for Rhett’s parents. The images captured the exact feeling of each location and season.
The next picture was a grove of palm trees swaying to the right, with the bright blue sea in the foreground. A white lounge chair with a red towel draped over the edge sat in the middle of the photo. It reminded me of Dad, who had loved the beaches in South Carolina and taken us there as much as he could in my youth. If only we could afford to go back.
My voice quieted as we looked at each picture, knowing I couldn’t visit any of these places anytime soon. “Money’s been really tight since my mom stopped working. When my dad died, what little he’d saved for retirement was used to bury him. With Mom’s sickness, I’m covering her bills, as well as my own. And it probably wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t lost money on the sale of my condo, but I needed to move quickly so I couldn’t afford to be picky about the market. Once Mom was diagnosed, moving in with her was the only option to help care for her.” I shook my head, embarrassed I’d told Rhett that. “Sorry. You don’t need to know about my finances.”
Rhett squeezed my arm. “What you’re doing for your mom is admirable and extremely selfless. It further proves how caring you are.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you saying that.” I pointed—more like held up a hand—toward the wall of photographs. “Would your parents like any of these?”
He bobbed his head once. “They might. I’ll keep it in mind as we keep shopping. If we don’t find anything else, we can come back at the end.”
“Perfect. Let’s go find that lotion.”
Rhett moved his hand from my arm to my lower back. If anyone saw us, we’d get in trouble. But with how many people surrounded us, if Rhett didn’t keep some form of contact with me, I was afraid we’d lose each other in the masses. The festival seemed busier than ever.
“Did you hear that?” I asked Rhett. It sounded like someone had called my name. Twisting my head around, I searched the crowd, but I didn’t see anyone I recognized.
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“I must be imagining things.”
As much as I loved everything about the event, I was about ready to call it quits. A sea of black, blue, and pink coats surrounded me, caging me in. I felt like a sprite trapped in the human world.
Sometimes being short sucked. “Can you see a booth selling lotion and soap?” I asked Rhett. With his height, he might be able to get us to our destination faster.
“I think so. Four booths up on the left side.”
I looped my arm through Rhett’s, angling myself slightly behind him so he could mow a path. “Lead the way.”
After way too many bumps jolting my sore hand, we finally made it to the lotion booth. Rhett dropped my arm, taking a We’re just friends step away from me.
I blew out a breath, excited to get a small break from the crowds. Wood shelves sat on top of tables that formed a U-shape inside the tent. Dozens of soaps, body washes, and lotions lined the displays. I asked Rhett to pick up a few testers, allowing me to sniff which smelled the best.
He held a floral one up to my nose. I couldn’t tell if I liked it or not. “What do you think? Too strong?”
He leaned down, taking a big whiff of the open bottle. He winced, then choked. “Definitely too strong,” he sputtered. “It smells like my grandma, and trust me, that is not a good thing.”
I laughed, and he put the bottle back. Picking up the next scent, a nectarine and honeydew mixture, he held that one up to me.
I wrinkled my nose. “Still too strong. What do they put in these things? Whatever happened to subtlety?”
Like the way his woodsy cologne was gentle enough you had to be pretty close to Rhett to smell it?
“My mom likes their peony and vanilla scents the best. I’ll probably just get those again for her because you’re right, the rest of these are a bit much.”
Rhett got my card out of my coat pocket and paid for Mom’s bottles, and we each took a fortifying breath before joining the press of people, which had somehow increased in the few minutes we’d stepped inside the booth. Looping my arm through Rhett’s again, I suctioned myself to his side like a barnacle to a boat as we tried to check out the other booths. There were too many people blocking my view. Each step we took was barely a baby step as we navigated through the crowd.
This wasn’t like when I was growing up. We’d had room to move, to breathe without ingesting a dozen other people’s breaths at the same time. People who needed Santa to bring them a toothbrush and breath mints.
“Rhett.”
He continued weaving around people.
“Rhett,” I shouted, tugging on his arm.
He turned his head over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“I’m ready to go.”
He nodded. “Yeah, this place is packed. Once we get to the end of the street, we’ll go down two more blocks and circle back to my truck.”
We hadn’t eaten yet and hardly saw any of the booths. I was disappointed the festival had morphed from our town tradition into this chaotic affair. Finally, people weren’t pressed into me on all sides and I could breathe again.
“I think all of Connecticut came out for this,” I complained.
Rhett guided us away from the city square to a side street. “It’s never been so busy. They must have marketed it to more towns surrounding the area or something.”
“I’m bummed. If it’s like this every year, I don’t want to come back.” Which really sucked because it was tradition. If we didn’t return next year, it wouldn’t feel like Christmas.
“We’ll need to find a small town no one else knows about and crash their Christmas festival.”
I easily pictured Rhett, in his business suit, side swept blond hair, chiseled chest, and gorgeous smile, charming every woman in a new small town. Give him a family restaurant that was in trouble and there you’d have a Hallmark movie plot in real life. I hissed, because that would make me the girlfriend back home in the city who got dumped.
Yeah, there would be no other festivities unless we went together.
“What’s wrong? Why are you hissing?” Rhett asked with furrowed brows.
He’d heard that? “How about we find someplace to eat for now?” I was too embarrassed to tell him he had the potential to be a Hallmark heartthrob.
“I’ll let you pick where we go since you have such high standards, your highness.”
I dramatically flicked my hair over my shoulder. “That’s me. The high maintenance princess.”
Rhett threw his arm around my shoulders. “Where will it be, milady?”
“Francesca’s. I’m craving lasagna.” I’d never quite mastered Italian food and was happy to enjoy authentic cuisine when I found it.
Rhett placed a hand on his stomach. “Cheese, carbs, and meat? Sounds like the perfect meal to me.”
“Even if I’m not the one making it?” I asked with raised brows.
“You’ll always be my favorite chef.”