Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“Don’t worry about that—she’s the same size as Anna—a seven. I know because they trade jewelry all the time. Come on!”
And Ethan dragged him into the jewelry store.
TWENTY-FIVE
MATTIE
Dinner was her mom’s special roast chicken with herby mashed potatoes and homemade gravy. It was delicious—one of the meals that Mattie craved when she was missing her parents. As much as she tried, she could never quite make it like her mom did.
Afterwards they trimmed the Christmas tree—a ridiculously tall one that her dad and Ethan had brought home earlier. They set it up in the living room, which had high ceilings and it filled the whole place with the fresh scent of pine.
They all trimmed the tree—placing ornaments according to where Grandma Thelma dictated. She was too old to be bending and stretching to put them on the tree herself, but she delighted in telling other people where to put them.
Grath trimmed the top third of the tree himself—it was the first year they hadn’t had to pull out the step ladder to do it. He patiently placed each ornament where Grandma Thelma told him and at the end, he also put the star on the very top.
Afterwards they plugged in the lights and all stood back to admire their work. Mattie’s mom put one arm around her and the other around Anna and squeezed them both tight.
“Oh, my girls!” she murmured, tears of happiness shining in her eyes. “I’m so happy to have you both here at Christmas! One married and one about to be married. And next Christmas, we’ll have a grandbaby to look forward to. Maybe more than one if you and Grath get started quickly,” she added, giving Mattie an extra squeeze.
“Now, Mom, let’s not rush things!” Mattie said quickly, casting a glance at Grath. To her relief, he was talking to her father and Ethan and clearly hadn’t heard her mom’s words. “Grath and I aren’t engaged, you know,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but you will be. My goodness, honey—I know the signs. I’ve never seen you so happy with a man before!” her mother exclaimed. “He’s going to ask you—I just know he is. You two were made for each other.”
Mattie wondered what her mother would think if she knew that just two days ago she and Grath had been at each other’s throats constantly. But they only fought because he was usually so grumpy and stand-offish. Since they’d come to Christmasville he’d been so much nicer—so kind and protective and sweet. Maybe there was something between them—something Mattie herself hadn’t seen until her mom pointed it out…
No, don’t be silly, she told herself. Don’t get your hopes up—Grath has said several times that the two of you are only playing parts. Don’t get so lost in the idea that he’s your boyfriend that you start taking it seriously.
“All right,” her mom said, breaking into her self-lecture. “Who’s up for hot chocolate and popcorn and a Christmas movie marathon?”
“Me! I am!” Anna exclaimed and Mattie had to smile at her sister’s excitement. This was another Porter family Christmas tradition that she loved. Though she had mixed feelings about Christmasville and the freezing cold of the New England winter, these memories with her family were pure and happy and she was glad she was home to enjoy them.
“I’m in too,” she said.
“And me!” Ethan said excitedly.
But Grath looked confused.
“What is a ‘Christmas movie marathon?’” he asked Mattie.
“Oh, it’s where we all snuggle up on the couch in the den and watch as many movies with a Christmas theme as we can,” she explained.
The big Hybrid looked even more confused.
“So…you have entertainments that celebrate this holiday exclusively?”
“Loads of them,” Ethan told him. “Hey—can we watch Elf?”
“That’s so juvenile!” Anna protested. And immediately spoiled her superior stance by adding, “What about Rudolf and the Island of Misfit Toys? Or The Little Drummer Boy? Or the Grinch that Stole Christmas?”
“Those are kids’ movies,” Mattie pointed out. “What about Love, Actually?”
“We can add it to the list,” Mattie’s mom said, laughing. “I’d like to watch a classic like White Christmas.”
“How about It’s a Wonderful Life?” Grandma Thelma asked. “That Jimmy Stewart is so handsome!”
“What about something like A Christmas Carol? Or Scrooged?” Mattie’s Dad suggested.
“I think we’re going to have to write down some of these titles and put them in a hat for a drawing,” Mattie’s mom said. “There’s no way we can watch them all in one night!”
Which is exactly what they ended up doing. Before she knew it, Mattie found herself cuddled up beside Grath on one end of the big leather sectional in the den with a mug of hot chocolate in her hand and bowl of buttered popcorn between them.
Of course, the night before Christmas Eve movie marathon was something they did every year, but this was the first time she’d brought a man home to share it with her. Mattie couldn’t help remembering how jealous she’d been of Anna and Ethan cuddling together and even her mom and dad, who were at the other end of the couch. It had seemed that everyone had someone but her.