Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22504 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
I laugh as I melt against him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
CHAPTER TEN
Jemma
“So, you’re the new girlfriend I keep hearing so much about,” Quinn’s aunt, or his mom’s friend, or their neighbor, I don’t know, there are so many people here, says. “Are you getting married?”
“Married?” I say, nearly spitting my wine out. “We’re just dating!”
She narrows her eyes on me, not looking impressed with my answer. “Word to the wise, honey—nail that shit down asap. A good-looking rich bachelor like Quinn has a ton of options.”
“Okay,” I say, looking around the room for someone to save me. “Thanks for the tip.”
Willow sees me stuck in the corner with this crazy lady and hurries over. “Sorry, Madeline, I’m just going to borrow Jemma for a minute.” She wraps her arm around mine and pulls me away.
“Thank you,” I gasp when we’re out of earshot.
“That’s my mom’s childhood friend,” she says, rolling her eyes. “She’s so annoying. Some friends deserve to be left in the past, you know what I’m saying?”
“Definitely. Speaking of the past… How’s it going with your ex?”
I don’t think they’re exes anymore. Chris showed up for Christmas dinner and they haven’t stopped looking at each other all night.
“It’s incredible,” she says, looking across the room at him with hearts in her eyes. He’s chatting with her dad. “It’s like… We were never quite there, you know? I guess we both had some maturing to do or growing or something. But now…”
“It fits?”
“Yes,” she says, squeezing my arm. “It fits. So well.”
“But you live in Hawaii…”
She takes a deep breath and grins. “For now. I’ve been thinking of moving back.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” she says with her shoulders slumping. “Ever since the fire, I’ve been feeling like I’m just taking space from the locals. And I miss the seasons here. Vermont is so beautiful in the fall. I miss the colorful leaves.”
“I hope it all works out for you,” I tell her.
She smiles at me. “And I hope it all works out for you.”
My eyes drift over to Quinn as I take a sip of wine. He’s looking so handsome tonight in a gray suit with a white shirt and a black tie. My heart does that little flippy thing it always does whenever I look at him.
He’s talking to an older man who I met, but I don’t remember his name. Seriously, there are like sixty people here. It’s very overwhelming.
I’m wearing the cashmere sweater Quinn bought me the first night we met. This sweater started this whole crazy adventure.
I stroke the soft material as he spots me, excuses himself from his conversation, and walks over. My body explodes with tingles as I stare into his breathtaking eyes. This man is surreal.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Willow says as she slips away with a grin.
“Hold on,” Quinn says, waving her back. “I got you in the Secret Santa.”
“You did?” she says, lighting up. “I was wondering who got me!”
In their family tradition, they don’t open their presents around the tree in the morning. They secretly approach the person they got throughout the day to surprise them at the perfect moment.
“For you,” he says as he pulls an envelope out of his suit pocket and hands it to her. “From Santa.”
“It better be more than just a card,” she says with a playful laugh.
I’m wondering what it is as she opens the envelope. He never told me.
Her mouth drops when she opens the card. “No… Quinn. For real?”
“Merry Christmas,” he says. She jumps on him, hugging him as tears fill her eyes.
“Thank you,” she says, kissing his cheek. “You’re the best brother ever.”
She rushes over to show Chris and my curiosity is raging so hard I have to ask. “What was it?”
“She was devastated about the fires in Maui,” he says with a sigh. “I gave a donation in her name.”
“How much?” I immediately catch myself. “I’m sorry, that was rude.” I’m just so curious. I’ve never seen anyone react like that before.
“It’s okay,” he says with a comforting smile. “I’m not going to hide my finances from you anymore. It was ten million.”
This time I do spit out my wine. All over the wall.
Quinn chuckles as he takes out the cute little handkerchief in his jacket pocket and quickly wipes it away.
“I got something for you,” I tell him, a little shy about my silly gift. I spotted it at the Christmas fair we went to yesterday. When he went to the bathroom, I sprinted across the place and quickly bought it before he came out.
“Come,” he says as he takes my hand. “Let’s go somewhere a little quieter.”
It’s a warm beautiful night with a bright full moon lighting up the sky, so we head outside into the backyard where we can be alone. It’s so quiet out here, just the crunching of the snow under our shoes and the murmuring of voices inside mixed with the hum of Christmas songs.