The memories of how badly I’d handled things then plagued me the next morning as I laid in bed. I hoped and prayed that Missy didn’t remember much of the way I’d treated her. And if she did, hopefully, she’d have a sense of humor about it.
Although this trip was about saying goodbye to Granny and reconnecting with my mother—which I felt like I’d been able to do—I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more between Missy and me. Every time I was with her, I was captivated. There was a spark I only saw in movies—which I always thought was a bunch of bullshit. I’d never had a problem talking to women in the past, but the history between us made things difficult.
As I lay there completely unsure of how I should approach her, I weighed my options. After much deliberation and a long internal pep talk, I convinced myself to just go speak to her.
I jumped out of bed and got ready before heading out to the guest house. I debated on whether to knock but decided after the last two encounters that it was probably a good idea. I waited with no response, so I opened the door slightly and shouted for her, but she didn’t answer.
Disappointed, I walked back to the main house, not paying much attention to my surroundings.
“Hey, Master Sullivan.” Bridget stood right in front of me when I looked up. “Lift your chin, or you’ll end up running into someone.”
I smiled but didn’t say anything.
She touched my shoulder lightly. “What’s the matter? Anything I can help with?” Her genuine smile nearly had me blurting out everything just so I could get some advice from a women’s perspective.
I contemplated for a moment, not sure I wanted to raise any red flags about Missy and me since really there was nothing going on…yet. But I really wanted to see her. I took a deep breath and opted for nonchalance. “You haven’t seen Missy by chance, have you? After yesterday I thought I would check on her.”
The biggest smile graced Bridget’s face. “I sure have. She was sitting at the kitchen island just minutes ago. I’m sure she hasn’t wandered far.”
“Thank you.” I smiled down at her before turning in the direction of the kitchen. I had to stop myself from running. I felt like a little boy with his first crush. It was exhilarating and strange. I just wanted to be with her all the time.
I stopped as I rounded the corner. Luckily for me, she was still sitting at the counter. She wore a cream-colored, cable-knit sweater and black jeans. She’d let her long, blond hair down, which was so different from her usual ponytail. I wasn’t sure she could look bad, but right now—even from behind—she was perfect.
I tried to creep up behind her to scare her, but she barely startled. She glanced up at me momentarily and then returned her focus to the laptop in front of her. I stood there for a moment, shocked by her lack of playfulness. She was always so carefree, and I was supposed to be the stuck up, boring one. Apparently, the roles had reversed for the time being.
I brushed it off and took a seat beside her. “Good morning, Missy. You let your hair down today.” I brushed a few strands out of her face so I could see her. “Is this a new look for you?” I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just went with the first thing that came to mind.
She burst out with an extremely fake laugh. “You’re still so funny, Sullivan. I guess old habits die hard. Or you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Whatever the case, I’m glad you still get a kick out of teasing me after all these years.” She didn’t even glance up from the screen.
“Whoa, Missy, I was not making fun of you. The complete opposite, actually.”
She finally looked up, but her face said she didn’t believe a word I’d just said.
I took a deep breath, wondering how I was going to convince her and decided to just go with it. “Listen, I am sorry I didn’t remember you at first, but you have to believe me when I say that you look nothing like your twelve-year-old self. It’s been eight years, and although I hadn’t forgotten who you were, I didn’t recognize the beautiful, kind woman you’ve become.” I paused for a moment and noticed her face had softened but only slightly. “When my mom explained, I couldn’t believe it, not because you weren’t cute back then but that you’d grown up to be—” I trailed off, waving my hand around like Vanna freaking White. I couldn’t quite put into words how stunning Missy was. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I was trying to pay you a compliment about your hair. You always look nice, but I was just acknowledging that your hair looks striking when you let it down.”
She reached up and twirled her a lock around her finger absentmindedly, and a small smile graced her lips, but she didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry for everything I said when we were kids. I was eighteen and at that age where you were far too young, obviously. Six years younger at twenty-six is one thing. Six years younger at eighteen equals jail time.” I laughed, trying to ease the tension.
“Listen, I’m sorry I snapped. It’s just that I have a lot going on in my head that I’m trying to sort through. Thank you for the apology. It means a lot. I had honestly forgiven you until you came back and all those old feelings came rushing back.”
I cocked a brow and decided to ask. “All the old feelings?”
The blush that crept up her neck and cheeks gave me all the answers I needed.
“Let me rephrase—”
I quickly cut her off. “Don’t bother. I know that you still have that crush on me.” I continued when she tried to interrupt, “Don’t deny it.”
She giggled, and the sound was music to my ears. “Glad to see you at least have a sense of humor under that stuck up suit of yours.” She smiled.
All I wanted to do was lean down and kiss her, but I knew it wasn’t the time. I would have to win this one over. “So, what are you working on?”
She turned the computer toward me, and I leaned in a little closer to see the screen. As I did, I caught a whiff of her perfume and had to refrain from leaning in and sniffing her; she smelled amazing.
Seeing the ZipRecruiter logo on the screen made my stomach drop. “Looking for a job?”
“Yeah, I figured no time like the present.” She shrugged it off like it was no big deal when it clearly was and not for just her.
I took a moment to collect my thoughts. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. I glanced at the screen again and noticed another tab was a realty site. My heart began to race a million miles a minute. I wasn’t sure what I was freaking out about. I didn’t even live here. She was also an adult, and I was sure she didn’t want to live in the guest house forever, but I didn’t want her to leave.
“Where are you going?”
She turned on her stool and looked up, sad and sort of defeated. “Before now, being around this house and taking care of Granny was all I knew and cared about. But right before she died, she told me something that has stuck with me since. She said that I needed to find myself; that I needed to find my own path in life if I didn’t want to end up miserable and filled with regret.” She sighed and looked down at her feet as she swung them back at forth. “Now that she’s gone, there’s no reason to stick around. Sure, I’ll miss your mom and Bridget, but I’ll come back and visit. It’s just that being in the guest house is too painful. It’s not the same without Granny there. Everything feels empty.” She looked up at me again. “I’m only twenty. I have so much life to live. I haven’t had a boyfriend since… Well, we don’t need to go there. My life has been Granny, and now, I need to make her proud.”
I wondered how long it had been, selfishly, of course, but kept that to myself. “I completely understand, but let’s make a deal. It’s the holidays, and I’m sure my grandmother wouldn’t want you to spend it looking for a job. Also, it’s going to be extremely hard to find decent employment this time of year. So, I propose that you let go of the job search for now.” I closed her laptop and stood from the stool.
She looked at me with a smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest and allowed me to continue.
“So, now that the job search is
on hold, you can take the time to enjoy the holidays with me.”
I pushed the laptop away from the edge of the counter and rested my hands on either side of her stool before leaning in close. Our noses were only a few inches apart. I couldn’t help but lean in just a little farther; I could feel her breath against my face.
She smiled and didn’t waver. “So, how do you propose we spend the holidays?” Her voice just a whisper with a hint of suggestion.
I chuckled uncomfortably. This girl had me feel things I’d never experienced before. Awkward wasn’t something that even hit my radar, ever, but with her, it seemed to be a regular occurrence.
I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. “Well, for starters, I’m going to take you Christmas shopping. I’ve heard there’s no better way to get a girl’s mind off things than by buying a bunch of stuff.”
She threw back her head and laughed, and the sound was music to my ears. “All right, I like that. Why not? I’ll go out with you. It’s not like there’s anything else to do around here.”
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.” I put up my hand. “Don’t answer that. I’m going to be content with the fact that you’ve agreed to spend time with me and leave it at that. Grab your jacket, and I’ll pull the car around back to pick you up.”
MELISSA
I wasn’t really in the mindset for shopping. I’d agreed because I needed to get out of the house, and spending time with Sullivan would definitely be a bonus. I couldn’t live under the covers, and Granny would be pissed if she knew that was how I was wasting my time. I’d also said yes to Sullivan because I was intrigued as to how this would go. Furthermore, I wanted to start over with him and see if we could move past the whole crush thing; granted I wasn’t sure I could say I didn’t still have one.
Helping Sullivan navigate the streets was completely necessary, although he wouldn’t admit it. He thought he knew where he was going, but he kept getting lost.
“Ugh, are you even listening to me?” I shook my head as he took yet another wrong turn. “Do you have a chauffeur back home?”
He gave me a side-eyed glance. “Umm…maybe.”
I burst out laughing. “That explains everything. Honestly, can I just drive? Or do you have a problem with a woman behind the wheel?”
He pulled over on the side of the road almost immediately and threw the car in park before turning in his seat. “I do not have a problem with a woman driving at all. I do have a problem with back-seat drivers, though.” He cocked a brow. “I know where I’m going, but I keep getting flustered and missing my turns.”
“Missing your turns?” I questioned; men were ridiculous when it came to admitting their faults, especially when it came to directions of any sort. “You are clueless. You’re making too many turns. I could’ve had us there ten minutes ago.”
He threw up his hands in surrender. “Fine, she’s all yours.”
I sat there in shock as he got out of the car. I couldn’t believe he was going to let me drive. His knock on the window startled me.
He pulled open my door and put his hand out for me to take. “Are you going to drive, or am I getting back in?” He seemed flustered but was still in good spirits based on the smile on his face.
I took off my seat belt and grabbed his hand so he could help me up. He pulled me out and into his rock-hard chest before wrapping one arm around my waist. “I think you’re enjoying this way too much, Missy.” The smirk on his face had my lady bits taking notice. The feel of his breath against my face had chills running down my spine.
“A little.” That was all I could eke out with him so close.
He leaned in; I almost thought he was going to kiss me, but he veered left to my ear. “I don’t doubt that you’ll be able to find the mall, but please drive carefully. This car was not built for snow, and I’d like to see where this goes.” He didn’t elaborate as he stepped back, and I immediately felt the absence of his body against mine.
“I promise.” I walked around the car, suddenly nervous about driving this car. I may have grown up with money and had plenty in my accounts, but my parents had made sure I was grounded and earned everything I got. We had nice things, but I’d never had a high-end car like this. My parents were more practical, and in turn, I was as well.
Climbing into the driver’s seat, I took a few deep breaths and buckled my seat belt. I noticed that Sullivan hadn’t got into the car yet. I leaned over and looked up at him. “Hey, you coming or you thinking you want to walk instead? If so, I’ll draw you a map.”
He seemed to snap out of it and shook his head, smiling. “Shut it. I’m coming.”
Finally, two hours after leaving the house, I got us to the mall in five minutes and pulled the car into a front-row spot with ease. With Christmas being two days away, I couldn’t believe we’d found any spot, let alone one that close. “I don’t know how we scored this space, but I’m going to say it’s because I’m amazing.”
Sullivan shook his head and laughed. “You are pretty amazing, but in my defense, this is a new mall, and all the streets look completely different than I remember.”
“Excuses, excuses. I don’t know why men can’t ever just admit they suck at directions.”
He chuckled but didn’t retort before getting out of the car.
I rounded the front and slapped the keys into his hand as he closed his hand around mine.
“So, what types of stores does Missy like?”
I went to speak, but he cut me off. “No, wait, don’t tell me. Let’s figure this out as we go. I can guess as we see a store. I love games, so let’s play. Whoever guesses the most correct stores owes the other one a date.”
I cocked a brow. “Umm…doesn’t that mean no matter what we’d be going on a date? So, what’s the point in playing?” I was a little confused.
“No point, except the date.” He shrugged and then pulled his hand from mine and put the keys into his pocket. Then Sullivan took my hand again as we walked toward the mall.
I stopped a few feet away from the doors. As we stood at the entrance to the mall, I took in deep breaths in preparation for the madness we were about to step into. I didn’t experience anxiety much, but this was going to be insane.
Sullivan looked at me questioningly. “Why are you doing that? Should I be doing the same or what?” he asked with a grin.
He had such an amazing smile; it was one of the things I loved most about him when I was a kid. If I weren’t completely lying to myself, it was also something that I loved about him now, too.
“You should. It’s two days before Christmas, and if you hadn’t noticed the full parking lot, this place is going to be a war zone. You should be prepared for any and all combat.” I tried to hide the smile, but it was no use. “It’s just crazy shopping around the holidays.”
He shook his head. “Women.”
“Clearly, you’ve never experienced a mall this close to Christmas, so you are in for a rude awakening.” I rolled my eyes at his naivete and pulled him along through the revolving doors. We stopped just inside the doors and took in our surroundings. “See what I mean? Everyone literally turns into monsters as they brave the stores to find their last-minute gifts like they didn’t know Christmas was in December every single year. You’ll learn a lot today.”
“Well, I am curious to see how a beautiful woman like you becomes a monster.” I could hear the grin in his voice but didn’t look at him.
“Be honest; do lines like that work on a lot of women where you come from? Because I’m still deciding if I should cringe or indulge you by saying it worked.”
He laughed but pulled me into his side. He seemed to be getting really comfortable with touching me, and I wasn’t going to argue—I was enjoying it. “I don’t usually have to use lines. You’re different. So, what part of the mall do you want to go to first?”
“Candles. I could use some new ones. I really need some new jeans, too.”
By the time we’d finished shopp
ing, we were spent, and the moon was hanging high in the sky. We walked out of the mall laughing. Shopping with Sullivan had been really fun. He’d left his businessman façade behind and finally let loose. I really like this side of him. This was the Sully I fell for when I was a kid, and I could admit—at least to myself—that I still had a huge crush on the guy. The problem was, I was just a holiday distraction. When it was all over, he would go back home and probably never think twice about me again.
On the way to the car, I stopped suddenly and turned to him. “Just out of curiosity, where did you disappear to earlier?”
He looked at me with scrunched up brows, not sure if he was playing dumb or truly didn’t know what I was talking about.
So, I elaborated. “Remember when you left me carrying all these on my own?” I lifted the multitudes of bags in my hands. “And you went missing for like ten minutes, ring a bell?”
He smiled back at me. “Ah, yeah, I didn’t go far. I just went around looking for…you know, man stuff, aftershave and whatnot.”
“And you didn’t find any? We can stop on the way home at the drug store if you’d like.”
“I’m good,” he said and continued to walk.
I was sure he was hiding something. Maybe he’d seen another girl he knew, and he didn’t want me to feel weird about it. I quickly shrugged it off and caught up to him.
When we got back to the car, Sullivan helped me get my bags into the trunk and then opened the passenger door for me. He rested his hands on the frame and loomed over my seat. “Hey, I really don’t feel like going back to the house just yet. Do you mind if we grab some dinner and maybe a movie if we have time?”
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