I curse myself for not putting it on silent. It’s in my bag under the table, so maybe if I ignore it, everyone else will too.
I’m hardly Miss Manners, but even I know it’s rude to answer your phone at the dinner table.
Molly sips her wine as she studies her son. “Well, I can’t wait to have you home for the holiday break.”
“It won’t be much of a break if we win the conference championship next week,” he cautions. “If we clinch the Big Ten, we’ll definitely pull a bowl game.”
He doesn’t have to say it, but we all know the best bowl games are on New Year’s Day, so Coach Collins will want his players back on campus by the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh.
That’s what Brady told me, anyway.
“What are your plans for the holidays, Piper?”
Heat floods my cheeks. I can’t tell this woman, who lives in a multigenerational home, that my mother and I aren’t on speaking terms and there’s no point going home because she’ll just spend the day at the bar, anyway.
Talk about a mood killer.
My phone pings with an incoming text and I force a smile. “I’m going to stay on campus this year. I’m student teaching in the spring, so it will give me extra time to prep.”
“You’re spending Christmas alone?” Gran frowns. “No, that won’t do. Come home with Brady and spend the holidays with us at Willow Bend.”
My heart squeezes at the generous offer and it’s on the tip of my tongue to say yes, but I shake my head instead.
“I couldn’t possibly impose on you.”
Besides, if Brady wanted me there, he would have asked. I can’t just bogart his family holiday. That’s not how this works, is it?
My phone pings again because apparently one of my ten contacts has the patience of a toddler.
“Don’t be silly.” Molly clasps her son’s hand on the table. “We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we, Brady?”
He grins, revealing that irresistible dimple. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the holiday than celebrating with my three best girls.”
My heart melts just a little because I know he means every word, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be on Christmas than at his side.
“That settles it then.” Gran claps her hands together. “Piper is spending Christmas at Willow Bend.”
An enormous smile splits my face, but I couldn’t suppress it if I tried. I can’t remember the last time I was actually excited about Christmas, and the prospect of spending it with Brady’s family is almost too good to be true.
My phone pings—again—and Molly turns to me, brows knit in concern. “That sounds important. Why don’t you at least check it?” She smiles encouragingly. “The only time I message Brady like that is when it’s an emergency.”
I grab my bag from under the table and dig out my phone. The odds of it being an emergency are slim, unless you count Nora going on a bender an emergency, which I don’t.
There are three unread text messages, in addition to the missed call.
Unknown: We need to talk.
Unknown: Don’t ignor me curvygirl
My stomach drops, the excitement from just moments ago evaporating like water in the Sahara.
Unknown: The clock is tocking…
It’s Mike. It has to be. How the hell did he get my number?
And more importantly, what does he want?
“Everything okay?” Brady asks quietly.
