"Okay. For a little while." Jilly stuffed her hands in her pockets. Tried to exhaled unobtrusively. Noah was wicked observant—
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said quickly. She couldn't attribute all her nerves to Ann’s presence. She'd been so incredibly stupid...
She'd been browsing the library app last night before bed, looking for a read that might make her drowsy enough to fall asleep, when she'd stumbled on an audiobook narrated by her handsome neighbor.
She'd started listening to it. And stayed up far too late, mesmerized by his voice. She could barely even remember what the book had been about. A makeover romance that wasn't even her usual reading preference. She liked mysteries and suspense.
It was Noah's voice that had captured her.
Or was she captured by the man, and hearing his voice for hours had only tightened the net?
She didn't know.
And either way, being so attracted to him was making her nervous. And she really didn't want him to knowthat.
"I'm a little thirsty,” Ann asked. “Does anyone else need a drink of water?"
"Honey Bear likes to drink from the faucet." PJ followed Noah's mom into the kitchen, still talking.
Lindsey followed more slowly, hanging back in the doorway. Casey remained on the floor, now stroking the kitten gently from head to tail.
"Noah. What's all this?" Ann called out.
From beside her, the man winced. Color crept up from the neck of his sweatshirt.
"What?" Jilly couldn't help but ask.
Lindsey backed away from the doorway, and Ann poked her head through.
"Were you going to make Christmas cookies?" the older woman asked.
"I was thinking about it," he mumbled.
He was?
Jilly's surprise must've matched what his mom felt, because the women shared an identical raised-brows glance.
He scowled as if he knew they'd done it. "You told me I needed more Christmas spirit." He turned on Jilly with the accusation.
She couldn't help smiling at his consternation. So she had.
"I guess I don't have to bring out the reindeer antler headband I bought you," she said.
His lips twitched. "You wouldn't dare."
"Don't tempt me, bud. It has jingle bells. Honey Bear would love it."
Ann turned to Lindsey. "Do you want to make Christmas cookies?"
"Meow."
Oh no.
Jilly had hoped they'd put the regression on the day of her birthday party behind them. And now Lindsey was back to her kitty persona.
Was everyone as thrown off by Noah's mom as Jilly was?
