“It’s lovely,” Gracie replied, confident that was the truth. “Everything’s new and fresh, and I don’t know about room service, but my mom runs the kitchen and she’ll make you anything you’d like, any hour you’d like it.”
“Your…mom.” She practically groaned and glanced at Marshall as if he had to know that family-owned mountain lodges were not her thing.
But he visibly brightened. “It’s a solution,” he said. “You’ll be comfortable and you’d be…”
Not here, Gracie imagined him thinking.
“Close,” he finished.
“This is so cool,” Benny exclaimed, scooping up Newt for a furry kiss. “The dogs can run around Snowberry.”
“We can hang out all the time, Benny!”
“And maybe, if you ever open that present, do a science experiment.”
“Is that what you gave me?” she asked, her eyes shining. “I’m dead. My gift’s the same thing!”
“No way! I don’t believe you.”
“Come and see it!”
Giggling, they high-fived and took off toward the den together, their little problems solved.
Bianca moaned. “This is not what I had in mind,” she said under her breath to Marshall, almost as if she didn’t realize—or care—that Gracie was still standing there. “Really, I’d hoped I could stay here and we could…reconnect, Marsh.”
Oh, boy. Gracie braced for him to relent, to take one long look at that shockingly beautiful woman—her skin didn’t even look real, it was so luscious—and realize he shouldn’t have let her go.
But he just closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m pretty busy over the holidays.”
She inched back at the tone, then turned. “Then thank goodness you happen to be here, Gretchen.”
“Gracie,” she corrected.
“Of course. I’m sorry. This is very kind of you. Thank you.”
“I can drive you,” Gracie suggested, before Bianca the Beautiful did a full-court press and Marshall caved. “We can be there in ten minutes, fifteen if the plows are running behind.”
Bianca sighed in defeat. “Please tell me there’s a decent espresso between here and there.”
“Three,” Marshall said, fighting a smile that made Gracie wonder if he was amused by the woman—or totally over her. Gracie didn’t know but she decided right then and there that she would not be jealous.
Sure, Bianca was drop-dead gorgeous and had just kicked a Christmas dream to the curb, but Gracie was not going to step one toe into jealousy. Bianca was the past and Marshall had said himself that Gracie could be the future. She’d cling to that with all she had.
“Olivia’s bags are in the garage,” Marshall said. “Come with me, Gracie, and we’ll transfer them to your van.”
“And I’ll take the self-guided tour,” Bianca quipped, barely hiding the distaste in her voice as she walked off in the direction of the living room.
The minute they were through the mudroom and alone in the garage, Marshall turned to Gracie and took her hands. “Thankyou and I’m sorry. I’d drive her there myself, but she makes my head explode.”
“It’s fine. She’s quite…something.”
He rolled his eyes, looking so much like Olivia that Gracie had to laugh. “The list is long of the somethings she is,” he cracked. “But you, sweet Gracie, saved this from getting messy and me from having to get a motel because she moved in here.”
“I could feel it all going sideways,” she admitted.
“Oh, it fell on its backside,” he grumbled. Then he leaned closer. “This does not change a thing that we just talked about.” At her look, he chuckled. “Okay, it’s a small change. But I meant what I said, Gracie. I still want this time and this holiday with you. Only you. Olivia has to be with her—by agreement and by law.”
“I understand,” she assured him. “Just…tell me when.”
