She made a pouty face. “He doesn’t like Aussie.”
“Sorry, little buddy!” He paused for a second. “We should FaceTime. This is fun.”
“Okay, but I’m not wearing makeup or getting dressed on weekends.”
“Me neither,” he said, and she rolled her eyes. “We’re heading to London in the morning. I can’t wait for Monmouth coffee and biscuits.”
“Just a few more weeks until you’re back.” She’d been marking off the days on her calendar like a madwoman.
“So, I was thinking . . .”
“Uh-oh.”
“Funny.” He rested his sunglasses on his head. “As you know, I’ll be in Winnipeg for Christmas. My parents are going to my aunt’s, so I’ve booked a hotel room for the twenty-fifth.”
Do all hotel rooms have beds?
“Yeah, that makes sense,” she said.
“You’re welcome to join me. No pressure or anything.”
“My family’s having an open house on Christmas, but I can stop by the hotel later. Unless you want to come? Fair warning: everyone will be there. And I do mean everyone.”
His face exploded into a smile. “I’d love to.”
What would it be like to see him in person? Would it be awkward? Would he look at her the same way? Or worse—would he not? They’d been texting every day, but that was different. It was safe. But in person? There’d be no buffer, no screen to hide behind. Just him. Just her. Just the weight of everything they hadn’t said pressing down between them.
And what would she even say? “Hey, good to see you”? Too casual. “I missed you”? Too much. “You got what I need”? She almost laughed at herself. That Biz Markie song popped into her head, but no, she couldn’t just bring him home and say he was just a friend.
Not when she wasn’t sure what they were.
CHAPTER 16
CARY
Two days before Christmas, Cary and Kim waited for their flight in a private lounge at Heathrow Airport. The tour had been a massive success—sold-out crowds in every city—but he was more than ready to go home. The thought of seeing Tyler again had him practically buzzing with excitement.
“Do you think she’ll like the presents?” he asked.
Kim frowned at the party of gift bags beside them. “Dude, you got her too much shit.”
“Yougot her too much shit.” He’d sent Kim to run errands instead of shutting down the stores to shop privately. He’d felt like a jerk whenever he’d done that, but he understood it was for the store’s safety and his. “Thanks for doing my shopping. I know Bond Street isn’t your scene.”
“It is when I’ve got your credit card.” Her eyes sharpened. “Seriously, she, like, won’t be into all this.”
“I didn’t get her a birthday gift so I’m making up for it.” He scratched the stubble on his face. “Okay, I’ll keep some of it for Valentine’s Day.”
“C’mon, dude. That’s not very romantic.”
She had a good point. “Okay, what should I get her for Valentine’s Day?”
“A new car?” Kim smirked. “Seriously, she doesn’t like most things.”
“Hopefully she likes me.” He nudged Kim’s arm. “Can you keep a secret?” She looked up from her coffee and nodded. “I’m seeing her later tonight.”
Kim tilted her head. “Is she meeting you in Brandon?”
“No, no. From Toronto, I’m flying straight to Winnipeg. And from there, I’ll drive to my parents’ house.”
