Chapter 25
ONCE HIS PARENTS DISAPPEARED DOWN the hall, Malcom drew Lori into his arms. “You’re amazing, do you know that?”
Lori lifted her chin and met his hazel eyes. She brushed a finger across his jaw, enjoying the bristles. “I like your parents. And your mom’s bite is more like a nip.”
“She’s hardly spoken a word,” he said.
“She doesn’t need to. I’m pretty sure I know what she wants to say.”
“Is that why you bought her a gift?”
Lori smiled. “I saw it and knew it would be perfect for her.” She lifted a shoulder, then slipped her arms about his neck. “But a little appreciation always goes a long way.”
“Mm-hmm.” Malcom bent to kiss her.
She wished they could enjoy kissing a little more. But his parents were only steps away.
“Come on, let’s get to work,” she said, with a playful push to his chest. In a short time, she and Malcom had the leftovers packed away and the table cleared.
“Oh, by the way,” he said, snagging her hand as they crossed paths. “Bronson’s wife is two months pregnant, and Penny’s engaged to one of her exes. Not sure which one.”
Lori stared at him. “Wow. Those are both big things.”
“Yeah, really big.” Malcom ran a thumb over her fingers, which were still intertwined with his. “And it’s good news for me, for us. Maybe Bronson will finally take more responsibility in life, and well, good riddance to Penny.”
Lori smirked. “Are you going to miss being the obsession of another woman?”
He shook his head. “I don’t mind being your obsession.”
She lifted her brows. “You’ll never be able to prove it.” She might be playing hardball with him, but she pressed a kiss on his mouth, so maybe not at all.
“I need to tell you one more thing, though.”
“You’re making my head spin, Mr. Graves.”
He ran his free hand along her neck, then rested it on her shoulder. “I hope it’s in a good way, but I told my parents something. And I should have told you first.”
Lori waited, expectant.
He drew in a steadying breath and scanned her face. “I told them that I’m in love with you.”
Had he really said . . . Lori didn’t move, didn’t speak.
“I’ve known it for a while,” he continued in a low rumble. “Maybe when you offered to go with me to Montana to see my father. Or maybe when you agreed to be my fake date.”
“We’d barely met back then,” she said in a quiet voice. She blinked at the sudden moisture in her eyes.
“I can’t exactly define the moment, but it’s here.” He drew her hand to his chest, right over his heart, and she could feel it thumping. “You’re in my heart. And every time I’m with you, it’s like my entire being is filled up. I love you, sweetheart, and I hope that doesn’t scare you away.”
A tear fell onto her cheek, and she swiped it away. Where had this man come from and how had he ended up in her life? She marveled at everything he was. “Look up, Malcom.”
Confusion creased his brow, but he looked up. Above them dangled some mistletoe. In fact, there were multiple bunches of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling, continuing into the living room. “What have you done?” he asked with a laugh, although it sounded like his heart was in his throat.
“I’ve strategically placed mistletoe throughout the house so there will be no shortage of kissing . . . you.”
“Hmm,” he murmured, his gaze back on her. “So I haven’t scared you off? You’re giving me a lot of hope, and I like all of your ideas.”
Lori moved her fingers along the base of his neck, making goose bumps spread across his skin.
“I kind of wish my parents would leave now,” he whispered. “I’d rather have you all to myself. After the hot chocolate event, of course.”
“They can’t leave until I win them over,” she said, her tone mostly serious.
“I told you their opinion doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “They already know how I feel about you, and they’ll have to get used to it.”
She melted a little at his words and anchored her arms about his neck. She should tell him. He deserved to know. “It’s important to me, Malcom, because I love you too.”
He stared at her for a moment. His eyes focused on her, steady and true. “Really?” he whispered.
“Really.”
He drew her flush against him, lifting her off the ground as he kissed her. She was definitely melting now. Deep down, she’d never feel so connected to any other person besides him.
They only broke apart because of the sounds of his parents’ footsteps from the hallway.
Lori straightened her mistletoe headband. Surely, her cheeks were Christmas red when she turned to face Malcom’s parents.
His mom’s smile seemed genuine though, and she wore the turquoise jewelry set.
“That looks lovely on you,” Lori told her.
She beamed. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate the gift.”
Malcom moved his hand along Lori’s back. “Everyone ready?” he asked.
“Let’s go,” his mom said.
Lori crossed to his dad and linked arms. “I need to warn you, your son’s kind of a big deal around here. People will want to ask you all kinds of questions.”
“Oh?” Mr. Graves said. “I think I could manage that.”
They filed out of the house, and as Malcom shut and locked the front door, his mom paused with him on the porch. “I like her,” she said simply.
Lori wasn’t sure if she was meant to overhear, but she felt a bubble of giddiness move through her.
“She has a generous heart,” Malcom’s mom continued. “And I’m not talking about the gift. You’re different around her. There’s a light in your eyes when you look at her—something I’ve never seen with anyone else.”
Lori knew his dad was listening too, because he squeezed her arm.
“I should have put more trust in your decisions all along,” Mrs. Graves added. “Thanks for being patient with me.”
Lori guessed it was probably the most sincere and real thing Malcom had ever heard his mom say. As for Lori, her heart had just expanded three times. Yeah, things in Malcom’s family were definitely complicated. But maybe it was possible for everyone to move past all the betrayals and find a new sense of peace.
By the time Malcom joined them at the truck, Lori was settled in the front seat. “They insisted,” she said with a laugh. “And your parents can be pretty persistent.”
He only smiled and reached for her hand, then proceeded to back the truck out of the driveway with one hand. Easy.
When they parked at the store, it was already bustling with setup. Marci was there, directing everyone to their places.
Malcom introduced his parents to those he knew, and Lori took over the rest. During the next couple of hours, all of her friends showed up, and she observed his parents chatting to plenty of townspeople. She had situated them at one of the tables with some padded chairs, next to a space heater. With the shop door opening and closing so much, the temperature remained brisk.
Each time his mom laughed, Lori smiled to herself, her confidence growing. They’d won over the woman. Who knew it would be as simple as bringing her to Everly Falls? Right now, she was chatting with Lydia, who’d done a full one-eighty in her opinion of the condo project—which now seemed to be paying off big—and Malcom.
Apparently finished with his judging of the hot chocolate, Malcom now chatted easily with the townspeople as well, although mostly Austin and Cal, who’d come with Everly and Brandy. All the guys were good-looking in their own way, but there was something special about Malcom. Her man. She liked the sound of that. And he’d told her he loved her. Another round of giddy bubbles floated through her. He’d told his parents, and then he’d told her. Was it possible to feel so happy, so content?
She loved that he’d made solid friends, and she loved that he’d put his heart and soul into the condo project—making things right.
“Hey,” Lori said, sliding her hand into his. He turned to look at her, linking their fingers as he smiled. She had the urge to kiss him, right then and there, in front of half the town. “Looks like your parents are enjoying themselves.”
Malcom drew her closer. “They are. I don’t think I’ve seen my parents enjoy an event together this much. Of course, I haven’t seen them together much since I was a kid.”
He released her hand and draped an arm about her shoulders. She leaned into him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “I’m glad they’re having fun.” She tilted her head up to find him gazing at her.
“Is there some mistletoe in the hallway over there?”
She glanced where he’d indicated. The hallway split off to the storage room, and beyond was the door that led to her apartment. “I don’t think so.”
“What?” He touched one of her ornament earrings, making it bob. “You have mistletoe all over the house, even on your headband, yet you only have . . .” He craned his neck to look around. “One sprig by the front door.”
Lori bit her lip and considered. “You’re right. We definitely need more mistletoe in the shop.”
“Where do you keep it?” he asked.
She gazed at him with surprise. He was really getting into this Christmas decorating thing. “There’s a box in the storage room.”
Malcom steered her away from the main shop, toward the storage room.
“What’s gotten into you?” she asked with a laugh.
He kissed her on the cheek. “You.”
She laughed again and opened the storage room. After turning on the light, it didn’t take long to find the box. Malcom pulled out only one sprig, then cut off a piece of twine from the giant roll on a shelf. Then he grabbed her hand and led her out of the room, turning off the light. This left the hallway dim, and he reached up and found a place to hang the sprig of mistletoe, securing it tightly with the twine.
“There,” he said. “Much better.”
“You’re totally hooked on Christmas, aren’t you?”
“That’s one way to put it.” He settled his hands at her waist, and she reciprocated by resting her hands on his biceps.
Leaning close, he whispered in her ear, “Did I tell you that I like your earrings?”
She smiled, her skin pebbling. “I don’t remember. You’ll have to tell me again.” She felt his smile against her neck.
“I like your earrings,” he whispered. “But I love you.”
She laughed. “And I love you.”
He kissed her, like she expected, but she didn’t expect the surge of emotion that swelled inside of her. Every day—no, every moment—seemed to get better with Malcom. She slid her hands up his arms and settled them behind his neck, drawing him closer and kissing him back. His mouth was soft, warm, seeking, as if telling her they had all the time in the world. Because he wasn’t going anywhere, and neither was she.
It had definitely been a good call to hang more mistletoe.