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I think she might be more tenacious than her grandson.

Meanwhile, every instinct screams at me to pull away from his hand at my back and distance myself from Kingston. My stupid heart, however, screams louder in agony.

“Thank you for having me, Nana.”

“I love that you came, honey. Otherwise, Kingston would’ve been in for an earful, and I would’ve sent my husband to drag you here.”

Kingston’s grandfather jumps in. “She’s exaggerating, sweetie. I simply would’ve convinced you to join us.”

“You spending Christmas with us also gave me a chance to cook a big dinner,” Nana says, completely ignoring her husband, whose eyes shine with nothing but mirth and love.

“You’re always cooking as though you’re about to feed a small country, Nana,” teases Kingston, who has been standing quietly behind me.

“I never hear you complain,” she mock scolds.

His grandfather and I hide our snicker behind our palms.

A minty breath teases my ear before Kingston’s deep voice whispers, “I heard that, darling.”

I shiver, which he notices too because his hand tightens around my waist.

The four of us make our way to the living room after Kingston and I discard our coats and hang them on the rack at the entrance. A large Christmas tree steals all the focus. It’s sobeautiful lit up with colorful sparkling lights and toys hanging from the branches.

Kingston walks over and places our gifts at the bottom among the others already kept there. It reminds me of the other thing.

“We brought wine, Nana.” I pass her the bottle with a smile. “I’m guessing it’s your favorite since Kingston picked it.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to, Twinkle,” says Kingston’s grandfather.

“Thank you, honey. It’ll go perfectly with dinner.”

Kingston returns to stand behind my back and rests his hands on my shoulders. “She also got you guys presents.”

“Oh, Twinkle, you’re spoiling us,” murmurs Nana with a hand to her chest and stares at me like I’m an angel. Turning to her husband, she scolds, “See, I told you we should’ve gone shopping.”

He scowls and retorts, “You said not to disturb you in the kitchen.”

Rolling her eyes, she turns to me and mutters, “Stupid men.”

I laugh at her expression.

“Kingston, why don’t you give Twinkle a tour of the house while your grandpa and I set the table and bring the food?” she suggests, but is actually an order.

“I can help,” I offer, but she shakes her head.

“You can help bring the dessert later,” she says. “Spend time with Kingston.”

As soon as she and her husband disappear into the kitchen, Kingston turns me to him and tilts my chin. “Did my honesty scare you?” he asks point-blank.

I decide he deserves honesty too. So, I answer, “Yes. A little.”

He sighs and brushes his fingers through my curls soothingly. “I didn’t mean to. I don’t want to hide how I feel about you, darling. It’s impossible for me to do.”

“Why can’t we just enjoy the time that we have?”

“You know, I’ve spent most of my life living in the present. But with you, for the first time, I think about the future and wanting to spend it with you.” He shushes my lips with a finger when I open my mouth to say something. “Even if there’s an end date. I hate it, but I respect your wish. So, some time when I want to delude myself, let me.”

“I like you, Kingston. A lot. I’m not the kind of girl to spend months obsessing and crushing on a stranger I thought I’d never meet again,” I confess. “I’m just not ready for a commitment. I wish I was. And I’m not saying this to hurt you.”