Page 16 of The Christmas Arrangement
Nick leads me to a large kitchen and leans against the center island. “You want some eggnog?”
I’ve never actually had eggnog. “I’m not sure. What is it?”
He chuckles and opens the refrigerator. “Let’s start you out with something easy.”
He pulls out two beers, uses an opener stuck to the fridge with a magnet to pop off the caps, and hands me a bottle. He tilts his bottle toward mine and we click the necks together. Then I raise mine to my lips and take a long pull of cold beer.
“Pretty good.” I study the label. “Frosty brown ale. Never heard of it.”
“You wouldn’t have. Frosty Brewery is local. They host a beer garden after the tree lighting.”
I take another swig of liquid courage, then blurt, “Ivy and I aren’t really a couple.”
He quirks his mouth, then deadpans, “No, really?” He sips his ale. “Did you know Noelle and I signed an NDA? You’re supposed to be staying here with Lia Campbell. You can imagine my surprise when you announced that my middle daughter is your girlfriend.”
I choke on a mouthful of beer. “I can.”
“What happened?”
“I recently starred in a film?—”
“An Inheritance of Irony. The girls couldn’t stop talking about it, so Noelle and I went to see it for date night.”
Don’t ask.
I ask.
“What did you think?”
“It was a good film. Substantive. It stayed with me afterward. Although your rear end didn’t leave the impression on me that it left on my fiancée and daughters.”
My spark of pride flickers out, and I wonder if Ivy lied to me.
“All of your daughters?”
He gives me a curious, thoughtful look and is silent for a few seconds. “Come to think of it, that was mainly Holly and Mary. Ivy raved about the movie, but I don’t think I heard her talking about your butt.”
The flame relights, even brighter.
“They weren’t the only ones who focused on my physical attributes rather than my performance, and I didn’t handle it as well as I might have.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“So my manager and Lia’s hatched a fake romance plan. We were supposed to come here today and announce that we’ve been dating seriously and are taking a break from promoting our movies to spend the week whatever heartwarming Christmassy things people do in Mistletoe Mountain.”
“Smart. Cynical, but smart. However, Ivy is not Lia Campbell.”
Here we go. I sigh. “Apparently last night I—um?—”
“You dropped your drawers in front of the press.”
I clear my throat and try not to sound defensive or cowed. “Right, that happened, and as a result Lia backed out of our arrangement. But I was already here, Ivy had already delivered a thousand flowers, and it was too late to cancel on the press. I thought I was cooked. Then I met Ivy. I realized a real girl next door would make an excellent substitute sweetheart. Am I wrong?”
He gives me a level gaze. “No, you’re not. Ivy’s the real deal, and being tied to her in this community will make you an instant favorite. I don’t know about the rest of the world, and I’m probably biased as her father, but I think she’s going to give your image a bump. What’s in it for her?”
I stare at him for a long moment, then shake my head. “I don’t honestly know, Nick. I did agree to help her with her floral orders because I understand this is a busy time of year. And if she normally pitches in around the inn, I’ll be happy to do that, too. But I have no idea why she said yes.”
“Carol, Ivy’s mom, used to say Ivy collected strays.” He laughs.