Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses: A feel good Christmas romance novel by Jenny Hale Page B

daylight fading on the newly fallen snow through the windows. He didn’t talk anymore, and she wondered if he wasn’t used to talking since he was accustomed to eating alone, but it was a comfortable silence. When she’d almost finished her dinner, she said, “May I test your memory?” She set her near empty plate down on the floor beside the sofa.
    Nick set his dinner plate next to hers and twisted slightly to face her. “Okay.”
    “What kind of cake did you have for your ninth birthday?”
    His eyes squinted as he attempted to recall the answer. “It was chocolate with vanilla icing, I believe.”
    “What did you wear on your first day of high school?”
    “Our school uniform: a navy blazer with a white shirt and tan trousers.”
    “What was the weather like the Tuesday before last?”
    He pursed his lips, as he sifted through the memories from that week. “Rainy. Icy, actually.”
    “It’s easy to guess the weather this winter. It’s either rainy or snowy lately. Are you lying?” she challenged him.
    “No.”
    Abbey’s thoughts were always muddled—she had hundreds of them all at the same time. She’d read once that creative people tended to think that way, and as a result, she’d had to work very hard to keep herself and her life organized so she didn’t forget anything, misplace something, or let dates and events slip her mind. She was always running a hundred miles an hour, barely even processing things she did. Sometimes, she had to focus just to remember if she’d packed lunches or not. So the kind of memory that Nick had was fascinating—she couldn’t even imagine it.
    Speaking of remembering, she jolted upright. “What time is it?” she asked, looking down at her watch.
    “Five.”
    Max was still at her mother’s, and she’d stayed far longer than she’d planned. “Thank you so much for dinner. It was delicious,” she said, standing up and grabbing her plate. He took it from her and set it back down. She hurried toward her bag, picked it up, and shoved her feet into her shoes. When she righted herself, Nick was standing by her. “I need to go. I’m late. My mom’s watching my son, Max, and they’re probably both wondering where I am.”
    “Absolutely. My grandmother had mentioned that you’re a single mother.”
    “Yes.” She shuffled toward the great entrance to the room that led to the front door. “I’ll be over tomorrow at around noon. I’ll be with your grandmother in the morning,” she said as she paced to the front door.
    “Perfect,” he said, opening the door for her. “I look forward to it.”
    He would? He’d look forward to it? That comment was enough to stop her for just a second. She was glad he’d said it because she looked forward to it too.
    He stayed in the doorway as she jogged through the snow toward her car, and he didn’t shut the door until she was headed down the long drive to the main road.
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    “ L et him sleep ,” her mom said as Abbey peered into her dark high school bedroom. Max was under the covers, his eyes closed. Abbey gasped and pointed, just realizing what she was seeing in the shadows. Two green eyes glared at her. “Is that Señor Freckles curled up at the foot of the bed?” she whispered. “I can’t believe he’s in there with Max.” Then, before she could say anything else, she heard the thud of his paws on the floor and he darted between them and out the bedroom door.
    “Isn’t that funny,” her mom said. “I haven’t seen that cat all day.” She stepped back and pulled the door closed, leaving a crack open for light. “Why not just let him sleep? You can drop his things off on your way to work tomorrow.”
    “You sure you don’t mind?”
    “Not at all.”
    “How was the decorating?” Gramps called from the kitchen. Abbey hurried down the hallway toward him to keep him from calling out again and waking Max. When she found him, he was dishing out a rather large helping of vanilla ice cream. He raised his