You can’t pretend that now!
You’re nicer in person.
Think of me as the guardian angel on your shoulder telling you to drop this charade and give everyone the gift of honesty this Christmas.
Did you steal that line from a country song?
I can see you’re not going to change your mind.
No harm in a few white lies during a white Christmas.
Now THAT sounds like a country song.
Have fun, Sally.
Breakfast time. Which meant showtime.
I slipped my phone into the side pocket of my leggings and ignored the fluttering in my stomach warning me of the myriad ways Operation: Jack & Sally could backfire.
But it wouldn’t. Ryan had this coming, and if I was being totally honest with myself—which I’d officially stopped doing around midnight when I figured no one wanted to pretend to date someone with dark circles under their eyes—it would be nice to have an excuse to get to know Nick better. Which we could do, now that everything was out in the open between us. He’d apologized and clearly felt horrible for going along with Ryan’s plan.
Granted, now he was going along withmyplan, but that was different.
I took a quick peek in the bathroom mirror. I couldn’t use the full-length one in my room without climbing over Chloe’s air mattress, so I had to make do with standing as far back from the counter as the wall would allow and jumping to see the majority of my legging-clad thighs. My outfit was nothing fancy—just another tunic sweater that hid my extra five pounds, and myfavorite broken-in boots, though Ihadtucked cute little leg warmers to peek over the top cuff and stolen a swipe of Chloe’s pink lip gloss while she slept. Other than that, I looked ready to enjoy a normal day with my family.
Pretending I was madly in love with Nick Kinsley.
I pressed my hand against my stomach as I stared at my reflection. Part of me still couldn’t believe I’d confessed last night. That Operation: Naughty List was truly over.
And that round two was about to begin.
“Ready or not—Oops.” I leaned in and brushed a rogue flake of mascara from my cheekbone. “Okay. Now ready.”
Time topretendto be in love.
I took the stairs quietly, hoping to get a chance to talk to Nick alone and figure out a game plan before my family descended for the day. Mom had said she’d like to go horseback riding while the trails at the equestrian center still had snow. I smirked as I rounded the stairway into the living room. It was almost too bad Operation: Naughty List was over, because there would have beensomuch opportunity to torment Nick while horseback riding.
But Nick and I were on the same team now. Christmas was no longer a weapon…it was just back to being something to survive.
I was in luck. Nick stood alone in the kitchen, hovering over the coffeepot as it gurgled to life. He must have found Mom’s stash of beans she always kept hidden on the top shelf of the pantry for emergencies. I hesitated in the kitchen doorway. Should I confess I knew that too?
Nah. Some things might be more forgivable than others.
“Good morning.” I reached around Nick to pluck a mug from the stand, then realized he’d already set out two red-and-green-polka-dotted Christmas mugs. My stomach seesawed. He’d been preparing to have coffee with me?
The guy made a pretty good non-boyfriend already.
“Morning.” Nick stifled a yawn. He hadn’t shaved, as evidenced by the dark scruff on his jaw. He had, apparently, showered, because he smelled like soap and the forest and a little like my favorite car air freshener. “I found coffee.” He gestured needlessly to the dark brew finishing its drip into the carafe.
“I see that.” Holding my breath so I didn’t inhale too much forest and give my brain the wrong idea, I bent to rummage in the cabinet by his knees.
He stepped back to give me room. “I already got us cups.”
“I see that too.” I straightened from my search and set two plain black mugs in front of him, then shot him a wink.
Relief sketched Nick’s face. “Oh good. I wasn’t sure if last night…if we were…” He cleared his throat, pointing to the polka dots. “If you were still…” He waved his hand through the air.
“If Cindy Lou Who was still at large?” I laughed as I hung the tacky Christmas mugs on the display tree. “Don’t worry. She’s safely locked away.”
