Chapter 87 Chapter Eighty eight

Chapter 87 Chapter Eighty eight
I was standing in front of the biggest Christmas tree I’d ever seen.

Was I in awe?  Yes. 

Was I thinking about how it wouldn't fit anywhere? Or how it would get into the truck that would have to transport it? And would have the unfortunate, neck-breaking job of lifting it—maybe a small army of men who should’ve been basketball players? 

Yes. 

All of the above. 

But more pressing, I was trying to talk my boyfriend out of buying it. I planted my hands on my hips. “The price is outrageous,” I declared, tilting my chin stubbornly and bringing down my foot. “You’re not getting it just so you can add another gold star to the stars my mom already has next to your name.”

Jace blinked slowly. “Who said I was doing that?”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s obvious, Hunter. I can see eager to please written all over your face. And last night, you couldn’t stop telling her about the Christmas chocolate and strawberry-infused cookies you spent all day baking. And then when she asked if you—”

“Fine.” He cut me off, looking more hurt than offended. “Is it wrong that I want my girlfriend’s mom to love me?”

I sighed, mostly because I couldn’t fault his reasoning. I liked that my mom loved him. I wanted them to be best friends, because then I could stop worrying that his mom would show up out of the blue….

And that I’d wake up from the very good dream I’d been having, where I had the most amazing boyfriend and three wonderful friends. 

But-

I glanced around the section we were in the middle of—with nothing but Christmas trees of all sizes and colors and shapes in sight. My finger landed on one. “That one,” I told him. “That’s what we’re getting.”

Jace took one look at it. “Too small.”

“Too small? It’s like average-sized,” I commented. 

He shook his head, holding his hands behind his back as he walked over. The Christmas tree inspector. I didn’t think Jace could be picky about anything until now. We’d spent no less than an hour here—on the trees alone and we still had to get decorations and presents and stuff like that. 

I had a list, so I was pretty sure it would be an in-out situation. I thought wrong. He leaned closer, peering at the branches. Then he glanced over his shoulder, his lips flattening with the most disapproving expression he could muster and the driest tone he could give. “It’s fake, Thompson.”

My brows furrowed so deeply that I had a crease between my eyes. I walked over. “Fake?”

He stepped back. 

I walked forward. I had only seen it from afar, but up close…it did look fake. Not an attempt to imitate the real thing, but a fake. I turned to Jace with a sigh, anticipating the triumphant look on his face. 

“Fine,” I threw my hands in the air. “You win. The tree isn’t going to get through the elevator or the door, though.”

“Then we’ll cut a couple of inches off the top.”

I bit my tongue before I could make the argument that “we could’ve gone for something smaller, instead of getting something that expensive, only to cut it off.”

I was only glad to be done with trees. If I didn’t have to see another one in my entire life, I would be fine with that. 

We moved on to the decoration section, and once again, Jace proved to be a better interior designer than I was. He clicked his tongue every time I picked something he didn’t approve of. 

“You’re amazing, Thompson,” he said. “But I’m also in awe that you know nothing about how to bring on the Christmas spirit.”

I rolled my eyes. “Forgive me if Christmas was a budget holiday rather than a full celebration.”

The guilt on his face shut him right up. We went through the list faster after that, ticking them off one at a time. By the time we were done, I was more than ready to leave. 

“One more thing.” Jace captured my wrist as we walked out of the store. “We need to get a dress for you.”

“A dress?”

He nodded. “My grandfather hosts a Christmas party every year. It’s two days after Christmas, so everybody’s there. Everybody, from people high up in the government, to his pet horse.”

I tilt my head and blink slowly. “His horse?”

Jace nodded again, like it was normal. “Yeah. He dresses his horse as Santa. It’s a whole tradition at this point.”

So…the literal Santa Claus wasn’t wearing his uniform, but his horse was? What a revelation. “I guess I can pick something from my closet. There has to be something I haven’t worn in a long time.”

“But I won’t have a matching tie,” Jace argued. 

“I haven’t told you the color yet.”

He lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. “But I know already.”

“Black.”

“Don’t have.”

“White.”

“Don’t have.”

“Pink.”

“Don’t have still.”

I groaned. “You’re just trying to get me to say yes.”

He grinned. “Is it working?”

“Yellow.”

He tapped his chin, his lips pursing. Then he shook his head. “Nope. I think I’m out of all colors. And in fact, I just remembered that I don’t fit into any tuxedos. It looks like we might have to get you a dress, Grace Thompson.”

I rolled my eyes at him, but I didn’t object when his fingers slid next to mine, his grip secure and warm as we walked to the car. It took us to a designer store, with dresses on display that made my jaw drop before I even walked in. 

An attendant rushed forward, a familiar smile on her face. “Mr. Hunter.” She stopped in front of Jace. “We had no idea you were coming over. What would you like to do today? Measurements, first? We have a fine selection of suits that you might like.”

She held her hand out, gesturing the way ahead. 

Jace turned to me. “I’m here for my girlfriend. I need to find her a dress.”

The woman sputtered for a minute, her face turning red. Then she gathered herself, hurrying over to my side. “My apologies, Miss…” she trailed off. 

I waved my hand quickly. “Oh no. Please call me Grace.”

She nodded quickly. “Grace. I’m sorry—it’s just that Mr. Hunter has never brought in a girlfriend before.”

A flush crept up my face, and I could feel my cheeks heating up. Jace leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. “If you have any doubts that I don’t want anybody else but you, here’s your proof.”

“You could’ve taken them to other places,” I countered under my breath, even though my stomach was racing with butterflies. 

He made a sound under his breath. “Mm. That’s true. I think I have to cancel my membership with those places. We’ll find new ones.”

“Really?” I arched my brow, pursing my lips tightly. “How many girls have you taken to those places? One? Five?”

His brows scrunched as he looked down at his hand, closing one finger after the other. “I’ve lost count.”

“I’m very close to executing Seraphine’s famous drop kick on you,” I warned him. 

His eyes crinkled as his gaze lifted to my face, his shoulder shaking as he laughed. “Just you, Thompson.” He turned serious for a moment. “You’re the first girlfriend I’ve ever had. I’ve been with other people, yes, but you’re the first person I’ve wanted to hold hands with and buy Christmas trees and spend the night binge-watching sitcoms.”

I did make him watch sitcoms last night. 

And he did a good job of sitting through the first two episodes before he fell asleep on the couch, with his arm around my waist and his head on my shoulder. 

“Not bad for a sweet talker, Hunter.” I pursed my lips with a half smile. “I’ll give you that.”

“Good enough for me to talk you into getting at least one dress?”

“Oh,” I clicked my tongue, sauntering ahead and walking behind the sales attendant. “I plan on getting so many that your bank account hurts. When we’re done, you’ll be begging me not to get anything else.”

“I hate to inform you, Thompson, but it doesn’t have a limit.” I paused and glanced over my shoulder to see him displaying a black card. 

As usual, he looked pleased with himself to see the shock on my face. “It’s my grandfather’s,” he added. “He gave it to me the day we went to see your mom. He said, you buy her anything she wants, and you don’t say no.”

“Aw.” I slapped my cheeks. “He’s the nicest. If only he was much much younger and…”

“Hey,” Jace frowned. “I have a black card too.”

“But does it have a limit?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Well…it does. But you won’t get anywhere close to it, even if you spent an entire month shopping.”

I barely lifted my shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. “It’s not the same thing.” I drag my tongue over my bottom lip thoughtfully. “I should get something special for Christopher. Maybe I’ll bake him cookies with my grandma’s recipe that she passed on to my mom.”

Jace looked like the poster boy of green envy. “What about me?”

I pushed out my bottom lip. “I don’t know. You can sort yourself out.”

I wriggled my fingers, bursting out in laughter as he broke into a run just to catch up with me. He managed to, but I quickly slipped out of the grip with a distraction, racing into the dressing room. “You’re not allowed to come in here,” I called out. “You might be a member, but I’m sure your grandfather would let you sit behind bars for a night.”

There’s nothing from him for a while. 

And then, “I’m sure you’ll look stunning.”

I looked at the mirror and sighed at my flushed pink cheeks. “Of course,” I mumbled. “You just have to swoon when he compliments you, because he’s the sweetest boy ever.”

“I haven’t picked out any dress yet, though,” I told him, after recovering from the butterflies. Nothing. I frowned. “Jace?” Still nothing. I walked to the curtain and pulled it back. 

Jace had been standing outside the dressing room. 

At least that’s where I left him. 

He wasn’t there. 

But there was someone else. Her mouth curled into a thin, malicious smile. “Well, well, if it isn’t Miss Lovey Dovey. I told you I was going to make you pay, didn’t I?”

My breath caught as I staggered back instinctively, reaching for the curtain. “Regina,” I whispered in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”