Read Online Blessings of the Season by Annie Jones - Free Book Online Page B

Though smiling wasn’t so difficult when he glanced at Addie standing to his right.
    â€œPsst.” She jerked her head slightly to the side and shifted her eyes to get his attention and ask him to get close enough to hear her. When he obliged, she whispered, “No matter what she says…”
    â€œI know, keep smiling.”
    â€œStay cool,” she finished for him.
    â€œI am cool.” He didn’t even sound convincing to himself.
    â€œYou are so jumpy you have been finishing my sentences all day.” She looked up at him from the corners of her eyes. “And getting them wrong.”
    He cleared his throat and tugged at his sweater collar, then pushed back his hair.
    â€œSo just follow my lead. I had to agree to a little something with Mrs. Goodwin in order to get her to stop talking and listen to me.”
    â€œJust what did you agree to? Where am I following your lead to?”
    She raised her finger to her lips as if to shush him and whispered, “Cool.”
    â€œYou got it. I’m as cool as you, my little snowflake,” he muttered. Then, catching what he had said, he held out his hand in a ‘hold it right there’ kind of gesture and said distinctly, “Not that you’re mine . I’m not trying to stake a claim on you.”
    The gathering crowd fell silent, and he realized that Mrs. Goodwin had just finished speaking and everyone had heard him tell Addie she was not his.
    She squirmed.
    He fell back on the old reliable smile. It had no impact on Maimie, who gave him a shake of her head before she turned back to the group, held up her hands and said, “And now for our big announcement. There are going to be some big changes for our promotional couple, the Goodlifes.”
    Nate looked at Addie, who stared straight ahead.
    â€œIn response to those who rightfully pointed out that our gentleman’s work life is decidedly un-fifties-like in comparison to our lady’s, starting Monday, Mr. Goodlife will have a secretary.”
    He looked to Addie, but her wide eyes were fixed on a woman in a towering beehive hairdo with a pencil stuck in it, cat eye glasses and an orange tweed suit.
    â€œMom!”
    Bivvy McCoy wiggle-walked her way onto the scene to the delight of the entire store full of people. “Ain’t it a hoot, Addie-baby? When I told ’em this was for charity, I got time off from work to come by a couple times a day.”
    Addie’s face went nearly white.
    â€œCool,” Nate murmured in Addie’s ear, then added, “I take it this is not the little something you agreed to?”
    The answer came not from Addie but from Maimie, who thanked Bivvy with a poised head nod, then commanded everyone’s attention again by saying, “And Mr. Goodlife is not the only one with big changes in store.”
    All eyes moved to Addie, and she tensed.
    He put his hand on her shoulder and stepped up close behind her. “It’s all for charity. Plus, the end result will get you what you’ve always wanted.”
    â€œMrs. Goodlife is going to become a mother!”
    Nate curved his fingers around Addie’s upper arm and got a good grip, fearing she might faint. Of course, she didn’t faint. Addie was made of stronger stuff than that. Keep cool , he reminded himself as he grinned and, trying to take the attention off Addie, said, “I guess that means I’m going to be a dad.”
    The crowd broke into wild applause.
    Addie shot him a panicked look. “Nate! How could you?”
    Nate tried to quiet the group, but Maimie took things in hand when she laughed and explained. “Our grandson, Jesse, will be filling in as Jesse Goodlife a few hours a day while on Christmas break from school.”
    â€œJesse.” Addie relaxed and whispered, “Oh, that’s so perfect.”
    This time he didn’t have to remind himself to smile. The way Addie had taken to Jesse got to him on a gut level.