have always bothered me. I didn’t want to miss out, but now I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”
She paused, allowing herself to think about him .
“And even with Alex, maybe that was meant to happen too. To help me grow up and lose the over-the-top optimism and get a reality check.”
Her face grew hot. God, she’d been such an idiot. “It’s pretty embarrassing to think of how naïve I was.”
“Don’t be so quick to turn your back on that part of you. Hope is magic in itself.
And trust is a priceless gift. Both to the person receiving it and the person bestowing it,”
Mila said, her wistful tone so out of character, it seemed to come from someone else.
Holly opened her mouth to question her about it, but the cool mask of indifference had already slid back into place.
“So, it’s back to work tomorrow for you. Get a good night’s rest and I’ll see you in a few weeks for the quarterly meeting.”
“Wait! I-I left something behind. I’m sorry, but I can’t go back there to get it.” Her voice broke and she bit her lip hard.
Holly waited for the condemnation but Mila’s expression remained inscrutable.
“It’s been taken care of.” With a wave of a hand she was gone, leaving Holly behind in her quiet little house by herself.
Maybe she’d go stay with her dad for a few days. She’d been alone for most of her life and it never bothered her before. But since Alex, alone felt very…lonely.
Even days later, as she stood at the foot of the bed of little Stevie Thompson, she had to bite her shaking lip. Don’t think about it. It’s over.
Holly reached down to her belt and unhooked the silken silver bag. Trying to conjure up happy thoughts, she extracted a pinch of fairy dust from the sack. It would soften the edges of the child’s memory. Give him a sprinkle in case he woke up when 61
Chloe Cole
she was trying to get the tooth that had lured her there from under his pillow. If he woke up, she’d dazzle him with a little fairy sleight of hand and their interaction would seem like it had been a lovely dream when he awoke the next morning.
She eyed the lump on the bed appraisingly and went back for a larger pinch. Stevie was a big fella .
Pulling back the cover gently, she sprinkled the dust onto the head of the child, who promptly sneezed in her face.
“Achoo!”
“Bless you,” she said reflexively, then paused, confused. That wasn’t a child’s sneeze.
“Thank you,” Alex said as he sat up in the bed.
Holly’s heart skidded to a stop as she squinted in the dim light to make out his features.
“What are you doing here? And where is Stevie?” she demanded.
“Stevie is my nephew, and he and his parents are having a luxurious mini-vacation in Martha’s Vineyard on me.”
Holly turned to go, but he took her arm, stilling her.
“Please. Don’t go.”
His sounded so raw, she halted.
“I thought I’d never smell that again,” he said softly.
She tamped down the urge to put a hand to her pounding heart. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“I don’t want to hurt you. I just want a chance to explain.”
“What more is there to say? If it makes you feel better, I don’t hold any ill will toward you. But you humiliated me and it makes it worse facing you. There’s part of you probably still laughing inside about what a sucker I was. If you’re truly sorry, you’ll do as I ask and leave me alone.”
62
Naughty Godmother
Her voice cracked on the end and she tensed her jaw, pursing her mouth shut tight to keep her lip from trembling.
“I want you.”
Ah, so he wanted a repeat performance. She both cringed and ached at the thought.
Anger replaced sadness in a flash. “I think you’ve had as much as you’re going to get of me, and far more than you deserved.”
“I don’t mean it that way. I want… you . All of it, the whole package. The clumsy, cute, neurotic mess who won’t utter a curse word. The wild, sexy, femme fatale who, no matter
She paused, allowing herself to think about him .
“And even with Alex, maybe that was meant to happen too. To help me grow up and lose the over-the-top optimism and get a reality check.”
Her face grew hot. God, she’d been such an idiot. “It’s pretty embarrassing to think of how naïve I was.”
“Don’t be so quick to turn your back on that part of you. Hope is magic in itself.
And trust is a priceless gift. Both to the person receiving it and the person bestowing it,”
Mila said, her wistful tone so out of character, it seemed to come from someone else.
Holly opened her mouth to question her about it, but the cool mask of indifference had already slid back into place.
“So, it’s back to work tomorrow for you. Get a good night’s rest and I’ll see you in a few weeks for the quarterly meeting.”
“Wait! I-I left something behind. I’m sorry, but I can’t go back there to get it.” Her voice broke and she bit her lip hard.
Holly waited for the condemnation but Mila’s expression remained inscrutable.
“It’s been taken care of.” With a wave of a hand she was gone, leaving Holly behind in her quiet little house by herself.
Maybe she’d go stay with her dad for a few days. She’d been alone for most of her life and it never bothered her before. But since Alex, alone felt very…lonely.
Even days later, as she stood at the foot of the bed of little Stevie Thompson, she had to bite her shaking lip. Don’t think about it. It’s over.
Holly reached down to her belt and unhooked the silken silver bag. Trying to conjure up happy thoughts, she extracted a pinch of fairy dust from the sack. It would soften the edges of the child’s memory. Give him a sprinkle in case he woke up when 61
Chloe Cole
she was trying to get the tooth that had lured her there from under his pillow. If he woke up, she’d dazzle him with a little fairy sleight of hand and their interaction would seem like it had been a lovely dream when he awoke the next morning.
She eyed the lump on the bed appraisingly and went back for a larger pinch. Stevie was a big fella .
Pulling back the cover gently, she sprinkled the dust onto the head of the child, who promptly sneezed in her face.
“Achoo!”
“Bless you,” she said reflexively, then paused, confused. That wasn’t a child’s sneeze.
“Thank you,” Alex said as he sat up in the bed.
Holly’s heart skidded to a stop as she squinted in the dim light to make out his features.
“What are you doing here? And where is Stevie?” she demanded.
“Stevie is my nephew, and he and his parents are having a luxurious mini-vacation in Martha’s Vineyard on me.”
Holly turned to go, but he took her arm, stilling her.
“Please. Don’t go.”
His sounded so raw, she halted.
“I thought I’d never smell that again,” he said softly.
She tamped down the urge to put a hand to her pounding heart. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“I don’t want to hurt you. I just want a chance to explain.”
“What more is there to say? If it makes you feel better, I don’t hold any ill will toward you. But you humiliated me and it makes it worse facing you. There’s part of you probably still laughing inside about what a sucker I was. If you’re truly sorry, you’ll do as I ask and leave me alone.”
62
Naughty Godmother
Her voice cracked on the end and she tensed her jaw, pursing her mouth shut tight to keep her lip from trembling.
“I want you.”
Ah, so he wanted a repeat performance. She both cringed and ached at the thought.
Anger replaced sadness in a flash. “I think you’ve had as much as you’re going to get of me, and far more than you deserved.”
“I don’t mean it that way. I want… you . All of it, the whole package. The clumsy, cute, neurotic mess who won’t utter a curse word. The wild, sexy, femme fatale who, no matter
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