Read Online Under the Mistletoe by Tracie Puckett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tracie Puckett
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butt.
Gorgeous. Witty. Spunk. Class. Sass. Adriana Holbrook was a
God-given angel. No wonder her grandchildren turned out the way
they did.
I moved past the decorated tree and into the kitchen where I found
Alex standing over a tray of freshly baked gingerbread men.
“Do all the Rivera boys know how to make their way around a
kitchen?”
He turned and smiled, unable to hide his wide-eyes as he stared at
me from across the room.
“Wow, Steph...”
“You like it?” I twirled in a circle. “It's a genuine
Holbrook.”
“You're...it's...the dress...” He shook his head and bit his lower
lip. “Beautiful.”
I blushed as I freed my hands from the cookie plate. “What sparked
the sudden interest for a Christmas party, Mr. Grinch?”
“I figured I ought to get some use out of all these
decorations.”
“I like the way you think-”
“Plus,” he added. “I put out one decoration of my own this year
that I'm pretty anxious to show off.”
“You did?” I looked around, praying to see mistletoe. “Where?”
“You'll find it-”
“I will?”
“Soon enough.”
I shrugged. “I'll take your word for it. In the meantime, anything
I can-”
“Steph, come in here, I have someone I'd like you to meet,” Calvin
called from the living room.
“I guess I'm going now,” I turned out of the kitchen.
“Steph,” Calvin said. “This is our grandfather, Emilio Rivera.” He
turned to the tall, graying Hispanic man and patted him on the
back. “Pops, this beautiful gal is Caroline's daughter,
Abcdef.”
“Well that's a name if I've ever heard one,” he said, skipping a
handshake and embracing me in a large, incredibly comfortable bear
hug.
“Wow,” I said, with genuine honesty. “Gotta love those Rivera
hugs!”
“That's what we do best” Emilio said, pulling his wife closer.
“Adriana, does this young lady remind you of anyone?”
The couple smiled at me, in agreement about something ... but I had
no idea what.
“Um... who , if you don't mind my asking?”
“Mia,” they said in unison.
“Wow,” Calvin stepped back. “I never really... wow, she does,
you're right.”
“Your mother?” I asked Cal.
“There's definitely a resemblance.”
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore that three people had just
confirmed that I bear a striking resemblance to the mother of the
man I … something .
Without another word, the couples walked away chatting, making
themselves comfortable in front of the roaring fire.
“Happy birthday, by the way,” I heard a heart-melting voice whisper
in my ear. I turned to stand face to face... practically nose to
nose with the sexiest high school teacher I'd ever seen. “Can I
steal you away for a second? I have something for you.”
I nodded, running my hands over my now goosebump covered arms. I
checked to see if anyone in the group had noticed our closeness,
but the happily coupled foursome was caught in merriment of
laughter.
Back in the kitchen, Alex walked to the counter and plucked a small
box from a basket. As he extended his arm to hand me the gift, the
door swung open.
“ Blake !” Alex looked past me and rushed to his brother.
“Merry Christmas!”
The
Gorgeous. Witty. Spunk. Class. Sass. Adriana Holbrook was a
God-given angel. No wonder her grandchildren turned out the way
they did.
I moved past the decorated tree and into the kitchen where I found
Alex standing over a tray of freshly baked gingerbread men.
“Do all the Rivera boys know how to make their way around a
kitchen?”
He turned and smiled, unable to hide his wide-eyes as he stared at
me from across the room.
“Wow, Steph...”
“You like it?” I twirled in a circle. “It's a genuine
Holbrook.”
“You're...it's...the dress...” He shook his head and bit his lower
lip. “Beautiful.”
I blushed as I freed my hands from the cookie plate. “What sparked
the sudden interest for a Christmas party, Mr. Grinch?”
“I figured I ought to get some use out of all these
decorations.”
“I like the way you think-”
“Plus,” he added. “I put out one decoration of my own this year
that I'm pretty anxious to show off.”
“You did?” I looked around, praying to see mistletoe. “Where?”
“You'll find it-”
“I will?”
“Soon enough.”
I shrugged. “I'll take your word for it. In the meantime, anything
I can-”
“Steph, come in here, I have someone I'd like you to meet,” Calvin
called from the living room.
“I guess I'm going now,” I turned out of the kitchen.
“Steph,” Calvin said. “This is our grandfather, Emilio Rivera.” He
turned to the tall, graying Hispanic man and patted him on the
back. “Pops, this beautiful gal is Caroline's daughter,
Abcdef.”
“Well that's a name if I've ever heard one,” he said, skipping a
handshake and embracing me in a large, incredibly comfortable bear
hug.
“Wow,” I said, with genuine honesty. “Gotta love those Rivera
hugs!”
“That's what we do best” Emilio said, pulling his wife closer.
“Adriana, does this young lady remind you of anyone?”
The couple smiled at me, in agreement about something ... but I had
no idea what.
“Um... who , if you don't mind my asking?”
“Mia,” they said in unison.
“Wow,” Calvin stepped back. “I never really... wow, she does,
you're right.”
“Your mother?” I asked Cal.
“There's definitely a resemblance.”
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore that three people had just
confirmed that I bear a striking resemblance to the mother of the
man I … something .
Without another word, the couples walked away chatting, making
themselves comfortable in front of the roaring fire.
“Happy birthday, by the way,” I heard a heart-melting voice whisper
in my ear. I turned to stand face to face... practically nose to
nose with the sexiest high school teacher I'd ever seen. “Can I
steal you away for a second? I have something for you.”
I nodded, running my hands over my now goosebump covered arms. I
checked to see if anyone in the group had noticed our closeness,
but the happily coupled foursome was caught in merriment of
laughter.
Back in the kitchen, Alex walked to the counter and plucked a small
box from a basket. As he extended his arm to hand me the gift, the
door swung open.
“ Blake !” Alex looked past me and rushed to his brother.
“Merry Christmas!”
The
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