Under the Mistletoe Read Online Free PDF Page A

impenetrable vibe was broken only by the little girl and huge brown Labrador at their feet.
    Mia’s aunts were in the window. They’d been incredibly kind but incredibly vague about Mia’s exact location. Not up to par on family protocol, Nick figured he had some serious ass-kissing to do. He was prepared to do that. What he wasn’t prepared for was the glacial wall of protectiveness from Maddie’s husband, Jax, and Chloe’s husband-to-be, Sheriff Sawyer Thompson.
    The dog and little girl weren’t imposing. The little girl was offering a soggy cookie to the dog.
    “Baby, don’t feed Izzy,” Jax said, and hoisted her up into his arms.
    The dog shot Jax a look of reproach and sighed.
    Everyone else looked at Nick.
    This was possibly the most important moment of his entire life, and he had an audience. Well, what the hell. He was good at tuning out the bad shit. He’d been able to tune out unfavorable foster parents, nosy teachers, menacing bullies…everything. It was a unique gift. So he used it now, and looked only at Mia.
    But she’d craned her neck and was watching Tara and Ford walk across the yard toward them. Perfect. Now everyone was here to witness this.
    Mia was wearing sweats—his, he was relieved to note—and her hair was piled precariously on top of her head. She had a sleepy-eyed look to her, one that he knew well. Normally, the heavy-lidded look was accompanied by a sweet yet sexy-as-hell smile as she woke up, stretched, and then climbed all over him.
    She’d clearly just very recently woken up—hopefully not with the tall, dark, and attitude-ridden Carlos, who was still standing too close at her back.
    Nick wanted to be alone with her to talk, but apparently she didn’t have ESP because she looked at him for a long beat, then gestured to the couple who’d just crossed the yard. “I’m assuming you met my parents, Ford and Tara.”
    They shook hands. Nick noted that they were watching him with guarded sympathy.
    “And you’ve met the rest of my family?” Mia asked him as she swept a hand toward the B&B.
    Nick nodded.
    “And Carlos?”
    Carlos sent Nick a narrow-eyed glance that said, You screwed up .
    There was no doubt.
    Nick’s life had been only what he had made of it. He was used to being responsible for his own emotions, just as he was well used to controlling them tightly. But he hadn’t slept for two days now, and his control was slipping big-time. Plus, Mia wasn’t showing much. Since she’d always shown him her feelings before—no holding back—this was a bad sign.
    “We need to talk,” he said.
    She arched a brow. “You came across the country to talk?”
    “I came for you. Look,” he said, all too aware of their company, “I know I suck at this, but can we talk? Please?”
    It may have been wishful thinking, but her eyes seemed to warm. “Okay.”
    Nick let out a breath and eyed their avid audience pointedly, but not a single one expressed any embarrassment at shamelessly eavesdropping. Finally, one of the aunts took mercy and stepped in. “All right, show’s over,” Maddie said, soft-spoken though her voice was laced with steel as she turned and gave the entire gang a shooing motion.
    To Nick’s relief, everyone actually listened to her and began to move off.
    Except Carlos. He grabbed the shovel from against the porch railing and leaned on it, staying right at Mia’s back.
    “You’ve had a long trip,” Mia said to Nick. “Though why you made it when you so clearly didn’t want to, I can’t imagine.”
    “I was hoping we could discuss that. Privately.” This last word he directed at Carlos.
    Carlos didn’t move.
    “Nick,” Mia said quietly.
    Christ , he thought, she was going to turn him down.
    “It’s a really busy day here,” she said. “There’s last-minute fittings, and the rehearsal dinner, and I have to help.”
    “I’m not leaving,” Nick said.
    “You’re leaving if she wants you to leave,” Carlos said, and set aside the