Greyston smiles. “I think if we spin it right, they will agree to almost anything.”
The thought of both of our families under one roof for the holidays excites me, and what has me even more keyed up is for my Gran to meet Greyston. Even though she’s pretty traditional, she’s always been able to keep an open mind about a lot of modern customs. Now, I’m not entirely sure how she’ll feel about the fact that Greyston and I are living together having only been together a short time, but I think if it gets explained that we were roommates first and a couple second, she might be a little easier to appease. Of course, Greyston is a total charmer, and I know that he’ll be able to win her over within the first few minutes of meeting her.
Yeah, Christmas with both of our families is going to be pretty spectacular if we can make it work.
Chapter 24
“Baby, can you get the door?” I shout from the kitchen as I check on the lasagna.
I’ve been in the kitchen almost all day preparing the food while Greyston has been on a cleaning spree in light of the family dinner we’re throwing tonight. While I’m sure we’re going overboard, I really want to butter them up before we suggest sharing Christmas together.
“Sure,” he says from right behind me, startling me. With a laugh, he kisses my cheek and grabs my ass—because he can—and then returns the cleaning products to their place beneath the sink. “How’s dinner coming along?”
“Good.” I close the oven and stand up straight. “It should be ready right away.”
The doorbell rings again, and I nod him away. “Go let them in before they think we’re up to no good in here… again.”
Greyston rushes off to answer the door, and I start grabbing plates and cutlery. I’ve just begun to set the table when I hear Greyston and our guests returning. “Can I grab you each a glass of wine?” he inquires, and when I turn around, I see that my parents are the first to arrive.
“Mom, Dad.” I abandon the table settings for a moment to greet them both. “Thanks for coming.”
Mom pulls me into a bone-crushing hug and kisses my cheek. “Wouldn’t miss it. Dinner smells amazing, Jules.”
“Thanks. It’s, uh, one of Gran’s recipes.” Knowing just how much my parents enjoy my grandmother’s cooking, I felt this was an appropriate choice if I was going to try and get them to agree to Christmas here.
“Oh!” Mom exclaims. “Speaking of Gran, her flight will be in at three on the twenty-third. Your father and I will be working, so would you mind picking her up?”
“Not at all. I’d love to.” I turn back to the table and finish setting it. “Did you want me to bring her to the house? I could cook dinner and have it ready for when you and Dad got home.”
“That sounds great,” Dad interjects.
When Greyston clears his throat, we all turn to look at him. “While I trust the mechanic did an exceptional job on your car, I don’t know that you should take it to the airport. Why don’t I arrange a town car?”
“It’s really not a big deal,” I try to tell him, but he just smiles, his eyes pleading with me.
“Please? I’d really rather know you and your grandmother are safe.” Understanding his reasoning, I concede without arguing, and Greyston smiles victoriously.
When the doorbell rings a second time, I excuse myself to answer it while Greyston pours the wine. Bright smiles greet me as I throw the door open, and before I can welcome Greyston’s parents, Jocelyn pulls me into a tight hug.
“Juliette, darling, how’ve you been?” she inquires. “It feels like ages since we’ve seen each other.”
I squeeze her a little tighter, realizing just how much I care for her and Daniel already; it still amazes me just how readily our parents accepted our relationship—especially given how quickly everything had happened between us.
“I’ve been good,” I respond as we end our embrace. “How about the two of you? Greyston says work is keeping you both busy?”
Jocelyn nods. “It is. I’ll be thankful for the few days off around Christmas to properly plan a holiday feast.”
Forcing a smile that I hope doesn’t look too nervous, I nod toward the kitchen. “Shall we?”
I lead them into the kitchen, and we find my parents sitting at the table while Greyston is tossing the Caesar salad. “Wine?”
Nodding, they join my parents and begin talking. After grabbing two glasses from the cupboard, I open the wine and have just touched the neck of the bottle to the rim of one glass when I overhear my mother and Jocelyn’s conversation.