Holiday Hideaway

by Mary Kay Andrews

“I’ve just arrived at my family’s property here in Piney Point, and I’ve noticed a strange car parked in the driveway.”

little Christmas tree, set up in the parlor. Has someone been in here?”

with him. It happened a lot. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, let alone dated—smart, successful, and waaay out of his league.

Leaving him had been the easy part, but putting her life back together, starting over from scratch, had been so much harder than she’d ever anticipated.

He decided not to mention the concussion, the broken ankle, or, even more alarming, the gorgeous classmate who’d been camping out in the attic.

“You’re a terrible sleeper, you know that?” “So I’ve been told.” “You’re like a rotisserie chicken, or the spin cycle on a washing machine. You thrash around, throw off the covers . . .”

Tomorrow morning, I’m going to call Vanessa and tell her the truth. About everything. I don’t want to go back to Boston because you’re here.”

But this week—being here with you, and the mice, and the crumbling ceilings, even with a broken ankle—has been the best week of my adult life.”

“That’s not it. What you said, just now, that’s the sweetest, nicest thing any man has ever said to me. But we can’t be anything to each other until you’ve been straight with Vanessa. I won’t be the other woman. Ever.”