Page 68 of Holiday Home 3
The rest of the day went by wonderfully, too. As he’d known it would. After all, he’d figured out the order of things.
He was trapped in a trend that had begun on the 26th. That was the day Trent sought Anna out, when all their trouble had begun. By comparison, the 27thhad been absolutely fantastic, and it was a day he’d never forget. Showering with Tess, his first kiss with Anna, his first time making love to Avril.
But then the 28thhad brought its sucker punch to his ribs in the form of Arnold Royce’s ambush at the tailor. And now the 29th, which he spent wholly with Tess, was brimming with satisfaction and pleasure.
So, how was the 30th, the third day in six where he’d meet someone connected to Anna, going to go? If history repeated itself, poorly.
But there was one difference between this third cycle and its predecessors. At least heknewhe’d be running into someone connected to Anna before it happened. There was time to prepare, to change fate, to end the trend before it truly became one.
To that end, he and Anna planned plentifully. They texted throughout the day, discussing tomorrow’s lunch plans with her mother. He could tell she was nervous about tomorrow.Understandably so, given how much she needed things to go well.
Anna needed an ally within her family. Avril was like a sister to her, but she wasn’t part of the Royce household. Anna had no actual siblings, and she had a rotten bastard as a father. She needed her mother, whom she’d spoken so highly of in the past, to prove herself worthy of that praise. She needed her mother to help her fend off her father. She needed her mother to support her independence and to be happy for her now that she finally had a boyfriend.
By now, Liam figured the falseness of their relationship had eroded enough that they really didn’t need to lie about how they felt around one another. So, they had that going for them, at least.
He didn’t point that out during their planning, but he did everything else he could to soothe her worries. Curiously, she’d picked Zeke’s as the location where they’d meet. When he asked, she explained that it had been a cozy environment, which she wanted for tomorrow, and he could at least agree with that. It wasn’t exactly the kind of restaurant a person showed up dressed to the nines to eat at. Nevertheless, he still took enough precautions to check with her if she wanted him to dress up for the meeting.
No, please dress how you usually do. I don’t want to put on too many airs; I think my mother will notice them if we do.
It made sense, and he realized he’d failed to consider that her mother might be just as observant as she was. It could be a hereditary thing.
What about displaying affection?he’d asked later that day, feeling slightly awkward bringing the topic up.Do you want me to kiss you on the cheek when we see each other, give you a hug, keep my hands free?
He’d seen Anna’s text bubbles appear, vanish, and then reappear for almost twenty minutes before he got her response.
I’d like for us to appear like a normal couple if that is all right by you. However, my mother also knows me better than most, so I think she would be somewhat confused if we did more than share a small kiss when we saw one another. I think she will already be surprised, merely by the fact that there is someone in my life I would do such a thing with.
It made sense to him, and he let her know that. Their end goal was to get Evelyn’s approval and blessing, silent or not, for their relationship. Whatever aided them in accomplishing that goal, he was down for it.
He desperately hoped things would go well and he could leave any worries of a curse behind. At least if things went disastrously tomorrow, he could latch onto the fact that the 31st, the day of Avril’s New Year’s Eve party, ought to be completely wonderful to compensate. Though, he’d rather just string three wonderful days in a row. Was that so much to ask?
There was only one way to find out, only one way to break the curse.
He just needed Anna’s mother's approval.
Chapter Twenty-Five
A Mirror to the Future
Determined not to be the last person to arrive at Zeke’s, Liam left twenty minutes earlier than needed. Anna had set their lunch for noon and, even harried by some frustrating traffic, he arrived fifteen minutes early. Instead of last, he was first, though only by a few minutes. Soon after he reached Zeke’s, he spotted Anna’s SUV as it pulled into the parking lot.
Knew it,Liam thought mirthfully as he hopped out of his car and waved as she turned into a spot next to his.
“Good morning, Liam,” Anna said, smothering her hair as a crisp wind battered her. As she walked up to him, she glanced about the parking lot for any sign of her mother.
“Morning,” he said, waiting for her to finish scanning their surroundings and drop her tense shoulders before he knew it was safe to hug her. That led to a quick kiss, which led to a longer one. It might have kept going had Liam not opened his eyes and spotted a cyan Mercedes-Benz SL turn into the parking lot.
“That her?” he asked.
“Yes,” Anna said, taking a deep breath and smoothing her outfit, which wasn’t quite as casual as the one she’d worn the last time they were here.
The weather continued to stay relatively warm for the time of year, and it might have nipped at almost forty degrees if not for the regular gusts that berated him and Anna for getting out of their cars as quickly as they had. When Anna’s mother noticed them, she turned in and put her car on the opposite side of Anna’s vehicle.
“Ready?” Liam asked, glancing at Anna.
“As I’ll be,” she said, wringing her hands together before snapping them down by her sides and beginning to head for her mother. However, just before she reached the front of her SUV, she turned her attention back to him. As if unriveting her arm from her side, she separated her elbow from it first.
Liam caught on quickly enough. Nodding, he extended his hand. By the time they made it around her vehicle, she’d gotten her hand away from her thigh, allowing them to hold hands.