“Can I call you Elmer, too?” Simone asked.

“Of course you can.” He bent to carefully hug her. “You take care of the crooked elbow, you hear?”

“I will. I can’t wait to get to ski again. Can we come for February vacation, Mom?”

Emma laughed and rolled her eyes. “Let’s get home from Christmas vacation before we start planning February. Thank you again, everyone. We’ll never forget this week.”

Lucy hugged them both at the same time. “I’ll see you very soon. FaceTime me tonight, Simone.”

“I will, Auntie Lu. You’ll get sick of me FaceTiming you.”

“Not possible.” She hugged Simone again. “Safe travels.”

“I’ll text you when we get home,” Emma said to her sister.

Grayson took their suitcase to the back of his car and stowed it next to his, smiling at the possibility of keeping his secret until they got to Burlington. Yes, in fact that was a brilliant idea. It would be so much better to tell her there, right when she thought they had to say good-bye.

Chapter 19

There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.

—Friedrich Nietzsche

Grayson held the passenger doors for both “ladies” and waited for them to get settled before closing the doors and going around to the driver’s side. When he got in the car, he said, “I have to make a quick stop in town and then one more stop on the way to Burlington, but I’ll have you there in plenty of time. Don’t worry.”

“What were you going to tell me before?”

“It’ll keep until we get there,” he said, winking at her.

“Seriously?”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s just mean.”

Grayson smiled. He couldn’t wait to tell her the surprise—and he hoped she was as happy about it as he was. They pulled into the parking lot behind the store. “Why don’t you take Simone into the store and let her pick out something from me for Christmas?”

Simone let out a happy squeal and had her seat belt off and door open far faster than she should’ve been able to with one working arm.

“That’s not necessary, Grayson.”

“Mom! Come on!”

“I didn’t give her a present for Christmas. Simone, you can pick out whatever you want.”

“No way! You can’t give her carte blanche!”

“I just did.”

“What is carte blanche?”

“It means,” Grayson said before Emma could, “you can pick out whatever you want.”

“Within reason,” Emma added. “You have to be able to carry it on the plane.”

“Well, that rules out a pony or a go-kart,” Grayson said.

Simone giggled, and he lost his heart to that joyful sound.

He held out his hand to her. “Come on. I’ll show you where the good stuff is, and you can pick something out while I run up to the office, okay?”