She rested her forehead against his chest, and he was grateful for her warmth and to have her fresh scent surrounding him once again. “It’s my fault. I was the one who made him join scouts and the soccer team and almost every activity he’s been a part of. I just didn’t want him to be left out, but now it looks like I’ve added to his issues instead of making them better.”

“You’re a wonderful mom,” he reminded her. He cupped her face in his hands and tipped up her chin. “You’re also under the mistletoe.” He raised his eyes to the strand of berries hanging above them.

“We don’t have an audience,” she said with an arched brow.

“I think this week proved that we’re better off without one,” he answered, and kissed her.

ANGI RUSHED INTO Il Rigatone on Saturday just after noon and headed to a booth in the corner, loading her arms with dirty plates and glassware before she’d even deposited her purse in the back or taken off her jacket.

The restaurant was at capacity, with groups waiting on the benches in front of the hostess stand. Dom had called and left several messages for her asking for help because they were down a waitress with the flu and two of the busboys hadn’t shown up for their shift.

Unfortunately, Angi had been busy feeding a high-maintenance bride and twenty-five of her closest friends and family when the SOS calls had come in. It hadn’t been until a break in the action at the inn that she’d realized Dom needed her.

In fact, the only reason she’d checked her phone was to make sure she hadn’t missed a call from Gabe. He’d picked up Andrew early that morning for the scout adventure in the national forest about an hour west of town. She’d sent enough food for the entire troop and had no reason to believe things wouldn’t go well for her son and his stand-in grown-up, but she worried just the same. It’s what mothers did best, she sometimes thought, even when there was no cause for concern.

Would Gabe get along with the actual dads on the day trip? Would he and Andrew make a good team as they worked on trail maintenance and tree cutting? What was going to happen to her son’s relationship to the surly and surprisingly sweet flower shop owner when their fake romance ended along with the holidays? For that matter, what was Angi going to do?

Whether better or worse, those questions would have to wait for another time. She didn’t have a second to contemplate the state of her life, which might be a blessing in disguise.

As she turned from the booth, Angi’s breath caught in her throat as she realized her mother stood a few feet away, glaring at her.

Her body went slack with guilt for a split second, long enough that the plates and glasses she held clattered to the tile floor. Customers from nearby tables gasped at the noise, then politely looked away as she quickly bent to retrieve the broken dishes.