Grandma Jo smiled. “Hello, you two.” Then she dipped the lower half of her face into the Burberry scarf wrapped around her neck. I’d never before seen it on her; I had, however, seen it on Esha Chakrabarti.

My mind was popping like fireworks. I didn’t know what to say or do. Was there an entry in a manners guide about how to behave when you find your grandmother has been getting frisky with the aunt of the boy you like? Oh, and by the way, you had no idea she was remotely into women? How would you list that in the index? Under Hella Awkward Family Moments?

I clenched my jaw so hard it was a miracle I didn’t crack a tooth.

Which reminded me of Dr. Raymond.

Who was probably never gonna get any use out of that mistletoe.

“Did you have fun?” Esha asked, as we reached them.

Arthur nodded. “Yes. It’s nice.” For him, that was a five-star review.

I stared at my grandmother. “Did you have fun?”

She blinked at me, uncertain. “We did.” Her eyes darted away and she blew into her hands. “But it’s getting cold. Should we head back home?”

Esha smiled at her. “Yes, let’s.”

The four of us resumed our trek to the parking lot. I watched them exchange fleeting glances and I kicked myself the entire way.

How had I failed to see it? Because now that I knew it was beyond obvious. The looks, their body language and laughter. It was right there. I felt like a complete idiot.

As soon as we got back to the Hoyden, I was going to talk . . . with someone.

My father? Did he know? About his mother?

And why did no one tell me? I felt excluded from my own family. Again.

I also vowed to corner my grandmother because I had questions. Lots and loads and buckets and barrels of questions.

And I would have done exactly that once we returned to the inn and entered the premises from the back way . . .

. . . except when the four of us turned down the flat stone pathway that led from the Hoyden’s parking area, we found our path blocked by my father, who was gesturing as he engaged in an intense and highly animated discussion.

With my mother.

Twenty-One

“Mom!”

I practically launched myself into her arms and hugged her fiercely.

She hugged me back and it wasn’t until then that I realized how much I had missed her. How she felt, how she smelled. Everything. The overwhelming number of issues I needed to talk with her about took a back seat to just having her here again. With me. Finally.

“Hi, honey,” she whispered against my hair, and the sting of tears pricked at my eyes and throat.