A Princess for Christmas - Jenny Holiday Page 0,41

want to marry you.”

“I know that,” she said, taking a step toward him.

He threw both hands in the air. It was, on the surface of things, the same gesture he’d made as he’d walked toward her pretending to surrender but secretly planning his snow-attack. But this time it was protective. Self-protective. What did she think? That he was some kind of gold digger on a long con? “It was just a kiss.” Leo let some derision seep into his tone, even though part of him knew that was a dick move.

“Right,” Marie said quickly, too quickly, as her face shuttered and she took a step back. “Of course.”

Sighing, he let his head fall back. Despite his Catholic upbringing, he wasn’t at all sure about the whole God thing, but he could use some divine intervention right about now. Ideally, a celestial rewind button.

The window of his place opened, and Gabby stuck her head out. “Leo!”

He had to laugh. If God existed, it appeared he—She? Probably she—had a sense of humor.

“The sandwiches are ready!” Gabby shouted. “What’s taking you so long?”

What is taking me so long is that I’m having snowball fights and making out with a goddamn princess instead of doing my actual job.

“I should go,” Marie whispered. “I’ll get a cab, and you can—”

“Your Majesty!” Gabby laughingly called. “Is that what I’m supposed to call you? I googled, and I think it’s actually Your Royal Highness because your dad is the Your Majesty? Anyway! I’m soooo excited you’re coming for dinner. I made you a special sandwich! Wait till you see it!”

Leo turned to Marie with his eyebrows raised. He’d like to see her get out of this one. She stared back at him, and he could see the princess returning and her bearing grow stiff. He recognized that posture as defensive. She was in survival mode.

Well, so was he. He actually wanted her to leave. Kind of. But he wanted her to leave less than he wanted to go upstairs and tell Gabby that Marie had changed her mind. “What do you say, Princess? You’re not going to let a meaningless little kiss scare you off grilled cheese on the wrong side of the tracks, are you?”

“Hi! Hi! Come in! Come in!”

Marie could see what Leo meant about Gabby being happy about her school break. She was vibrating. Bouncing up and down on her toes as she took Marie’s coat and herded her toward a sofa where Daniela was already seated. “I’m so happy you’re here! I want to show you—”

“Ahem.” Leo, still standing in the entryway, drew their attention. “What am I? Chopped liver?” He tilted his head, leveled a mock-annoyed stare at Gabby, and pointed to his cheek.

Grinning, she skipped over to him and made a show of kissing his cheek. He must have thought that was going to be the end of it, because he took off his hat and started to pull away, but Gabby threw her arms around him. Leo was clearly startled, but he hugged her back, picking her up off the floor in the process. “Merry Christmas, kiddo.” His voice was raspy, and Marie’s throat thickened. It was seeing them together—the easy love between them. But also seeing how little it took to make Gabby, who had lost so much, so happy.

“Should we eat in front of the tree?” Daniela suggested when the siblings separated.

“We stuck apple slices in the sandwiches!” Gabby exclaimed. “Dani said that would class them up.”

Leo made a face, and Gabby wrinkled her nose at him. It was like they had a secret, nonverbal language. Marie didn’t have that with anyone. Not anymore. She and her mother used to do that. Maman would hold up DVDs when they were trying to decide what to watch and Marie would opine on them with merely her facial expressions. She’d forgotten about that. The memory made her smile.

“I don’t understand why a thing can’t just be what it is,” Leo said as he helped Dani set the coffee table. “Why do you have to put apples in a perfectly good grilled cheese sandwich? Why do you have to put candy in ice cream? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Gabby rolled her eyes at Marie as she set a plate in front of her. It was a small, private display, meant just for Marie—like Marie was in on the joke. It was more thrilling than it should have been. “My brother has such simple tastes,” Gabby said. “Do you know