Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“So Grath and I were thinking we would stay home today and help you decorate,” Madeline was saying to her mother as she ate her own First Meal—or “breakfast” as the humans called it. She was wearing a deep red sweater that made her creamy skin luminous and brought out the red highlights in her wavy brown hair. She looked fucking gorgeous to Grath, but then, he always thought she looked good.
“Don’t be silly—everything’s done but the tree and you can help us do that tonight after supper!” her mother said. “Besides, I entered you in the Christmas Cookie Bake-off at the Civic Center.”
“Mom! You didn’t!” Madeline protested, putting down her fork. “Honestly, you know I never win!”
“Only because that nasty Amanda Hutchinson’s Uncle has always been one of the judges!” Grandma Thelma spoke up. “But he stepped down this year and there’s a new judge in his place, so for once it’s going to be a fair contest!”
“And your pecan sandy snowballs are the best Christmas Cookie around, sweetie,” Madeline’s father put in, smiling at her. “You go down there to the Civic Center and bake your heart out!”
“I couldn’t,” Madeline protested again.
“Why not?” Grath rumbled.
He liked the idea of a contest—especially against one of Madeline’s tormentors. Of course, this “Amanda” person was female, so he couldn’t hurt her physically, but it would definitely be sweet revenge for Madeline to vanquish her in the baking contest.
“I’ll go with you,” he told her. “I’d like to taste these ‘sandy balls’ you make.”
Madeline stifled a smile for some reason.
“They’re pecan sandy snowballs,” she corrected.
Grath shrugged.
“Whatever. I’m certain you make better balls than this other female whose relation judged the contest unfairly in the past.”
“Oh, yeah,” Anna said with a completely straight face. “Mattie makes the best balls.”
“And the biggest balls,” Ethan added and the two of them started snickering. “They’re huge.”
“And so tender,” Anna added, laughing harder. “Why, Mattie’s balls practically melt in your mouth!”
“You two behave—you’re acting like children!” Madeline’s mother commanded. Then she looked at Madeline. “It’s too late to back out now, sweetie,” she said firmly. “They finalized the list last week. If you don’t go, it will put a big hole in the program!”
“Well…” Madeline looked around at her family helplessly and then her eyes settled on Grath.
He nodded at her encouragingly.
“I think you should go make these huge, tender balls of yours,” he told her gravely. “Let the judges taste your balls and judge them accordingly.” This made Madeline’s sister and brother-in-law laugh even harder, but he ignored them and concentrated on Madeline.
“All right…all right.” She lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’ll do it.”
“Good.” Grath nodded. It would be good to observe this Earth custom, the “Christmas Cookie Bake-off,” but it would be even better to watch Madeline demolish one of the foes that had made her younger life here so miserable.
He couldn’t fucking wait to see it.
FIFTEEN
MATTIE
There was a little time before the Bake-off started, so they didn’t have to rush. Mattie was glad of that—she needed to find a way to talk to Grath about the kiss they’d shared under the mistletoe and make sure something like it didn’t happen again.
It had snowed overnight but the sun was out, shining on all the pristine whiteness. As usual, Mattie was all bundled up in her warmest coat and scarf and hat, but Grath was still just wearing a t-shirt.
They started off from the house holding hands, since her mom and dad were waving them off, but as soon as they got out of sight of the house, Mattie released the big Hybrid’s hand abruptly.
“Hey…” He frowned down at her. “Why’d you let go?”
“Because nobody’s watching now and we need to talk,” Mattie told him.
“Talk?” He raised his eyebrows innocently. “About what?”
“You know about what!” Mattie exclaimed. “That kiss under the mistletoe!”
Grath frowned.
“What was wrong with it? Didn’t we do it right?”
“No!” Mattie said, crossing her arms over her chest. “We overdid it—like way overdid it!”
He crossed his own arms over his chest, a frown creasing his forehead.
“So…we did it so right we did it wrong?”
“Essentially, yes,” Mattie said, nodding. “A kiss under the mistletoe isn’t supposed to be so…so…” She waved a hand, unsure how to continue.
“So fucking passionate,” Grath rumbled. “Sorry, little girl—I was just trying to play my part.”
“Well, I got carried away, too,” Mattie admitted. “But we can’t do that again. We’re just playing parts here, after all. It’s not like any of this is…is real.” She waved a hand, indicating their situation. She was halfway hoping that the big Hybrid might contradict her, but he only nodded.
“You’re right—we’re just playing parts.”
Mattie’s heart sank a little bit but his next words made it quicken again.
“And since we’re playing our parts badly, I think we need to practice,” the big Hybrid continued.