<b>Chapter </b>177


    For reasons she couldn’t quite exin, Elissa suddenly felt her eyes sting with heat. Without looking back, she jumped off the dining table and hurried out of the room.


    Rowan watched as she practically fled, the urgency in her step making his chest


    tighten with agitation.


    The moment the front door mmed shut, he kicked over a dining chair with a sharp,


    frustrated motion.


    ***


    It was the day before New Year’s Eve. Tanya Foster was heading home to spend the holidays with her family, and after seeing her out, Elissa crawled back into bed for a few extra hours of sleep.


    Half–awake, she vaguely remembered–today was the day Bradley and the others wereing to Rowan’s ce for a housewarming.


    She’d promised she’d be there.


    But now, after her “fake divorce” with Frank, she wasn’t sure if Rowan even wanted his mistress showing up in front of his friends.


    Sighing, Elissa rolled over and decided to enjoy thefort of her bed a little longer.


    <b>*** </b>


    At noon, just as she finished washing up, the doorbell rang.


    She set down her things and hurried to answer it. “Com-”


    The door swung open. She froze for a moment, a sudden emptiness blooming inside her, though her smile stayed perfectly in ce.


    “Mrs. Garrett! Happy New Year! What brings you here? Come in,e in.”


    Janice Garrett stepped inside, her face warm and kind. As she changed into her house slippers, she said, “Happy New Year, dear! I made some fried treats for the holiday and thought I’d bring you some. There’s meatballs and vegetable fritters.”


    Elissa felt a gentle warmth spread through her. “I thought you’d be busy celebrating with your grandson! I was nning to visit you in a few days to wish you a happy new year myself.”


    “Oh, don’t even mention it.” Janice feigned irritation and began stacking the boxes


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    neatly in the fridge. “He’s so busy, he barely has time for me. I don’t even know if he’ll be home for dinner tomorrow night.”


    “He’s really that busy?”


    Janice let out a sigh, worry momentarily clouding her features. “He is, I tell you! And, well…” She hesitated, then continued, “This is really my fault. When I tried to set him up before, I didn’t realize he already had someone he liked. He’s probably busy courting her as we speak.”


    “Oh?” Elissa grinned. “You have nothing to apologize for! That’s wonderful news. Now your grandson can be with the one he wants, and you don’t have to worry about his love life anymore.”


    As for the matchmaking, Elissa had never taken it to heart. Thest time she visited Mrs. Garrett, she simply wanted to make it clear she wasn’t interested–so Mrs. Garrett wouldn’t bring it up again. When she arrived and found no one there, she realized Mrs. Garrett must have felt the same way.


    “That’s true,” Janice said with a sigh, clearly still troubled. “But I don’t know what the girl thinks about all this.”


    “Why not?”


    “I told him to bring his girlfriend home so I could meet her, but he refused. He said they’d just made it official, and that she was still adjusting. He’s worried bringing her home too soon would scare her off.”


    For some reason, Elissa suddenly remembered what she’d said to Rowan in the car the other day.


    She was still “adjusting.”


    But their situations couldn’t be more different. Mrs. Garrett’s grandson had a real girlfriend; she and Rowan were… something that lived in the shadows.


    Elissa smiled and offered, “Maybe young people just need to go at their own pace. Don’t worry–he’ll bring your future granddaughter–inw to meet you soon enough.”


    “Let’s hope so,” Janice said, not hiding her concern. “He’s all talk, but soft–hearted. I just hope he doesn’t scare her off with that stubborn streak of his.”


    Elissa couldn’t help butugh.


    Her thoughts drifted briefly to Rowan–he was stubborn too, but his heart was


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    anything but soft. If anything, it was made of stone.


    Since it was the holidays, Janice didn’t linger long. As she was leaving, she invited, “Elissa, why don’t youe over tomorrow night and join us for New Year’s dinner?”


    Elissa knew Mrs. Garrett was worried she’d spend the holiday alone, but she was used to it. She smiled. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I wish you a wonderful new year and hope you meet your granddaughter–inw soon.‘


    After seeing Janice out, Elissa returned to the kitchen and opened her overflowing fridge. She couldn’t help but smile. Before Jacqueline left for her trip abroad, she’d dropped off a whole load of food as well.