Christmas Lovebirds: The Hart Family by Ayala Rachelle

Author:Ayala, Rachelle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christmas, parrots, single women, firefighters, holiday story, sweet contemporary, pet birds, pets and animals, family and friendship, clean and wholesome
Publisher: Rachelle Ayala

Chapter Thirteen

Melisa wished she were deaf and numb by the time the family arrived back in San Francisco. Larry greeted them at the family home, a stucco row house in one of the most desirable blocks. Theirs was a fanciful pink fairytale home with turrets and balconies and faux stone inlays at the entrances to give it a worn-away appearance.

Only she wasn’t feeling anything like a fairytale princess being escorted to a ball. Not when her heart had been sliced open by Rob’s evasions and lies.

Larry opened the back door of Connor’s extended cab pickup, helping her mother out. “Great, you found her and the bird too. Melisa, I would have come, but I was in Fremont investigating that romance writer with the two lovebirds on her book cover.”

“That’s okay, Larry. Thanks for helping.” Melisa flashed him a timid smile. He was always earnest and honest, although a bit overbearing. But then, so were her family. Honest and straightforward, sometimes brutally so.

After her mother alighted from the truck, Larry pulled Cassie’s cage from Melisa’s lap and held her good hand while she got out of the truck.

“Where’s your car?” he asked, scratching his head.

“I left it in the rush.” Melisa’s shoulders slumped. “Besides, I didn’t have snow chains.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Connor said. “We could have gotten you a pair. It’s not like there aren’t service stations along the way.”

Great. Rob had made it sound like a big deal not to have chains—that she would have had to wait until the snow melted before she could leave. Dishonest, evasive, manipulative.

She sure knew how to pick them, or maybe it was because she’d been running her entire life from the stalwart, heroic men in her life—her firefighting family and the brotherhood of heroes.

“Connor and I can go back and get your car,” Larry volunteered.

“No, truly. I can’t do that to you two.” Melisa placed her hand on Larry’s forearm. “I’ll think of something.”

“It’s not a big deal. I was going to take you. Why’d you sneak off by yourself?” Larry asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Sneak off?” A surge of acid churned in her belly. “I’m not a child. Can’t I go where I want?”

“Not if you always need rescuing,” Connor said. “Come on, Larry, let’s go.”

“Wait, let me go instead,” Melisa said. “I can drive my car. Larry, I’m sure you have other things to do with your time.”

“Helping you is the best use of my time, my lady,” Larry said.

Connor stepped into the cab of his truck. “Melisa, you’re in no condition to deal with that trickster Rob. Preying on your heart like that.”

Fresh tears welled in Melisa’s eyes, and she turned away as they zoomed off.

Everything she’d always believed about Rob was laid waste. Her family had been right all along. What was she thinking to believe a guy who admitted to lying?

“Come on, Sis.” Cait tapped her shoulder. “Let’s go in and help Mom bake Christmas cookies. Now that Rob’s shown his true colors, you can finally move on and start dating.

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