Page 46 of Christmas Chemistry


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She barked out a laugh. The sound carried even on the busy street, and several nearby pedestrians glanced at us. Marley waved at them as she pressed further into me. “Well, I’m grateful that your teaching career brought you to Coleman Creek.”

“There weren’t many positions out there for me. Principal Nadal got that funding so last minute, it was more like being in the right place at the right time. Lucky me.”

She breathed into my chest. “No, James. Lucky me.”

I smiled.

“It’s been a good fit for me, small-town life. After my marriage, after Oliver turned into someone I didn’t recognize, I started questioning my ability to know what was real. I thought Cindy and I were happy, but apparently not. I thought I was making the right choices with my career, but it turns out I should have just stuck with the dream I had when I was eight, to be a teacher. Coleman Creek feels real. The people are real. Main street is real. The way the town celebrates the holidays is real. So many times in life I’ve tried to remake myself, and all that happened was I ended up exhausted from hiding. Pretending to be the person I wished I was. Even now, I’m not sure I know where my image ends and the real me begins. But from the minute I got to Coleman Creek, it seemed like the place to find out. And now, I know that you’re the one I want to be with when I do. If you’ll have me.”

“Dang, James. That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“I mean every word, Marley, I—” I stopped short as my eyes lasered in on the door to The Place as it opened quickly.

And Oliver raced out to the sidewalk.

Holy shit.He was there. I hadn’t seen him in almost two years, yet somehow, he was sixty feet away. Same ash brown hair with a gentleman’s cut. Same signature tapered navy slacks and scoop neck tee. He’d come out like a dart, as though noticing me from inside, but now he stood paralyzed on the sidewalk.

Across four lanes of traffic, he stared, and I saw the moment register when he became certain it was me sitting on the bench, that I wasn’t some apparition he’d dreamed up.

A huge grin lit up his face, and he raised his hand in a wave. His eyes darted back and forth, apparently deciding whether he wanted to risk running into traffic to reach me.

I didn’t wave back. I shot him a glare and shook my head back and forth, making sure he understood I hadn’t come to say hello. My arm around Marley stiffened and I tugged on her sleeve to communicate that we should get up. I didn’t want to talk to Oliver. I’d never dreamed he might be here on a Sunday morning.

The smile on his face died. His steps stuttered in indecision before I narrowed my eyes at him, hastening his retreat. He gave me one last wave before turning back toward the bar.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said to Marley.

She hadn’t missed the tension that had ripped through my body. It was easy enough to put two and two together.

“That was him? Oliver?”

“Yes.”

She nodded, eyeing the bar’s exterior. “You sure you don’t want to go across the street? I’m not pushing it one way or the other, especially after everything you’ve just told me, but he looked like he wanted to talk to you.”

“No. This isn’t like the reunion. There’s no unfinished business. When it comes to him, I’ve said all I had to say.”

Chapter fifteen

Marley

Jamesstayedquietonthe way to the restaurant where we were meeting Maureen. It had been wonderful having him open up to me. But Oliver’s appearance putting a halt to our conversation felt surreal. James declaring he’d said everything he needed to say reminded me an awful lot of myself five years ago, when I’d split from Kasen.

I’d begun to believe that, in every relationship, there was always something more to say.

By the time we reached Las Espuelas, James had returned to his usual self. As much as he’d admitted this chill, jovial persona could be a mask, I understood him well enough at this point to know he was genuinely okay. Even seeing Oliver couldn’t derail our amazing weekend. Tacos would only make things better.

My sister already had a margarita in front of her when we arrived, although the chips and salsa on the table remained untouched.

Maureen had dyed her hair a dark auburn since Thanksgiving, complimenting the elegant appearance of her plum-colored sheath dress. She gave James’s tapered utility pants and three-quarter sleeve flannel tunic an admiring glance while smiling indulgently at my boring sweater and leggings. I’d barely introduced them before she launched into a monologue about the foibles of working upscale retail during the holiday shopping season.

James sat next to me, holding my hand underneath the table, running his thumb back and forth over my wrist. We hadn’t put a new label on our friendship this morning, but there was an unspoken understanding that we were a couple and weren’t hiding it.

“Miranda owes me twenty bucks.” Maureen smirked.

“What do you mean?” I said innocently as James moved his palm to my knee, drawing slow circles on my leggings.

“After the way you were talking about yourfriendJames, she said you’d probably be with the guy by Valentine’s Day, but I knew it would be before New Year’s, since you’re so crazy about Christmas and the magic of the season and all that. Blah blah blah.” Maureen waved her wrist around dismissively, but her gaze was fond. She turned to James. “I hope you’re planning on being good to my sister. She deserves the best.”