Page 17 of Christmas Comeback


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“Exactly. And you don’t get to ask for anything now. Especially absolution.”

He looked like he had another reply, but ultimately, he simply nodded before exhaling gravely and stating again, “You’re right.”

“Obviously.” I huffed. “From now on, I only want to talk about what we’re going to do in the future.”

He appeared sad, but the fight had left him. “Okay.”

“Great. Then you agree to pretend we just met tonight?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Awesome.” I stood back on my heels. “Well, then we’re done here. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at Marley’s house for lunch. You’re leaving in the afternoon, right?”

“Uh-huh. I need to drive back tomorrow. Christmas with my parents.”

“Then it shouldn’t be too hard to avoid each other for a few hours. Agreed?”

“Alright.”

I breathed out. It was done. We had a plan, even if he looked like a kicked puppy right now. Even if there was nothing of the slick finance bro I’d seen in the lobby that day and everything of the fascinating guy I’d met at a concert and talked to for hours in a greasy coffee shop.

I was determined to walk away quickly. Except something compelled me to look back and ask, “You came alone? Wife’s not with you?”

The kicked puppy expression dissolved somewhat as he squared his shoulders and looked me in the eye. “I’m not married.” My stomach flipped when he said it, my brain picturing the woman in the hotel. But I didn’t want to lose my advantage. I gave a clipped nod as I turned away. He called after me, “Maureen, so you know…I’ve never been married.”

The next day was excruciating.

Miranda and I wanted to give Marley and James privacy, so we’d checked into the Hampton Inn last night. Separate rooms since I wouldn’t have been able to handle my baby sister’s Susie Sunshine personality after talking to Will. Of course, after spending another hour at the talent show reception, I’d arrived at the hotel to find Will’s Audi parked there. In the morning, I hid in my room until check-out time. Will’s car was gone when Miranda and I left.

Never been married.

I felt positive Rosalyn hadn’t been lying about being engaged. But they hadn’t gone through with it. The question of why ran through my brain on a loop. Taunting me.

Will wasn’t at Marley’s house when I arrived, but that didn’t stop James from gushing about how his old friend had made the effort to drive to Coleman Creek for the slideshow. I had no intention of bursting James’s bubble, but after reflecting on last night, I recalled Will had seemed totally unsurprised by my presence. I guessed he’d probably come because he suspected I’d be here, something easy enough to confirm.

“James?” I asked, attempting nonchalance as I sat on the counter behind him in the breakfast nook.

“Yeah?”

“Is it really so shocking Will came? I mean, from the way Marley talked about him and your reunion, it doesn’t seem far-fetched he’d do you a solid.”

Saying that made me grimace a little, but I needed James to spill on what he’d told Will prior to yesterday.

“I guess not.” He shrugged. “It surprised me to see my parents and brother, too. They didn’t have to come. I appreciate everyone making the extra effort. Especially Will, considering the two of us have only barely started reconnecting. He’s a good guy.”

I rolled my eyes as James looked down at his crossword puzzle. “Did Will know Miranda and I would be here?”

If James thought my non sequitur of a question odd, he didn’t give any sign, and merely smiled as he answered, “I think so. Pretty sure I told him we’d have a full house because you guys were staying here until Christmas.”

That settled it in my mind. I knew I’d mentioned Marley’s name that night we’d talked at Denny’s. And Coleman Creek. It wouldn’t have been hard for Will to put two and two together.

Thirty minutes later, Will walked through the door with James’s family, talking animatedly with James’s brother Leo about football, again making no effort to hide his missing fingers. I thought about the way he’d shoved his hands in his pockets four years ago. Or folded them in his lap underneath the table. That discomfort seemed to have lessened since our night together, and I wasn’t callous enough to begrudge his progress there.

I was, however, callous enough to spend the rest of lunch ignoring him and making sure we stayed on opposite sides of the room. We didn’t speak, didn’t interact. But I caught his eyes on me a few times and knew our proximity affected him as much as me.

To that point, I took advantage of the mimosa bar Miranda had set up. It wasn’t typical for me to drink a lot—I had good reasons to be careful—but Will’s presence loosened my usual strictness with it.

My focus fell three glasses later, huddled in the living room with my sisters. Marley’s loving expression lasered in on James as he told a story, and Miranda lamented how she wanted to find someone too. Without meaning to, I revealed I once thought I’d found a special person myself, but that I’d been wrong. My sisters’ mouths gaped. They’d never known me to be seriousabout dating anyone. Before they could launch an interrogation, I retreated into the kitchen to get some water.