“Rubbish! That’s not till next week.” She put her hands on her slim hips, and he noticed she was wearing a red bathrobe with a Santa Claus embroidered on one lapel. “What happened between you and Emmy?”
“Nothing.” And that was why he was leaving. “We both know what you and Sheryl were up to.”
“Kieran,” she said, her tone softening. She dropped her arms and went to him. “Emmy’s a wonderful woman.”
“I know.” The words came out against his will.
“Then why won’t you give her a chance?”
He sank down on the edge of the twin bed he’d slept on his entire childhood. Even his bedroom had remained the same, down to the baseball-themed wallpaper he’d wanted when he was eight. “There’s nothing between Emmy and me.”
“I don’t believe that.” She sat next to him. “She adored you when you were in high school.”
Guess I was the last to know. “That was a long time ago.”
“She never married. Neither did you. You two are meant for each other.”
He didn’t want to hear any more of his mother’s pie-in-the-sky words. “I need to finish packing.”
“So you’re running away, like you did before?”
Kieran’s eyes snapped onto hers. “I’m not running away.”
“Aren’t you?” Her jaw tightened as she stood. “You ran off to Europe as soon as you could. I thought it was just a phase, that you would get your wanderlust out of your system and come back to Mistletoe. Then you went to Ireland. Even then I thought you’d eventually come home. But you never did.” Tears began to mist in her eyes. “And now you’re leaving again. Before my birthday. BeforeChristmas.”
“Mum...” he said, his throat closing. “I... I have to go.”
“Fine.” She waved her hand. “Go close your business deal or whatever. Hide in Ireland, or France, or Egypt, or wherever you decide to land. Just know this. You can’t outrun grief. Or a broken heart. Trust me, I know.” She hurried out of the room.
Kieran stared at the suitcase, then at the shelf on the opposite wall. His Little League trophies were there, along with a picture of the last team he played on... the one his dad had coached. He stared at the black-haired man standing beside the group of kids, his stomach a little paunchy and his hair more than a little thin.But he beamed with pride as his hand rested on twelve-year-old Kieran’s shoulder.
Kieran shoved the suitcase aside and sat back down on the bed, his head dropping into his hands. His mother was partially right—when he left Mistletoe, he hadn’t planned to stay away very long. When his father died, the pain was so intense, he didn’t think he could survive it. But he had to be strong for Mum and Sheryl, and he was able to push down the grief and get through it. And he could ignore it completely while he was abroad.
When he eventually went to Ireland, he fell in love with the country, especially when he found out that the O’Neill castle was for sale. Renovating it was a way to honor his father and ancestors. And anyway, the longer he stayed away from Mistletoe, the more disconnected he was to his hometown.
But when he came back and spent some time around his family, that feeling had somewhat changed. There was a mix of grief and joy as memories came flooding back, more good ones than bad. He realized how much time he’d missed with his nephews, and he’d loved being with them. He also appreciated the quaintness of his hometown.
And of course, there was Emmy.
Kieran rubbed his hand over his face. Emmy’s rejection had stirred up so many emotions, the chief one being heartache. It didn’t make any sense. He’d reconnected with her only a couple of weeks ago, but she had consumed his thoughts and feelings ever since. He could stay and try to shut out the pain, like he’d done with his grief. But he didn’t know if he could do it, not really. He could avoid Mistletoe Antiques easily enough. But Emmy would be at his mother’s party. Even now his chest constricted at the thought of seeing her again, knowing they couldn’t be together.
He stood up and resumed packing. He was being a coward. And a jerk. But his mother and sister would forgive him eventually. And with enough distance between him and Emmy, he could get overher. Then he could carry on with his life, his new adventure... and leave the pain behind.
***
“I’m going to kill him,” Sheryl said as she burst into the shop on Monday morning. She stomped to the counter, oblivious to all the customers in the store.
Emmy was a few feet away helping a young woman find a gift for her grandmother. Naturally she wanted to look at the Irish glass in the display case. Bad enough Emmy had spent last night alternating between tears and anger over Kieran. All she’d had to do was agree to a long-distance relationship, and they would be together.
But she didn’t want Kieran only part of the time. She wanted all of him, always. And that was an impossibility. He’d proven as much when he left as soon as she told him to.
Sheryl slammed her insulated lunch bag on the counter. A few customers turned around and stared.
“You should probably keep it down a little,” Carina said in a low voice.
Emmy’s customer was engrossed in looking at every piece of glass and didn’t seem to notice. But Emmy did, and she was positive she knew who Sheryl was referring to.
“Who’s on your naughty list now?” Carina smirked at her own joke. Her smile faded when she saw Sheryl’s face turn crimson.
