Page 36 of Christmas On Anchor Island

Grandma looked confused. “Henry who?”

“Henri Bloom. Callie’s cousin.”

Brown eyes went wide. “She’s gay, too?”

It never occurred to Mia that this would come as a surprise. “Yes, she is. I thought you knew that.”

“How would I know that?”

Good question. Though Henri was open about her sexuality, it wasn’t as if it was tattooed on her forehead or came up in everyday conversation. “I guess maybe you wouldn’t.”

With a look of concern, she asked, “Does Henri know?”

“That she’s gay?”

“No, that you like her.”

Mia hadn’t shared her feelings the same way Henri had, but surely she knew. Didn’t she?

“I think so.”

“Have you told her?”

“Not in so many words…”

Asking the reasonable next question, Grandma said, “Then how could she know?”

Even if Henri believed there’d been something between them, Mia had told her they couldn’t see each other now. What a stupid thing to say. “I need to tell her.”

“Of course, you do.”

Mia rose from her chair, then hesitated. “Maybe I should wait until tomorrow.”

Hands flat on the table, she said, “Mia, my darling, haven’t you waited long enough?”

Rushing around the table, she planted a loud kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. “I love you so much.”

“And I love you. Now go!”

* * *

The text messagecame in as Henri was cleaning up the blocks scattered across the floor. It turned out that Conner didn’t only like putting things together, but he also liked breaking them apart. Her heart had nearly broken when they finally put the last piece in the dinosaur’s head only for the tiny tyrant to smash it to smithereens.

“What’s that?” Callie asked as she fetched her son for his bath.

“A message from Mia.” Henri read the text for the third time. “She’s asking me to meet her at Lola’s.”

Lola’s Island Arts & Crafts was an Anchor staple full of artisan pieces created by artists up and down the Outer Banks.

“The store wouldn’t be open now,” Callie pointed out.

“I know, but that’s where she wants me to go.”

Bracing Conner on her hip, she said, “Wait. I think Mia has a workshop over there. I bet she has a key.” Callie checked the phone over Henri’s shoulder. “Are you going to go?”

Was she? Though she’d told Mia she’d be around to talk, Henri hadn’t actually expected to hear from her. “I’m not sure.”

“I am. Get your butt in the car.”

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