Page 23 of Christmas for Keeps

I stood and headed for the bedroom, then turned back. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Not giving up on me.” I walked toward the bedroom, wondering what might happen when I came back. Standing under the warm water, I was confused about what to hope for. I didn’t want to hurt Zach again, which led me to wonder if I should go back to Boston before we did something we might regret. But would leaving hurt him worse than if I stayed? Who’s to say I’d hurt him again? I’d never want to repeat the mistakes I made before.

What would be so bad about trying? There was no other way to find out if Zach and I could mend our shattered lives and stand a chance at making things work. Back in college, I yearned for nothing more than a lifetime with him. We seemed to be a perfect match, and until I lost my way, we were.

What if it could happen? It’s the season of miracles. Why not go for it?

* * *

Zach had stackedcardboard boxes on the great room floor and moved the chair away from the window. He’d also built another fire, and the grin on his face weakened my knees. “What’s all this?” I asked, going to him. “Did you decide to move while I was gone?”

“No.” Staring into my eyes, he placed a hand against my cheek. “I thought this might make it easier to talk. Remember that year my folks had planned a trip to Vail and couldn’t go at the last minute? They let us take their reservations.”

My eyes stung, and I put a hand over his. “How could I ever forget? We had the best time.”

“The chalet’s owners left decorations, remember? We spent a whole day decking the place out.”

“It was so much fun.”

He dropped his hand and turned on a mile-wide grin, so cheery even the trees outside smiled along. “Prepare yourself, Mr. Wells, because I have plenty of decorations and a log house begging for us to do it justice. I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to get to it yet, so let’s do it together.”

“That would be so awesome!” I looked at the boxes. “What all do you have?”

“There’s a big artificial tree and a ton of ornaments. Upstairs, I have other decorations for the house. I’ll get them when we take a break.”

I threw my arms around him, and my grin must have been as big as his. “This is the best idea ever. Thank you so much.”

The microwave beeped while he brushed his lips against mine. “First, another surprise.”

“There’s more?”

He drew away and hurried toward the kitchen. “Hold on. Be right back.”

Unable to resist, I opened a box of tree ornaments. While I was looking at them, Zach returned with a tray of cookies in one hand and a thermos in the other. Standing, I took the tray from him. “Snacks for decorating? You really think of everything.”

“This is hot cider,” he said, placing the thermos on a side table. “I need to get one more thing.” He rushed to the kitchen again and came back with two holiday mugs. After filling them with cider, he handed me one with a big Santa on the side and kept one with a snowman. He held it out for a toast. “To new beginnings.”

I clinked his mug. “To dreams coming true.”

CHAPTER8

Zach

I foundmy stepladder in the utility closet while Con started a holiday playlist over the speakers. We bantered our way through assembling the tree and unboxing the lights, a collection of multicolored miniatures, white stars, and bubble lights that once belonged to my grandmother.

After a quick lunch, we went back to work. Since we were both particular, we spent most of the afternoon finding exactly the right spot for every ornament. Daylight was fading by the time we stood back and admired our handiwork. The tree brightened the entire room and gave me hope for good things to come.

I didn’t want to rush him, but I couldn’t forget the conversation we needed to have. After getting us some water, I asked, “Ready to talk now?”

He nodded, and we claimed places on the couch, angling ourselves so we could see each other. Neither of us said anything while Sam Smith sang about a merry Christmas. When the song ended, Con blew out a hard breath. “First, I want to say how sorry I am for how things happened a few years ago. I acted like someone I didn’t recognize, and I know I hurt you. It must have felt like I gave up on us.”

I started to deny it, but we had to be honest if we expected to get anywhere. He was taking responsibility for his part in our drifting apart, so I nodded. “It did. That’s the biggest reason I stopped trying to get in touch, but it doesn’t mean my reaction was right.”

He furrowed his brow. “What else could you do? I wouldn’t let you come to Boston, and I wouldn’t go to New York. When you kept pushing, I didn’t even reply.”

I drank some water to buy time to think. “You were in pain, babe. As your boyfriend, I should have understood what you needed, and I hurt you when I didn’t.”

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