Page 39 of This December

And then she was out the door in a whirl of screams and shouts from the kids.

I turned back and blinked in confusion. “What’s—What did I do?”

Mom patted my arm on the way by. “Nothing, sweetie. She’s just not adjusting well to all the changes. She’ll come around.”

Belle gave me a bitter smile that told me she knew all about it and wasn’t going to spill the beans.

“She’s just a jealous harpy,” Chrissy muttered. “She saw something inthe Babblerthis morning and has been pouting like a two-year-old ever since. Don’t let it screw up your mojo with your man.”

I turned, my eyes searching the room for Cole, and found him standing with my dad and Myles in the kitchen, but all his attention was on me. He tilted his head in a wordless question, and a sense of peace settled in my heart. I smiled back at him and shook my head slightly. I didn’t need a save. I had this.

And I didn’t give a shit about whatthe Babblerhad decided to write about today. I knew the truth. That truth being that I loved Cole Jackson and he loved me. Everyone who had a problem with that could fuck right off.

I turned back to Chrissy and grinned. “Are you playing in the snow or enjoying the warmth in here instead?”

“Oh, I’m playing.” She held up her gloved hands with a mischievous smile. “I’m strapped and waiting on you, princess.”

“Princess?” I sneered with a toss of my head. “I’ll show you princess.”

Then we raced to the mudroom and after pulling on the rest of our snow gear, we jostled to leave the back door at the same time just like we had as kids.

And just like when we were kids, Chrissy lost.

We frolicked in the snow—sledding, had a snowball fight, and built snowmen with the kiddos. Remembering to actually take pictures, unlike last time, I pulled out my phone, but the message alert that flashed on my lock screen had my blood freezing more than the frigid temperature.

Email notification: From Johanna Libra at Globex Corporation

Hi December,

We were impressed with your resume and would like to arrange…

With shaking hands, I clicked on the alert and read the email. I didn’t even remember applying to whatever Globex Corporation was, but back when I’d first been laid off, I’d taken a more shotgun approach to applying for jobs. If they wanted a junior marketing associate, I’d applied.

I should reply to the email. That was the smart decision to make, right?

I’d be insane to turn down an opportunity with an actual company, doing what I’d trained the last eight years for, in order to chase after a rock star and a pipedream of an art career. We could flame out in a few days or weeks, and then where would I be?

My eyes flicked to Cole frolicking in the snow with Olly. They’d built an igloo of sorts and were trying to construct the roof, but it kept collapsing on them, which devolved into a snowball fight full of giggles and screeches.

My heart clenched.

What was the right decision? How did I pick?

I didn’t know what to do.

Chapter 13

I mumbled something to Chrissy about needing the bathroom and ran into Cole’s house. I was so torn. The words were imprinted on my brain. At the very least, I should research the company and see if I’d be a good fit.

But I didn’t want to.

I didn’t want to go back to that world. That life had slowly and surely killed my soul. It was only an offer to interview—miles away from a job offer—and I didn’t even know if I was going to accept.

“He’s going to leave you the second the holidays are over.”

I’d barely stepped into the mudroom when Aspyn’s sulky accusation came from the other side of the room.

I didn’t pause. I shrugged off my coat and pulled off my boots without even acknowledging her.

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