Page 21 of Take Me Home for Christmas

“Say no more, little sister. I’m pretty sure she forgot to put the egg in the cornbread last year. It was like eating sawdust.”

Hayden’s breathsawed through his lungs, burning more with every stride he took. He ignored the SUV crawling beside him, trailing his movements. He wasn’t running away. Just running to think. To try to understand why he’d made such a fool of himself today. His PTSD from his combat days was long under control. So why did the image of Elle crumpling to the ground affect him the way it did?

What if she’d been running in New York? With Livi’s running club? Who would have helped her then?

Except he didn’t have to worry about that. Elle’s idea of cardio was dancing at a nightclub for a couple of hours.Fuck.Just thinking that brought on the crazy images of what could happen to her in a nightclub. And now those scenarios were going to take up residence in his head where they would no doubt haunt him forever.

“Dude,” Xander said from the driver’s seat of his Jeep Cherokee. “You’re halfway to South Carolina. Your mom’s texts are getting more and more frantic. She wants to know if you’ll be back soon. Something about you needing to pick up Livi for Thanksgiving dinner.”

Hayden slowed to a walk. “This is crazy,” he said to himself.

“Pretty much,” Xander replied. “But then women seem to drive us to Crazy Town.”

Elle is fine, he told himself.

Xander stopped the vehicle so Hayden could climb in. They were quiet as Xander turned the Jeep around and drove back toward Chances Inlet.

“You haven’t had something trigger you in a long time,” Xander finally said. “Was it the way she fell or something?”

“I don’t know.” And that was the part eating at him.

He cared about Elle. Deeply. But she’d made no secret that her feelings didn’t go beyond friendship. No matter how passionately she kissed him. Her life was in New York. She was not his forever. He knew that.

Didn’t he?

“I can get the guys together if you want.”

“Nah. It’s a holiday. Besides, I’m good now.”

Maybe not completely, but he’d get there. The truth was, he wanted more with Elle. He hadn’t realized how much until today. The very idea had set him off.

Except it was time for him to stop harboring hope and admit it wasn’t ever happening. Elle was his friend. His best friend. And that would have to be enough.

“Funny how the mention of a certain blonde pulled you right out of your funk back there.”

Hayden turned to stare questioningly at his friend.

“Livi? The classy blonde you’re taking to Thanksgiving dinner at your folks’ house. I can see what you see in her. She ran well today. Finished in the top third. I think she was disappointed you weren’t around at the end for a victory kiss, though.”

“You’re reading too much into it.”

“Simone is right. You’re too closed off for your own good. You keep Elle as a best friend to have a security blanket. That way, you don’t have to let anyone else in. You’ve got a sure thing throwing herself at you, and you’re worried about your off-limits bestie who flits in and out of your life on a whim.”

That wasn’t what he was doing. Was it? He flipped his friend off.

“How did West finish?” Hayden asked in an effort to change the subject.

“He didn’t. The guy got a stitch in his side right after you left and dropped out.”

Well, at least the day wasn’t all bad.

ChapterSix

The next afternoon,Elle hobbled into the music room at the inn only to find Kate and her sister’s best friend, Jane, already ensconced there.

“Hey. This is my hiding place,” she complained.

“You have a built-in excuse to get out of decorating today,” Kate pointed out. “You don’t need a hiding place.”

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