Page 14 of The White Chocolate Christmas Wish

As our laughter faded, a heavy silence settled over the gym. I knew what I had to do next, but the weight of it sat like a stone in my stomach.

“I need to talk to Hope,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tucker nodded, and I gathered my things, my mind already racing ahead to the conversation I was dreading. As I headed for the door, Gertie trotted alongside me as if offering silent support.

The walk to the police station felt like a slow tug-of-war between dread and determination. I knew Hope would be on her lunch break right now—like a dose of Christmas magic since I didn’t want to put this conversation off any longer than I already had.

Every nod and quick hello from the people of Charlotte Oaks reminded me of why I’d fallen for this place so quickly. Leaving it, even for a little while, felt like leaving a part of myself behind. But it wasn’t justthe town. It was her.

Gertie abandoned me on the steps leading to the station—the coward—and as I pushed through the doors, the familiar mix of coffee and lemon-scented cleaner wrapped around me. The desk sergeant barely glanced up as he waved me through—perks of running a PI business that’s practically become an extension of the department.

And then there she was, sitting at one of the round tables in the break room, her blonde waves cascading over her shoulder as she picked at her lunch. My chest tightened at the sight, like it always did. But guilt gnawed at the edges this time, bitter and sharp.

“Hey there,” I said, trying to keep my voice light despite the weight sitting on my chest. “Got a minute?”

Hope’s face lit up in a warm smile, and for a second, the guilt wavered. “That depends. List business?”

“Not exactly.” I dropped into the chair beside her, tapping out a restless rhythm on my thigh. “PI business. We got a case in Nashville.”

Her brow furrowed, concern clouding her eyes. “Why don’t you look happy about it?”

“I am,” I said, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “It’s a big case—great for the business. I just don’t love that it’s in Nashville. It’s close, but not close enough to commute every day. I’d have to stay there while I worked it.”

Understanding flickered across her face, followed by a shadow of something else—something I hated to see. “Lemme guess,” she said, squeezing my hand. “You have toleave soon, and it’s gonna put a monkey wrench in our Christmas plans.”

I nodded, the guilt hitting harder now that she’d said it aloud. “I’ll do everything I can to make it back in time for the parade on Christmas Eve. We can finish the list in a Christmas Day marathon if we have to.”

Her smile was soft, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’d love that. But, Colton, don’t worry about me. This wasn’t really my thing to begin with, remember?”

I winced. She wasn’t wrong, but the whole point of the list—of everything we’d done so far—was to change that. To make it something she could love. Something we could share. And the progress we’d made? It was priceless.

But I also had a duty to my partner. We had a business to run, and in today’s day and age, turning down jobs like this one wouldn’t be a good move.

Hope’s gaze met mine, steady and full of emotion. “If this is a good opportunity for you and the business, you can’t pass it up.”

The fact that she’d read my mind, coupled with her selflessness, hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d been agonizing over this conversation, and here she was, putting my needs first without hesitation. It wasn’t fair to her. “But what about our plans? The list?”

“Maybe we can finish it next year,” she said, her smile tinged with sadness. “If you’re still around.”

Her words cut deeper than I expected. “I’ll be around,” I said, the defensiveness in my tonesurprising even me.

She nodded, her expression unreadable. “I hope you are.”

The way she said it, quiet and almost resigned, made my chest ache. I hated that she might doubt me, that I might’ve planted even the smallest seed of insecurity. And worst of all, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was already bracing herself for me to be just another person who didn’t stay.

CHAPTER SEVEN

HOPE

The radio crackled to life, pulling me out of my thoughts as I punched in the codes for the officers on call. Dispatch work had become my sanctuary over the past few days, each call a brief escape from the gnawing ache of Colton’s absence. He’d been gone before, but this felt different—like a piece of me was missing, like every minute stretched a little too long.

Of course he had to go. People always left eventually, didn’t they? My mom, my grandpa, even my own belief in Christmas. Why would this be any different?

My pen traced idle swirls across the notepad in front of me, creating a chaotic mess of loops and lines. It was useless, but the motion helped quiet the restless energy bubbling under my skin.

“Hope?”

I glanced up to see Paisley standing there with asteaming cup of coffee in hand, her expression soft with concern.

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