Page 6 of Christmas Souls

"You shouldn't be. I should have been more supportive and told you we'd travel together to where you could find success. That's what true love is. I could have gotten a job anywhere. All I needed was you. And I lost you because I wasn't willing to be more flexible, more understanding. There were two of us in that relationship, Mandy. It's not all on you."

I cover my face with my hands as tears start flowing steadily now. Maybe if things had been different I wouldn't be in all this trouble now. Maybe I'd be working in New York with my husband at my side, cheering me on. It's useless to think about that, though. I made my choice, and he made his. I'm still crying into my hands when I feel strong arms surround me.

Michael has come over to my side of the table and is hugging me. I let go and sob uncontrollably in his arms. It's not really all about how I ended things. It's a lot about what happened to me in New York, but I can never tell Michael Hoffer about that. He'll lose all respect for me.

"I've got you, baby. I've got you." The words are spoken so low that I almost miss them.

Being in his arms is like a calming balm that comes over me and makes me feel that everything is alright. I've needed these arms so many times during the past five years. I need to be strong now, though. We're not entangled any longer, and I don't have space in my life for love.

"Oh god, you're all wet from my tears and snot." I tentatively smile at him.

"I can handle a little tears and snot. No problem." He smiles back.

"I needed to ask you something about payment."

"Sure, what's on your mind."

"Can I do it in installments? I don't have all the cash up front."

"We can do a payment plan. Would that work for you?"

"Yes, definitely! I'm so sorry I can't pay everything in full right now."

"Don't worry about that anymore. We're friends. We can work things out together."

It seems a little bit more than friendly between us, but I'm desperate for a new connection with him, so I'll take it. I go to the bathroom to wash my face and gasp when I see how terrible I look. I dry my face, put my hair up in a ponytail, and plaster a huge smile on. That ought to do it. I walk Michael to the door, and he tells me he'll have a quote for me first thing in the morning.

The next day, he insists on coming over and walking through every single line item in the quote. My grandmother left me some spending money, but I need to do something to add to it to be able to pay for all the renovations. Michael seems more amicable now and is smiling more, which makes me happy. I don't want to be the cause of his pain. Not anymore, anyway.

We decide on a start date after New Year's, and I begin getting excited. I'll be able to pay most of my debt if I sell my grandmother's place, and hopefully, I'll be off that loan shark's radar soon enough. I'm sure everything will work out as long as I keep my secrets from Michael Hoffer.

Chapter 4

Michael

Working day in and day out with Mandy is a dream come true. She's not here at the site all the time because she's started giving dance lessons at the Sharon Day Community Center. I wish I could drive her to and from, but she's stubborn. She's got a battered old car she got at the dealership the next town over. We had our first argument since she returned when she proudly presented that rust bucket to me.

I told her she should have taken me or one of my brothers to make sure they didn't con her. She got all huffy and didn't talk to me all afternoon after that. Today, I come bearing gifts. She loves these red velvet cupcakes they make at Flora's Baked Delights, and I got a box of them for her.

My crew is doing the upstairs rooms of her grandmother’s house while I take care of the kitchen. Mandy is at the dining room table, worrying over a ton of papers. She seems to be trying to figure out the world's problems alone.

"Hey there. You look a little frazzled."

"Oh, hey. I'm…"

She opens her eyes wide when she sees the box I'm carrying.

"Are those for…"

"Shhh. They're for you. I didn't get the crew anything."

Her face lights up joyfully, and she rushes up from the table. The fridge is working, and we have a few things in there for snacks and treats. She brings out the milk and two glasses and sits back down again. There's a weird look in her eyes when she grabs all of the papers, stacks them next to her, and clears off the table so that we can enjoy the cupcakes.

I watch her do a little wiggle with her butt when she fills our glasses with milk. She does that when she's happy, and I'm proud to be who gave her this moment.

"You get one because you brought them to me, but only one."

"Oh, is that how it is, then?"

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