Page 68 of Merry Little Midlife Matchmaker

I flushed and glanced over my shoulder again, then shot him a half-reproachful look. “Not with the kids here.”

“Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” His smile was roguish, and I forgave him in an instant. We made our way to the kitchen to watch the kids open their presents, then I made a call to a local Chinese restaurant and put in our order. Sean went to pick the food up, the kids set the table, and I got the drinks ready.

We ate together, and when I glanced across the table to meet Sean’s eyes, I felt like the world was full of quiet, happy possibilities.

THIRTY

SEAN

The next morning,I helped Mikey pack his suitcase and hauled it down the steps for him. We ate breakfast, then we hung out in the living room next to the lit-up Christmas tree and waited.

Melody arrived an hour later. A BMW SUV boasting a roof rack laden with ski gear pulled up outside the house and she got out of the passenger seat, while her boyfriend got out from behind the wheel. She hurried toward the front door while I braced myself and got to my feet.

Mikey lifted his gaze from the robotics set Zach and Hazel had gifted him—which had consumed his attention since he’d opened it—to look out the window. A moment later, the doorbell rang.

Mikey glanced at me, and I forced a smile onto my lips. “Your mom’s here.”

For three years running, the Christmas handoff had been one of overwhelming relief. Around this time, I would’ve spent weeks gritting my teeth against the assault of holiday music and well wishes, averting my eyes at the sight of every Christmas tree, and counting down the days until I could hole myself up inmy house and wait for the world to come to its senses so I could emerge again.

This time was different.

When I opened the door and invited my ex-wife inside, I glanced down at Mikey’s suitcase and felt a pang of regret. The time I’d spent in Heart’s Cove had been marked with happy, calm memories of this year’s holiday season. With Lizzie’s smile, and her kids’ exuberance, and the rest of the family’s warmth.

For the first time, I wanted to share more of those moments with my son.

But we had a custody agreement, and there was nothing I could do about it now. “Hi, Melody.”

She smiled at me, looking glossy and slim and expensive. She wore a tan woolen jacket and a plaid scarf, her long hair curled in soft waves beneath the fabric of her hat. She’d always been a beautiful woman, and as time passed, that hadn’t changed. Her brows lifted. “You have a tree.”

I glanced into the living room and nodded. “We have a tree.”

“That’s a surprise. Getting you to even buy Christmas presents used to be like pulling teeth.”

“Dad likes Christmas now,” Mikey announced, moving to wrap his arms around his mother’s waist.

She combed her manicured fingers through his hair and smiled. “Is that right? What I would’ve given for him to put one tenth of that effort in a few years ago…”

I flinched. It was an old insult, one she’d flung at me many times as our marriage broke down. She’d been driven to cheat because living with me was too difficult. Every year when the holidays came around, I turned into a different person. Could I blame her for seeking comfort elsewhere?

I’d never been able to answer that question in a way that felt right. Because, yeah. She was right. She’d deserved better thansomeone who sank into his own darkest thoughts the moment sleigh bells started ringing at the start of the holiday season.

Mikey nodded. “Dad said maybe next year I could spend the holidays with him.”

Melody’s brows shot up.

I cringed. “I said we’d talk about it.”

Mikey threw me a glance like he knew exactly what he was doing, and I rubbed the back of my neck as I met Melody’s gaze. “I know that’s not what we agreed. We don’t have to talk about it now.”

“No, I’m just surprised, that’s all.” She cleared her throat. “We can talk about it later. Come up with something that works for both of us.”

“For now, you need to get your jacket on,” I said to Mikey. “I’ll bring his bag out to the car.”

“Thanks, Sean.” Melody smiled at me and let me pass.

I walked down the pathway and watched the BMW’s trunk open. Melody’s boyfriend opened the trunk while I hauled my son’s bag into the back. I cleared my throat and forced myself to meet his gaze as I nodded at him. “Todd.”

He pressed a button on the trunk, which began to lower automatically, then turned to me and extended his hand. “Got any plans for the next week?”

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