Page 60 of Mistletoe Kisses

“Arlo.Arlo? I’ve got a late lunch for you.”

I blinked when a hand waved between my face and the computer monitor. I looked up and saw Karen smiling down at me.

“Ron said you haven’t moved from the computer for hours. You need a break, and I’ve brought food.” She set an insulated bag on the small table behind the desk chair and began unpacking containers. A savory, meaty aroma—meatloaf?—filled the small office.

I’d spent a couple of long days at the bookstore while Lucas worked. I had less than a week left in Dahlia Springs, and I’d been working my tail off to schedule a bunch of things for Ron. I’d started setting up a new inventory system that would connect to an online store. I’d also begun contacting local authors to start conversations about partnering for store events. I was exhausted but had a bone-deep satisfaction from the work I’d done. That was a new feeling that I wanted more of.

After unpacking the bag, she reached over and turned off the monitor. “I have to do that with Ron sometimes too. You remind me a lot of him when he was younger. It was nearly impossible to pull him out of this place some evenings.” She smiled and shook her head. “Wheel that chair around and join me. I dropped some off for Ron on my way back.”

“Thank you. This is really kind.”

The familiar prickling feeling crept across my chest as I scooted my chair to the table. We hadn’t been alone together like this. Whenever I spent time with Ron or Karen, I expected them to point at me and shout, “J’accuse!” Like she could somehow smell the shared DNA on me.

As she unpacked two warm containers filled with meatloaf and green beans, she asked me about my week. She was so friendly that it made me want to come clean with her. Starting with Karen might help me work up the confidence to tell Ron.

I reached for a safe topic. “Lucas took me to the beach for the Santa train.”

Karen pressed her hand to her chest. “Aww. That takes me back to my childhood. My parents took me and my siblings to ride that every year when we were young. Meeting Santa was always the highlight. Each time, he acted like he remembered us from the year before. Magical.”

I smiled and took a bite of meatloaf that melted in my mouth. It was even better than Grandma’s. There was a slight tang to it that I liked and hadn’t tasted before.

“How are things going with Lucas?” She shimmied her shoulders.

My cheeks stretched as my smile grew. “Really great. He’s been generous in letting me stay with him and use his car. It’s nice being able to do laundry too.”

“Laundry. Right.” She winked. “Word on the street is that Lucas has had more pep in his step at the restaurant. There’s a glow about him.”

My cheeks burned. “Yeah?”

“Definitely. My book club had lunch there yesterday, and he was even more cheerful than usual. It’s too bad you live so far away.” Karen sighed as she chewed on a green bean. “I’d love it if you lived here. You’ve made a lot of people happy in barely any time at all.”

“I have?” I dropped my gaze and studied the meatloaf. Increasingly, I’d wanted that too, but it was incomprehensible to imagine making a change that big. Even if I talked myself into it being a good idea, actually doing it? Impossible. I wasn’t the kind of guy to do something so courageous.

“Oh, honey. You’ve changed lives.” She glanced at the office door. Voices trickled through from the front. Ron must be helping a customer. When she turned back to me, her expression was bleak. “We’ve been worried about the store for a few years, and it was nearly getting dire. I’m not sharing that to pressure you to make miracles but to help you understand that you already have. With the income we’ve seen since you got here, we have enough to keep us going for a while. And enough hope to keep Ron going.” She reached over and squeezed my hand.

It took several attempts to swallow past the lump in my throat. “That means a lot to me. Thank you.”

We ate in silence for a few moments.

“Have you ever worked in the store with Ron?”

She shook her head as a wry smile played on her lips. “To tell you the truth, I’m not much of a reader. When Ron settles in with his book in the evenings, I settle in with my latest crochet project. It suits us well.”

“Did he always want to run his own bookstore?”

“As far I know, yes. He and his late brother spent most of their free time in the library. They always won those summer reading challenges. Became a bit of a racket from what I’ve heard.” She laughed. “They dreamed of opening a bookstore together, but after he passed, Ron was even more determined to make it happen.”

I could hardly breathe. “Ron’s brother wanted to run a bookstore too?” I tried to keep my expression neutral but had to be failing. I wouldn’t be surprised if she saw my heart beating through my sweater.

“I only met Dennis a few times since he was enlisted when Ron and I began dating, but he always had his nose in a book. Too bad e-readers weren’t a thing when he was in the military. He would’ve loved having all those books at his fingertips in a lightweight device.”

I hadn’t thought I had anything in common with my dad. All I knew about him was that he was from Oregon and had been in the military. Two strikes. But he’d loved books as much as I did?

The confession played on my lips.Say the words. Dennis is my father.

But I couldn’t. I needed to tell Ron, Larry, or Judith first.

Ron popped in like he’d read my thoughts. My eyes darted away.

---