Page 63 of Mistletoe Kisses

I figured I would have a relaxing afternoon and possibly start the job hunt. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but my anxiety was ratcheting up at not having made any forward momentum. Staying in Dahlia Springs had been a dream, but I needed to return to the real world at some point. Physically and mentally. I needed to find a way to cover expenses after my severance ran out.

I put the vacuum away in the hall closet and saw that the washing machine had finished with a load of sheets. I blushed as I remembered what Lucas and I had done this morning to dirty them. The way he’d convinced me to stay in bed longer by pressing kisses across my shoulder, stretching me open, then thrusting into me while we both lay on our sides, my top leg draped back over his hip, his arms wrapped around me. Being in Lucas’s arms was quickly becoming my favorite place. It was almost impossible to leave him this morning with how badly I wanted it to be real.

Which was exactly why I needed to focus on job hunting. It was time to remind myself of my life outside the idyllic bubble I’d been living in.

After moving the sheets to the dryer, I heard my phone buzzing on the coffee table. I hurried over and expected to see Keaton calling, but it was Mom. It was an odd time for her to call.

“Arlo, where are you?” she asked as soon as the phone connected.

“Huh?” My pulse skyrocketed in an instant as I dropped onto the couch.

“You’re not at your apartment. I came by, and there are dumpsters out front. Someone said there was water damage and the tenants have been evacuated. Where are you staying? Are you with Keaton’s family? Why didn’t you tell me? You know you can use the key to stay at my place while I’m out of town.”

The rapid-fire questions hit me like sucker punches to the gut. I couldn’t lie to her directly. That was a step beyond what I could handle without crumbling in a catatonic heap.

“I’m in Oregon.”

“Thestate?”

“Um, yeah.”

She went quiet for several moments. “What are you doing in Oregon?” Her voice was eerily calm. Mom rarely raised her voice with me, but the forced calm unnerved me like nothing else.

“I’m here to meet the rest of my family.”

Mom sucked in a sharp breath. “I see. Well, I’m glad you’re safe. My shift is starting, so I have to go. I love you. Goodbye.” She hung up before I could say anything.

My stomach rolled as I collapsed onto the couch. God, she had to be devastated that I hadn’t told her. I should’ve confronted her when I’d first discovered who my father was, but confrontation and I didn’t speak the same language, especially in my relationship with Mom.

I’d messed it all up, and I was near across the country from her and couldn’t do anything to fix it. What was she doing back in Minneapolis? She was supposed to still be out of town for another two weeks.

My vision swam as I grew dizzy. I was sinking into the quicksand and needed help. I wanted to be held and told it would be okay. Keaton was too far away to do that.

Lucas isn’t.

A walk to his restaurant would help regulate my nervous system. I focused on one step at a time, as my therapist had taught me. Find my shoes. Put them on. Grab my keys. Lock the door. Walk to the restaurant.

The biting layer of anxiety had receded by the time I was halfway to Inkwell Bistro. I’d encountered several people I’d either met or seen enough that they’d waved at me. I must not have looked too horrible since an ambulance hadn’t pulled up. It was…nice being greeted by people in town while out walking. I preferred it to being faceless in Minneapolis, which I wouldn’t have expected. Anonymous and I had long been friends, but in Dahlia Springs, I wanted to be seen. At least a little bit. I couldn’t imagine doing something like going on stage to perform like Lucas used to do, but I could handle individual hellos and brief conversations.

When I reached the restaurant, I second-guessed interrupting Lucas at work. I’d already done that enough this week. Through the window, I spotted Lucas smiling with customers at a table and was about to turn around, but as though he sensed me there, he turned his head and saw me. His smile grew impossibly wide, and then his eyebrows pushed together. Maybe I didn’t look as calm as I hoped.

Well,I’m in it now.

As I entered the restaurant, Lucas was still at the same table. I moved to the far side of the bar where no one else was sitting.

“Hey, Arlo. Can I get you something to drink?”

I smiled at Lucas’s coworker as best as I could. “No thanks. Just popping in for a minute.”

She winked. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Lucas strode over. “Hey, Kayla, after I put this order in, can you cover me for my ten?”

“You got it.”

Before I knew it, Lucas was ushering me through the employee door and toward an exit sign. He led me to a covered area behind the building that had a stained white plastic table and a few plastic chairs.

Lucas pulled a chair out and sat in front of me with our knees pressed together. He leaned forward and rested his hands just above my knees.

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