Page 17 of A Match Made at Christmas

The crowd stilled as the head of the Nantucket Chamber called for their attention. Behind him was the tree Pru had decorated with mini surfboard ornaments she’d made by hand. She’d kept a summery color palette and a lot of pink and blue lights, and in just a few minutes, it would illuminate Main Street. The following Saturday, it would talk.

Maybe itwasa big deal. Pru certainly felt special having Hayes and his family there to celebrate with her.

Pru glanced over at Hayes, who watched in silence, but seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

“You okay?” she whispered as the man speaking handed the microphone off to the Town Crier.

He glanced down at her and frowned. “I told you, I’m fine.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “Stop worrying.”

“Now, join me as we count down together!” the Town Crier said loudly.

They all counted down from ten, and when they reached one, the dimly lit street turned bright white, filled with the magic of Christmas. The crowd gasped in response as the high school’s a cappella group began to sing “Joy to the World.”

The McGuire family sang along with excited fervor, but after a minute or two, Pru noticed Hayes’s enthusiasm waned, and she was more certain than ever that something was bothering him. He must’ve noticed her watching him because he quickly started up again, grinning a little too widely.

She shoved her worry aside and joined in, their voices ringing out in the chilly night air. They sang several more traditional Christmas carols, and Pru couldn’t help but savor the moment. It had been so long since she’d spent the holidays with friends who felt like family.

At the end of the evening, they said their goodbyes, and she and Hayes started the walk back to her cottage. Once they were away from the crowd, she stopped.

He took a few steps before realizing it, then turned back to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“Hayes, I know it’s been a while since you saw me in person, but I’m still the same old Prudence. And I know you better than anybody.”

“I know, Pru.” He took a step toward her.

“So, I know if you’re not telling me what’s going on, you’re not telling anyone.”

He looked away.

She took his hand. She wanted to press a kiss to his palm but decided that was a tiny bit over the line of friendship. Instead, she squeezed it and forced his gaze. “You can talk to me, okay?”

He didn’t move. For a moment, it seemed like he wasn’t even breathing. Then, finally, he nodded. “When I’m ready.”

She shoved away her disappointment that he didn’t instantly trust her with whatever it was he battled, but gave him one quick nod. “I’ll be here when you are.”

Chapter 5

The Rules

How did she do that? How did she, unlike everyone else in the world, read him like he had his emotional life’s story written on his face?

Hayes had tried to pretend everything was fine. He’d tried to pretend he wasn’t haunted by the images that kept him awake at night, that he was unfazed. He’d been pretending for almost three months now.

But Pru had still seen through him.

Nobody else had. Only her. He supposed that’s why she was his best friend. Still, he couldn’t talk about it. He knew she wouldn’t forget, that she’d always be wondering until the day he told her—which may be never—maybe he would just get over it and the joy would return to his eyes or whatever had to happen to make her think he was okay.

He was Hayes McGuire. He was always okay. This time would be no different.

Unless it was.

Now, after hours of standing out in the cold, warmed from the inside by the mulled cider, they walked back to her cottage in the darkness.

The island was perfectly safe, and still, he found himself inching closer to Pru, as if she needed to be protected from something unknown.

From something he’d witnessed but couldn’t process.

When really, he was the one in need of a safe haven.

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