Page 18 of Can't Miss Christmas

Tomorrow was Christmas, and she was alone. She’d survive, as she always did. But in the past thirty-six hours, everything had changed. Every part of her wanted to be with Graham.

* * *

Graham hoisted himself up into the bus and settled into a seat by the window. Not that he cared about staring out at the perfect snowy universe, but it was the only one left. A woman with black hair and glasses with faux jewels embedded in the frames was rummaging through a big satchel on her lap in the seat next to him.

The woman pulled out a big hardcover library book with a plastic book jacket—a romance novel. “Hello,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Alethea.” Graham shook it and uttered a quick pleasantry. He got the distinct impression this woman wasa talker, and that was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

Things had happened so fast. Too bad he couldn’t blame it all on his concussion. Hitting his head, making love with his ex-wife. Okay, the circumstances were crazy and the quarters were close. Temptation was understandable, and maybe even excusable. That didn’t mean they were meant to be together.

Except he didn’t believe that. Grace, however, did, and she’d told him, in no uncertain terms. Practically escorted him onto the bus. So he should let it all go and be glad he was headed back home.

He remembered one of his mom’s favorite sayings.Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…

He’d done everything he knew how to do. He’d told her he loved her, for God’s sake. But love hadn’t been enough for her. She hadn’t trusted him—that he could change, that they could do things better this time around. What else was he supposed to do?

“Did you just ask me if you’ve done the right thing?” the woman next to him asked.

“Oh, sorry,” he said. He was so discombobulated, he was talking to himself. He needed rest. His family. Somewhere where he could calm down and get his head straight. “I—I’m a little…overheated.” Graham pulled at his coat collar. The bus heater was cranked up full blast and blowing loudly, the wipers click-clicking back and forth. The driver checked his watch. They must be waiting on someone.

Why couldn’t the damn bus get going already?

“Forgive me if I’m intruding,” the buttinsky woman said, “but you look a little upset. Can I help? I haven’t got any kids of my own, but three strapping young men consider me their adoptive mother. And they’re all around your age. I’m very intuitive. I can practically guess what’s bothering you.”

“I’m fine, ma’am,” Graham said, uttering a silent prayer that this woman would simply stick to reading her book. Or fall asleep once the bus started moving. “Just having a crazy day.”

“I bet you had to leave your sweetheart behind. I can tell by how restless you are that you don’t want to leave Mirror Lake.”

“How on earth do you know that?”

She gave a soft chuckle. “Everyone knows about the reindeer that went through your windshield. Where’s your girl?”

Geez. Small towns. “She’s not—” Maybe it was his exhaustion that made him tell her the truth. “She’s my ex-wife, and she stayed behind. And it was just a regular deer.”

“Well, that’s awful. All of it. But it sounds like you’re running away, then. That’s never a solution, dear.”

“Actually, she told me to leave. She doesn’t want to take another chance on us.”

“Why not? Did you cheat on her? My ex cheated on me, and I’d never take that stinker back.”

“No, nothing like that. Our…our baby came early. Really early. We lost him. Things were never the same after that.” He’d suddenly developed diarrhea of the mouth. Maybe the concussion had altered his personality.

“What do you wish you could tell her?”

“Oh, we’ve pretty much said it all. It’s been a few years.”

“No, I mean, if you had a chance to tell her anything right now, what would you say?”

Graham looked out the window. It was nearly dark, the little square aglow from the lights hung on a giant pine, and all the old-fashioned lampposts wound with red and green lights. A perfectly tranquil holiday scene. Too bad nothing in his life was anywhere close to tranquil. “I’d say she’s the love of my life and I can’t live without her. And she shouldn’t be afraid to take another chance on me, because I’ve changed.”

“You can still make it better.”

“No, you don’t understand. We’redivorced.”

“Is she remarried? Are you?” She reached down between them and pulled up his hand. “I don’t see a ring on your finger.” This woman wastouchinghim. Touching his hand. These Mirror Lake people!

“Okay, folks, we found our last passenger,” the bus driver said, settling in his seat and taking a sip of steaming coffee from a travel mug. “Everyone hold tight while she boards.”

A college kid stepped on board with a single book bag, wearing headphones to shut out the world. He envied her the carefree time of life.

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